Read the full transcript of our weekly Blues chat.
Matthew DeFranks: Good afternoon. I'm back at a desk after Blues practice this morning. Winter Classic jerseys got released this morning. Jim Montgomery got fired yesterday in Boston. I'm sure there's plenty to get to.
Tylerg: Matty D, I hope you鈥檝e been well my guy. I鈥檓 sure this won鈥檛 be the only time you are asked, but Jim Montgomery鈥檚 sudden availability has to be intriguing to the Blues, right? I know we are rebuilding and super banged up, but this team simply doesn鈥檛 really have a direction or identity night in and night out. Curious to get your take on this and if you see Bannister making it to the end of the year. Cheers dude!
Matthew DeFranks: I figured this would be a popular topic today, given the chatter on social media and on local radio. To me, there are a lot of different elements to it, so this will be a longer response.
Jim Montgomery's record in Boston is obviously very good, but I think there's an important distinction to make between the way the Bruins played and the results they garnered. In the two-plus seasons under Montgomery, the Bruins were the best team in the league, record-wise, as the only team in the NHL with a points percentage over .700 in that time span. During those years, though, at 5v5, it wasn't like Boston was a complete team. It ranked 22nd in shot attempt share, 18th in shots on goal, 15th in scoring chances, 11th in high-danger chances and 12th in expected goals.
But they finished better than all but one team at 5v5. And they received better goaltending than every team. They went on a PDO bender that spanned multiple seasons. Now, I'm sure structure helps that some. And an offensive philosophy that prioritizes quality chances over quantity should do that, too. Those are ways a coaching staff can affect the game.
Clearly, Montgomery has history in 最新杏吧原创. As an assistant coach, Montgomery looked after a power play that was sixth in the league in 2020-21, and then a penalty kill that was fifth in the league in 2021-22. That's not nothing. He's familiar with the young core of Thomas and Kyrou, and worked with Buchnevich. Those are all good things, but also worth noting that playing good cop as an assistant is different than being the bad cop as the main coach.
I covered Montgomery in Dallas, and he was unafraid to call out big-name players like Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. In Boston this season, you've seen public spats with Brad Marchand and benching David Pastrnak. It's part of the coach's job to hold players accountable, and Montgomery has done that in his previous spots. But it's also something that could change your relationships with players that you had as an assistant coach.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the personal connection Montgomery has to 最新杏吧原创. His wife is from here. He still has a lot of friends and family in the area, and saw them recently when Boston was visiting the Blues. Obviously, the Blues gave him a chance after he was fired in Dallas.
Now, if you're Montgomery, would you want to wait for a better job? That's what he did when he left Denver for the Stars, who he viewed as a team that he could win with, and Dallas went to the Cup Final the year he was fired. Montgomery went to Boston after two years in 最新杏吧原创 and instantly coached the best team in league history. There's a past with Montgomery of picking the correct situation, and are these Blues the best one for him? Could miss the playoffs for the third straight season, and will be developing two NHL rookies next season potentially (Dvorsky, Snuggerud).
OK, now from the Blues' perspective. They lined up Drew Bannister's contract to coincide with the transfer of power from Doug Armstrong to Alexander Steen in 2026. They did that with the rest of the coaching staff, too. The idea is that Steen would get to hire his own coach at that time, ideally depending on what stage the Blues are at in their transition.
Does it really make sense for the Blues to fire coaches in consecutive seasons while going through a self-described retool? And then asking Montgomery to take the same group of players and win? I'm not so sure.
The way that the NHL goes through coaches, if the Blues chased Montgomery at this point, he may not even be around when 最新杏吧原创 turns a corner again towards contention. There are reasons for, and reasons against, and hopefully, y'all can come to your own opinions based on that.
GoThunder: Why would Monty want the Blues' job? Scotty Bowman couldn't win with this tepid roster.
Matthew DeFranks: There have been very few coaches recently that got fired and then took another job in the same season. They almost always wait until the summer to pick a new spot: Berube, Evason, Keefe, etc.
Easy Ed - fan since 1967: On Montgomery, he's a helluva coach, but their current coach's contract matches this Blues two-year "resurrection project," so I think he should be given a chance--he has some real potential. Of course, if Montgomery chooses STL, we're closer than we think. I remind you, Matt, the Blues fired Scotty Bowman, who went on to win 5 Cups in Montreal, and Al Arbour, who as interim coach did well, but the team started slowly his first full year--and a lot of it was injuries and puck luck. Of course, Al won 4 Cups, I think in succession. I think the Blues will let this coach play out--he deserves that chances. Your thoughts, please.
Matthew DeFranks: I think because Bannister's tenure has spanned two seasons, we tend to think he's been the coach for longer than he has. But he's coached 74 total games in the NHL. That's not much to go off for an NHL coach that is less than two months into his contract as the full-time coach.
Sctdog: Thank you for the article on the prospects in Springfield, this stage of the Blues looks a lot like the 2006/10 Blues where the key story was the draftees and prospects more so than the NHL team. Do you have anything on Micael Buchinger, he seemed to standout in the camp, there was a suggestion of Vince Dunn like characteristics, is he progressing?
Matthew DeFranks: The staff down in Springfield has liked what Buchinger has done so far this season. When they were without Tyler Tucker (and Scott Harrington), they asked a lot out of Buchinger, playing him 20-25 minutes a night and on the second PP and killing penalties too.
The offensive production isn't quite there yet, but the Blues think Buchinger can be a PP quarterback in the future. I think the Dunn comps come from Buchinger being undersized, offensive-leaning and little feisty, but not quite start a fight in the hallway feisty like Dunn.
Sctdog: Are you and the other sports writers going to begin posting on BlueSky following Hochman? With social media fragmenting its becoming more challenging following posts, I know the StL PD is on BlueSky as well.
Matthew DeFranks: I will if there is an appetite to do so. I just don't want to constantly post on two or three (if you count Threads) different platforms. During games, I've got a few different jobs to do, and I'm just not a fan of spending that time posting on different channels to different audiences. But if the people decide to go there, I'll be there at some point.
Tylerg: Matty D, one last thing.. what鈥檚 your take on the Kapanen waiver claim? I know he鈥檚 not a super impactful player, but I myself couldn鈥檛 help but chuckle at the fact that Edmonton claimed him. I kind of thought to myself, 鈥淎fter the Broberg and Holloway drama, good for them鈥, but then when you realize it鈥檚 Kapanen it just becomes idk silly, funny etc. It probably explains why there haven鈥檛 been a lot of moves up and down this year with Springfield which leads me to my question, who is waiver exempt on the current Blues roster. Thanks as always!
Matthew DeFranks: It is funny how it works out, huh? That game in Edmonton in early December is no longer just the Holloway and Broberg Game. Can't forget Kasperi Kapanen!
I do know that other teams around the league at least thought about claiming Kapanen. He's a veteran winger that is still one of the best skaters in the league, can give you bottom-six minutes on a contract worth $1 million and only for this season. There's not a lot of risk in making that claim.
As far as players that are waivers exempt on the Blues roster, there are only three of them: Zack Bolduc, Jake Neighbours and Matthew Kessel. By Christmas, that list will be down to just Bolduc, in all likelihood. When Neighbours plays 11 more games, and when Kessel plays 12 more games, they will no longer be waiver exempt and will have to go through waivers in order to go to the AHL.
While Corey Schueneman is not normally waivers exempt, the Blues will be able to send him back to the AHL without waiving him as long as he's not in the NHL for 30 days or playing in 10 games since the last time he cleared waivers.
Easy Ed - fan since 1967: Matt, good work on the Slovak minor leaguers--you know I've been crazy about the 19-yr-old winger's possibilities since I first saw him on the ice in prospects games. I suspect the Blues may call up center Dvorsky if they're in the hunt at the end of the season. Your article said he's really improving. How close is he? if his trajectory continues? How would that look with centers Thomas and Dvorsky!!! Dangerous. This defenseman called up looks pretty good. Would he play when Leddy's ready? If so, who would come out? As I hoped for before, Perunovich is getting ice time and is looking awfully good playing with Faulk. But if Broberg, PO Joseph, and Leddy are back, could he play on the third pair?
Matthew DeFranks: I think the Blues should take advantage of the fact that Dvorsky is able to play in the AHL as a teenager. There are so many times we see teams with 19-year-old prospects that are stuck in junior hockey in Canada. The refrain is almost always "I wish this player was eligible to play in the AHL." The Blues have that luxury, and he's the fifth-youngest player in the AHL. I don't think they want to rush him. But at the end of the season? After he's continued his development and production? Sure.
As you mentioned, long-term, having Thomas and Dvorsky as Nos. 1 and 2 down the middle is a huge development. Honestly, so much of the Blues' success in this retool revolves around Dvorsky turning into a franchise player, and they can't mess that up.
As far as a fully healthy Blues defense, I would think Schueneman and Kessel's jobs are in jeopardy. Perunovich would have to keep up his level of play and be more consistent. Even last night, he scored and he looked dangerous at other times, but he also made poor reads that resulted in Minnesota chances.
The other part is that things tend to change before teams get completely healthy. That's already happened a few times this season, so I guess we'll just wait and see.
Mike: Matt, were you a little surprised that for an organization that has spoken of patience with Dvorsky, that Konowalchuk would say that he could be ready for the NHL in just a month or two? Thanks for the great coverage of the Blues and Springfield.
Matthew DeFranks: Yes and no. I think when fans want him up right now, that a month or two is patience. I also think that it was a casual conversation and that he doesn't want to limit Dvorsky's upward mobility by saying he won't be ready until April.
Eric: Hey Matthew -
Random question: Couple of weeks ago you posted a video of Adam Jiricek getting injured in his OHL game and he didn't return. Do you know any updates regarding his status?
Matthew DeFranks: The only updates I've received are that he won't be out long-term, but will miss a few weeks. I know that's clear as mud.
Fan since the 70's.: Hi Matthew, In your opinion, Will any of these players be on the next Blues team to win a playoff series? Binnington, Parayko, Schenn, Saad, Leddy, Faulk, Krug, Sundquist, Faksa, Walker, Leddy, Suter or Buchnevich.
Matthew DeFranks: Pavel Buchnevich better be on the next Blues team to win a series.
Now, a different question is which one of those players will win a playoff series first? I might lean Suter just because he may get traded at the deadline to a team that needs depth on the back end. And he'll have a league minimum cap hit, and likely $1.725M performance bonuses paid with just $500k remaining. So he would be a cheap option for teams at the deadline.
Don: Why did the Blues wait so long to release the WC jersey? Distribution of the last WC jersey was a disaster. Are there indications that they have their act together this time (not that I'm buying this one, but I do wonder if they fixed their supply chain)
Matthew DeFranks: I think the league determines the release date and I do wonder if many of the order fulfillment issues are due to the NHL not wanting the design to leak early with too many advance jerseys made and distributed.
Al: Appreciated your article on the Winter Classic jerseys but like... did you ask them how this could possibly have been the best option? It's so objectively bad that it seems intentional. Are home and away jersey redesigns coming next year or something and they didn't want to undercut those sales?
Matthew DeFranks: In our conversation with the Blues, it was clear they wanted to try something new (the 最新杏吧原创 wordmark) but in a familiar template (the Winter Classic colors). I think it does look super clean, but that's probably because the wordmark leaves a fair bit of space above the stripe clear.
As far as a complete redesign, I asked CEO Chris Zimmerman about that in the summer.
鈥淚 will tell you that the Heritage uniform, the logo, all that that means has been really, really strongly endorsed,鈥 Zimmerman said. 鈥淥ur players have loved playing in that sweater on Saturdays. That鈥檚 become a great tradition. Our record is really strong. We are constantly evaluating where we are and how to both keep our uniform fresh and bring newness to it. That goal will continue.鈥
Sctdog: I assume you have questions in the queue about Bolduc, but here goes another. At this point, especially since he never really lit up the AHL, doesn鈥檛 it seem like his development would be enhanced with +20 min in the AHL vs scratch, scratch 6 minutes, scratch, scratch, scratch in the NHL. I get that he is participating in NHL practices, but the guy has to play, and it鈥檚 still unclear if he is an NHL top 9 forward. At his age wouldn鈥檛 high intensity reps in a key scoring role with future Blues be preferred?
Matthew DeFranks: I would tend to agree with you. While most players that get to the NHL go through the phase of "I'm too good for this league" in the AHL, Bolduc never did. I feel like his inclusion this season in the NHL was a remnant of his finish in 最新杏吧原创 last year. But Bolduc hasn't shown that offensive upside this season, and even in the AHL last year, wasn't that guy. I mean, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki is producing more in his AHL start than Bolduc did last year.
I can still understand why Bannister hasn't trusted Bolduc to move up in the lineup. He hasn't shown much of anything offensively to this point, while even a guy like Walker has found a way to chip in offensively in a bottom-six role.
GoThunder: Please, please join BlueSky!
Matthew DeFranks: Yeah, if there's enough of an audience, I will.
pugger: Hey Matt-- I wonder what yoru thoughts are on Scott Perunivich... Is this a case of 'you gotta stick with a prospect' or risk giving up on them too early? The Cardinals have made a living giving away talent they didn't evaluate properly... And doesnt' that speak to maybe just letting more young guys play more? Yes, they will make mistakes, but the reality is you only learn how to play by playing.. I hope we see that.. How much worse can they play than some of the Blues---Shenn, etc?? There will be bumps along the way, but I'd like to see Bolduc get a run, and Dvorsky get some time.. Also, will we see Leo Loof play ever?
Matthew DeFranks: I get that Scott Perunovich doesn't have much tread on his tires because of his injuries. But he's also 26 years old. He's past being a prospect, and I've spoken to talent evaluators around the league that are basically like "Yeah, he is what he is."
Now, the Blues haven't done themselves any favors in this realm recently with the departures and relative successes of Vince Dunn, Jake Walman and Niko Mikkola.
But I think so much of Perunovich's game is based on confidence, and he's also a person that's so hard on himself. So that's a tough combination that can spiral into fits of poor play.
pugger: Binnington... How do you see his season thus far? I gotta give the guy a lot of grace.. The team in front of him is not great... Hard to put up numbers with the lack of talent...
Matthew DeFranks: I think both Binnington and Hofer have taken steps back so far this season. A lot of crooked numbers, or soft goals, not going out there and stealing games when an injured team needed you to. There's a lot of season left, and both goalies have proven they can play well. It's just that this was the possible scenario for the Blues. The goaltending takes a step back and suddenly, a bubble team is headed for the lottery quickly.
pugger: Montgomery can win here.. It just may take 3-5 years..... :)
Matthew DeFranks: Well, he is a process-oriented coach.
Easy Ed - fan since 1967: Matt, That Victory+ channel was a total total total waste. There was no saving or fast forward, and if you came out and went back in, you had to start over with no FF!!! Was this somebody's idea on a napkin or what? Is it over for the Blues? Thanks.
Matthew DeFranks: It's the full-time carrier for Stars and Ducks games, so it's not a half-baked idea for them. But for the Blues, with the recent news about Diamond/Bally, it appears they've now found stability. If the Blues needed to move from Bally, I think a combination of Victory+ and over the air would have made a lot of sense. But I don't know how it shakes out anymore. I do believe that the current Blues/Bally deal has outs after each season for both sides, though.
GoThunder: Last night was disheartening to me. It wasn't Perunovich or Bolduc with critical turnovers in the defensive zone, but Faulk and Faska. How can any NHL team expect to win when its seasoned vets are the ones coughing up the puck in their own zone?
Matthew DeFranks: Bolduc and Perunovich had mistakes of their own, but they just didn't end up in the back of the net. But I get what you're saying. That Faulk turnover was bad. The lost board battle, I think by Toropchenko, was bad. When you don't capitalize on chances, and your goaltending isn't stealing games, mistakes are magnified.
Sctdog: Are the Blues done with the Buch experiment at center yet, he just doesn鈥檛 seem to be as productive as when he鈥檚 playing on the top line, interestingly vs stiffer competition. I鈥檓 not sure I have seen many transitions of late 20 year old players to center from wing work. The Blues have tried to fit many players into new roles the last few years, Scandella as a top 4, Leddy as a shutdown D, Buch at center, I guess they are trying to fill holes with many of those choices but the hit rate hasn鈥檛 been good.
Matthew DeFranks: Yeah, the hit rate hasn't been good, but they have gotten some useful games out it sometimes. Hasn't been that way with Buchnevich. I'm not sure how much he enjoys it, and he doesn't like being a player that no longer has an offensive impact.
I like that they put their three best forwards together. Let them do their thing, and figure out the rest if you need to. They basically accumulated their record last year under Bannister by using 89-18-25 together.
Twister18: I find the concept of a retool while still spending to the cap counterintuitive. I understand no trade protection is difficult to overcome, however, if I am Tom Stillman, my direction to Doug Armstrong is to get us out of this crippling debt by all mean necessary. Considering the regression this year, do you see a full tear down?
Matthew DeFranks: You make good points there, Tony. (Has to be the real Twister, right? Right??) I can't think ownership is happy spending as much as contending teams just to be outside the playoffs again. But the one counter to that is that the Blues weren't going to be a cap team until the offer sheets. And they knew they were overpaying for Broberg and Holloway because they had the space. So they knew that before the season started.
I still can't see a full tear down. If anything, a bad year will result in another top 10 pick, and give them another asset to build around.
Easy Ed - fan since 1967: As for Perunovich, as a player, financial and other considerations aside, would he be better playing on Europe's bigger ice surface? Or does he just need more experience?
pugger: And what is he? Perunivich, that is? It seems like he's improving, so that would indicate we don't know what he is.. His ceiling that is..
Matthew DeFranks: The European surface is an interesting thought. More space to skate, more time to make plays, don't get hit as much and where poise with the puck is a big asset. I'm sold. But I wouldn't think Perunovich or the Blues are quite ready to give up on him in the NHL just yet.
I don't think Perunovich will be a 35-point guy on the back end. I feel like his skills don't outweigh the shortcomings on the backend to demand premium ice time. Improvement is one thing, but his game isn't changing entirely.
Jimfla: Hi Matt. Thanks for your chat today. I don鈥檛 know if anyone noticed, but the Athletic just printed a story for the 4 destinations for Monty. Guess who was first? And I agree with you, I don鈥檛 know why he would take it. But that and maybe a trade or two (Buffalo) and I think this team would improve.
Matthew DeFranks: I did read that, and there's a lot of connections, obviously. But both from a timing perspective and personnel-wise, a lot of things to think about.
pugger: And I'm pretty sure I started the nickname "Matty D." So when you write your autobiography-- "Matty D, a Journey" I am thinking I should write the forward... Thanks Matt.. !!!! :)
Matthew DeFranks: Great title. It's come and gone through the years, but some of my friends in college beat you to calling me Matty D.
Roy Hobbs 3.0: Any chance that we'll see Hugh McGing in a Blues sweater this season?
Matthew DeFranks: Maybe? I would guess he's behind Nikita Alexandrov if the Blues needed a depth recall. But Zach Dean and Mackenzie MacEachern are injured, so there go a couple depth options. And I would think McGing might get a crack before the younger guys like Aleksanteri Kaskimaki or Dylan Peterson.
Igor: This team is screwed. Short term and long term. DD is already at risk of being moved to wing and Snuggy isn鈥檛 signing this spring.
Matthew DeFranks: Dvorsky has played exclusively center in the AHL, but I guess it's not uncommon for young players to move to wing early in their NHL career, like Robert Thomas did. Jimmy Snuggerud has said he'll sign after this season, so I guess we'll see.
pugger: Teh whole point of hiring MOntgomery is that he has been known to get the best out of players, on both sides (offense and defense), including young players.. The Blues don't have Connor Bedard, but they have a pipeline, some talent. They could be a playoff team in 3/4 years... Maybe he'd want to be part of building to that moment with the young guys.. Yes, the Blues may need a top 5 pick to enrich the roster, or target a high end offensive player and defensive player, along with the kids.. But it can be done... Not sure why Montgomery wouldn't want to do that.. I mean, it's not a 9 year rebuild, ala Chicago..
Matthew DeFranks: Quick, how many current NHL coaches have been with their teams for more than three years?
By my count, the answer is six. Sullivan (PIT), Cooper (TBL), Bednar (COL), Brind'Amour (CAR), Tourigny (UTA) and 最新杏吧原创 (MTL).
Sullivan, Cooper and Bednar all won Cups. Brind'Amour has won a playoff series in five different seasons.
So while we all may be looking three or four years down the road, coaching hires rarely last that long. If they do, they're either given a lot of leash like Tourigny or 最新杏吧原创. Or they've had a lot of success like Sullivan, Cooper, Bednar or Brind'Amour.
pugger: To piggy back on your point about Bolduc... Maybe they just need to play him till he finds his footing. Right, he may not be quite ready, he may make a llot of mistakes, but that's what coaches/assit coaches/other players are for... To help him learn at this level. I'm not a fan of the notion that 'the press box' can teach players a lot. Maybe it helps, but at some point you ride or die with the guys that are going to be part of your future.. Just play the guy already.. Doesn't have to be 24 min a night, how about 16?
Matthew DeFranks: I get what you're saying, and his finish to the season is a good argument for a bigger role. But he hasn't looked dangerous in the minutes he's been given, and averaged less than one shot per game. I'm not sure if I've seen him uncork a one-timer on the power play. Maybe the Blues are coaching the offense right out of Bolduc when they ask him to finish every check, but I think they'd like to see more from him before elevating him.
pugger: Also, did the Blues ever think about Jiricek and maybe some weight/conditioning.. He's like 6'3" and 165 pounds.. Aren't they worried he'll get pounded into dust out there?
Matthew DeFranks: They've got all their prospects on a weight program. To me, I think Jiricek looked bigger at training camp than he did after the draft at development camp. He's got a lanky frame, so we'll just see how much he'll be able to add to it.
pugger: To continue that thought.. Ok, Bolduc has some serious skills.. What is it that guys like him need to do to translate the skill into being a productive player at this level? Is it all about effort? About x's and o's and learning the game? Right, no one expects this guy to light the world on fire right away.. But in yoru estimation, what is in the way? I think if the guy is working, and you believe in him, again, just play him, take your lumps and let him figure it out.. Now is the time to do that, the Blues aren't close to being a playoff team
Matthew DeFranks: It's a great question, and honestly, one I'm not too sure about the answer. Is it getting to the right spot to score goals in the NHL? Is it finding how to possess the puck more? Is it transitioning his game to become a bottom-six guy? I don't know.
Stebo: Now that Boston made Monty available...
Matthew DeFranks: It's been a hot topic today.
Tommy Pham: Any thought of having a question of the session and the winner with the most creative question or something like that can win some blues swag off you or the Post?
Matthew DeFranks: I have not thought about that at all. I honestly don't even know if we have swag.
Eric: Leddy has gone from being day-to-day to being out for several weeks, and it doesn't seem like he's close to returning. Is there a reason the Blues are being so mysterious about his status?
Matthew DeFranks: I followed up with Drew Bannister about Nick Leddy today. He said he's still skating. I asked if surgery is on the table for Leddy, and he said he would be lying if he knew the answer. It's an odd situation for sure.
Sctdog: (comment not question) European hockey tends to be more defensive as the wider rink makes it easier to push people out of scoring zones. There is less physical play as there is no reason to commit to a player so far from the net, congestion breeds physical play.
Matthew DeFranks: Right. I was talking about the differences the other day with an offensive defenseman like Samuel Johannesson. He seemed surprised by just how different it was.
mystic: I was at the Blues game last night and have to admit this team is really confusing and frustrating. They seemed to play real hard (at least last night) but are so terribly inconsistent. They make good plays that almost go in the net and they make terrible turnovers. How much of this falls to the coaching staff?
Matthew DeFranks: I tend to put puck management issues squarely on the shoulders of the players. Usage, structure, PP formations, etc., I put that on coaches.
Eric: If you look at this team now, what do you feel like is their biggest need: a true top pair elite defenseman, or a top six forward with a legit lethal shot? My concern is it doesn't seem like we have either one in the pipeline right now.
Matthew DeFranks: No. 1 defenseman and No. 2 center are needs. Dvorsky could be that guy. I don't think Lindstein, Jiricek, Ralph, Fischer, Burns are that guy on defense.
pugger: appreciate the answer Matt.. I think of Ivan Barbeshev.. Who tore it up in the minors, offensive guy.. But, he was on a loaded team, played 3rd line role.. But, he still had the skills, and when he played with skiled guys, he elevated his offensive game, gained confidence, to the point where he was on the #1 line in Vegas... I like you don't know the answer.. But it has to have something to do with opportunity, and of course confidence...But what steps are taken to ensure that those things happen-- getting the opportunity, instilling confidence.. I would imagine too with young players that is a tougher challenge than back in the day...
Matthew DeFranks: Good points. Well taken.
That's all for today. Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the lively chat.
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