Owner Dave Checketts and team Prez John Davidson are rightly happy that
their club made a push last season and make the playoffs, ending a
three-year drought. This season, with question marks in goal, the team looks
to be a bubble playoff club at best.
27-year-old Brad Boyes has now recorded 76 goals and 427 shots in his
first two full seasons since Boston traded him away for Dennis Wideman.
Boyes has only missed one game in his four full NHL seasons. At 25, David
Backes is rounding into a legit pro, recording 31 goals in his third NHL
season. 32-year-old Andy McDonald missed 36 games to a broken left ankle in
08-09, still managed to record 44 points in 46 games and represents pure
speed. With Paul Kariya feeling good again, the Blues could have one of the
best group of top-six forwards in the western conference. Sophomore Pat
Berglund and 37-year-old fan favorite Keith Tkachuk both recorded over 20
goals last season.
Defensively, the Blues are good. But in terms of generating offense from
the blueline, there’s the rub. During the playoff loss to the Canucks, only
Barrett Jackman managed to register a point (an assist). Erik Johnson, who
missed what would have been his rookie season after a freak golf cart
accident impressed at the Team USA Olympic tryouts and will supply a huge
boost.
The Blues bid farewell to oft-injured Jay McKee, who was effective on the
penalty kill. The Blues hope that recent first-round draftee Alex
Pietrangelo (4th overall, ’08; Niagara, OHL) is ready for a shot at the bigs.
The 19-year-old Pietrangelo is 6’3”, 206. He saw action in eight NHL games
last year, and this will be his rookie campain, if he can make it.
After Manny Legace flamed out and was sent to the AHL, Chris Mason
assumed the starting job and rattled off a 24-8-6 record as the Bllues made
their impressive playoff push. He’s got his work cut out for him now, as he
assumes the starter position full-time. Ty Conklin arrives from Detroit to
back up. Conklin has now played for the past three consecutive Stanley Cup
final losers, so perhaps the Blues are set to win the West? Hmmm…
