The NHL’s Western Conferences St. Louis Blues Offseason Review

When the Blues found out that defenseman Erik Johnson and left winger Paul Kariya would miss most (in Kariya’s case) or all (in Johnson’s case) of the season, there was little reason to have high expectations.  For the first half of the season, the Blues stumbled along.  But, something happened on the way to another season out of the playoffs as the Blues changed goaltenders, top center Andy McDonald returned from injury, the young guns started firing and the Blues roared to a sixth-place finish.  A late surge was enough for the Blues to make a surprise appearance in the postseason for the first time since the lockout.  Other than signing goalie Ty Conklin to back up Chris Mason, the Blues have not made any significant roster changes.  By the way Conklin could end up pushing  Mason in net.  With limited player movement, full, injury-free seasons from Paul Kariya and McDonald and continued improvement from the Blues’ core of young players are the keys to proving that last year’s playoff appearance wasn’t a one-time fluke.

Though he managed just five goals before the All-Star break, David Perron is a rising star with slick hands and a steadily improving all-around game.  When the Blues matched the offer sheet to power forward David Backes last summer, they surely hoped he would respond with a good season, though no one could have reasonably expected 31 goals. Backes plays with an edge, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to play with a tad more discipline.  T.J. Oshie made an immediate impact with the Blues, playing a frenetic hard-hitting style and showing signs of future stardom, though he’ll need to stay healthy if he’s going to reach his potential.  Veteran Kariya only played 11 games before he was sidelined with a hip injury, but he was on the verge of return when the Blues were bounced from the postseason. Kariya’s game has been in decline in recent seasons, but he had 15 points in 11 games last season so, if he’s healthy, he could be a productive scorer.  Shifty McDonald creates chances with his speed, but he’s also minus-30 in 98 games with the Blues, so he could stand to get better without the puck. Nevertheless, like Kariya, McDonald is a valuable veteran leader for the younger Blues forwards.

Somewhere between the promising young snipers and the veteran scorers, Brad Boyes slides in, having scored 76 goals over the last two seasons with the Blues.  While his minus-20 rating last season was discouraging, Boyes was a plus player after the All-Star break, as the Blues started moving in the right direction as a team.  Not only did Patrik Berglund show impressive offensive ability as a rookie, but his all-around game was much more refined than that of most rookies.  With more ice time and maturity, Berglund has the size and skill to be an impact player.

St. Louis suffered from an utter lack of offense from the blue line last year.  Their top six defensemen (Carlo Colaiacovo, Barret Jackman, Jeff Woywitka, Roman Polak, Jay McKee and Mike Weaver) combined to score 12 goals, and none of them had more than 89 shots on goal.  But the club’s blue-line firepower should be helped by the simple return of young stud D Erik Johnson, who missed the entire season due to a knee injury.  The first overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft, Johnson tore both the ACL and MCL in his right knee as a result of a freak accident sustained while getting out of a golf cart at a team outing.  After surgery and rehabilitation, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Johnson reportedly looked good in drills during the club’s early July, pro-orientation camp.

Mason took over the starting goaltending job and ignited the Blues’ strong finish to the season, setting career highs in wins (27) and shutouts (6).  It’s up to him to hold down the number one job for a full season, something the 33-year-old has yet to do in his NHL career.

David Rundblad, a rugged 6′2″ 195 lbs defenseman from Sweden was who St. Louis selected with the 17th pick in the NHL draft.  has a very good shot. He is a right-handed shot and he is used on the power play, even in the (Elite) League despite being a young player. He is a very smart player. He could be a little more physical in his game, but that is something that he is learning.  Let’s remember that he’s only 18 years old.

With young players like Johnson, Perron, Oshie, Berglund and Backes only figuring to get better, expectations are going to be higher for the Blues, next season and for several years beyond.  It seems like a Stanley Cup run could be in the Blues’ near future.  More importantly, they announced that this franchise is once again relevant.