Where can the Blues Turn?

One season.  82 games.  246 periods.  4,920 minutes. 

That is most likely how long the Blues organization will be without up and coming star defenseman, Erik Johnson.  The 20-year old, coming off of his rookie season, tore his ACL and has some damage to his MCL in an off-ice accident on the golf course.  With a defense that sees more of a turnover rate than McDonald’s, where can the Blues turn to try and fix this hole in the lineup?

“Camp is only a few days old,” stated Blues President John Davidson earlier this week, “There will be some movement with players headed to Peoria and other kids going back to Junior. But we're going to look at people and see what we have. Again, it's opportunity for other people, too.”

Davidson is surely talking about certain players that he feels can step up to the challenge.  This may be a wake-up call to defensemen like 87-game veteran Jeff Woywitka.  Acquired in the Chris Pronger deal in 2005, Woywitka has been up and down between St. Louis and their AHL affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen.  Having a career -6 plus/minus in the NHL, Jeff has not proven to Blues management just yet that he belongs.  He has been known to get caught in the offensive zone, thus leading to an odd-man rush for the opposing team.  Although this 25-year old defenseman possesses quick legs and is apt to pass before shoot, he will need to step up his play and buckle down on defense to make up for the Blues’ loss.

Andy Wozniewski, signed this off-season from Toronto, is still listed under the Blues’ pre-season roster.  Wozniewski has a -4 career plus/minus in 76 NHL games, and has racked up just twelve points.  Blues fans have just seen training camp and pre-season from the 6’4” 220 lb. defenseman, but many Toronto Maple Leafs fans and analysts have sounded off on Wozniewski in the past:

“He’s red rotten,” simply stated Steve Ludzik of “The Score” in Toronto.

“Thank God he’s gone,” stated samie1013 of youtube.com.

These are not the most encouraging words that could be spoken of the 28-year old defenseman.  But John Davidson and Co. hopes that these are not terms that will be spoken by Blues analysts this season.

Swedish defenseman Jonas Junland has made an impact in Blues training camp since he shined in the Prospects Tournament earlier this month.  Turning 21 in November, Junland has quick hands and a great knowledge of the game.  He seems almost as if he understands the game as a NHL veteran does with the way he can move the puck and read what an offense is about to do.  The team may need to consider placing this kid in Peoria though, as rushing a defenseman into the NHL does more bad than good.

This may also be the case with young Alex Pietrangelo.  Being the Blues’ first pick in the 2008 draft, Alex possesses a lot of the same skills that Junland does.  Quick feet and passing ability are easily two of Pietrangelo’s best attributes, but the organization cannot risk rushing him into the league.  Aki Berg was selected by the Los Angeles Kings third overall and came into the league the next season.  While Berg had a long NHL career, he never reached his full potential.  He now plays in Finland, his home country.

Another option for the team is to look outside the organization and pick up another veteran defenseman.  Since Johnson will be out all year, insurance picks up a lot of his contract, giving the Blues near $3 million extra to spend.

When asked if he has looked for help elsewhere, Davidson did not sugarcoat his answer by any means:

"We look everyday. I don't mean to sound like a cliché. But we sit up there everyday, with Larry (Pleau), Al (MacInnis), Doug (Armstrong) and myself. The scouts are in town and Jarmo (Kekalainen) is here. We talk about what teams have what, what teams look like they may have too many – there's not too many teams with too many defensemen – but we're looking everywhere. It's what we do. We have lists on every team. We're going to explore everything. We've been exploring. That's our job."

The most discussed defenseman that is on the move is Anaheim Ducks’ Mathieu Schneider.  The Ducks placed the 39-year old defenseman on waivers earlier this month, but went unclaimed.  Schneider, getting paid $5.625 million this season, could be put on re-entry waivers, cutting his price tag in half.  But Ducks General Manager Brian Burke has stated that he will only accept a trade.  A mid-level draft pick might be able to land the Blues Schneider if they play their cards right.

Another team that needs to dump salary is the Calgary Flames.  Being just under $1 million over the salary cap to start 2007-08, Calgary has veteran defenseman Cory Sarich on their roster.  While Sarich is a valued defenseman by the Flames, dumping his $3.4 million salary may be intriguing to the team given the right offer.  Sarich finished last year with a +2 plus/minus in 2007-08 and is an intimidating hitter as well.  He is a player that has faced minimal injuries in his NHL career as well.

The San Jose Sharks are just over the NHL salary cap, but do have good defensive corps.  26 year-old Christian Ehrhoff is a four-season NHL veteran and has been known to move the puck very well.  With 73 assists in 264 games played, Ehrhoff is used as a point-man relentlessly on San Jose power-plays.  It may take a forward or a few draft picks to swing Ehrhoff, but he could improve a very dismal Blues power-play.

With all of the options in front of Blues management, it is tough to decide where the best choice is.  Bringing in another player may stunt the growth of young defensemen, but the team has to sell tickets to generate revenue.  If this team goes under .500 yet again, this could be a non-profitable season.  Trading for the right veteran could improve the power-play, as well as stop turnovers in the defensive zone.  Looking at the options, another veteran is probably the safest and best way to go.