A Glimpse into the Future: The 2008-09 St. Louis Blues

What do you get when you mix young talent, veteran leadership and strong goaltending?  The 2008-09 St. Louis Blues.

With all of the rookies being brought in this season, sportswriters are pre-ranking the Blues to finish very low in the Western Conference standings.  Matthew Barnaby of ESPN stated that the Blues “will struggle again.”  John Buccigross of ESPN added to Barnaby’s beliefs, projecting that, “This season looks like a speed bump.”  He also went on to say that the Blues will only rank thirteenth in the Western Conference by season’s end.  TSN.ca’s featured articles “30 Teams in 30 Days” made the statement, “…Blues fans- just wait until next season.”  With all of this negativity, how can Blues fans get pumped about the season?

The Blues have made it clear that they are still in a rebuilding phase.  When asked how far away the team is from being a Cup contender, owner Dave Checketts commented, “We’ll be a cup contender in the next three seasons.”  It is obvious by this remark that the Blues are not ready yet, but are where they want to be at this time. 

The Blues could possibly have some of the best young talent in the league right now.  T.J. Oshie looked great in the Blues’ rookie camp this summer, and has only gotten better since.  Playing throughout training camp and the pre-season, his step has looked great and his awareness is that of a veteran.  He is expected to shine the most of all of the rookies on the opening day roster, but there are a few other young-stars that might step in his way.

Patrik Berglund is a 6’4” 187 lb. center that is known for his stick-handling and durability.  In the World Junior Championships that were recently held in the Czech Republic, Berglund had seven points in six games played.  He has the size and strength that helps him plow through opposing defenses, yet the precision passing to set-up his teammates. 

On the defensive end of the game, Alex Pietrangelo and Jonas Junland look to make a mighty impact on the team.  Junland will start the season injured, but should only miss the start of the season.  He is a quick-footed skater with puck-moving potential who has been heralded as a top prospect of the Blues since he was drafted in 2006.

Pietrangelo will be the one to watch for fans this season on defense.  The 18-year old was drafted fourth overall by the Blues over the summer, and is coming to St. Louis with high expectations.  With Erik Johnson missing the season with a knee injury, Alex is expected to step in right away and be a game-changer by many fans and columnists.  He may seem shaky at first, but given the right amount of time and proper coaching, Pietrangelo could be a top performer for the Blues come April.

The Blues also filled some holes by keeping Roman Polak, Steve Wagner and Mike Weaver on the roster to start the season.  When Jeff Woywitka and Jonas Junland return from injuries, Wagner and Weaver are expected to head back to Peoria.

Only accumulating 79 points in the 2007-08 NHL standings, the veterans are presumed to be more of a factor.  Brad Boyes notched 43 goals and 65 points last season due to hard work and knowledge of where to be on the rink.  Brad signed a four year, $16 million contract extension last season, and will most likely earn his paycheck yet again.

The offense does look to be a productive crew, but there are still a couple of question marks going into Friday night.  The first one is if Paul Kariya can bounce back from a lackluster 16-goal season.  Although he did tie for first on the team in points with Boyes, he was not brought in to rack up the assists.  Kariya is a sniper and a guy that loves to shoot; there is no reason for him not putting up at least 25 goals in 2008-09.

Lee Stempniak is another player that underperformed in 2007-08.  Scoring just 13 goals, Stempniak appeared out of place on the ice and never seemed to be in a good position to shoot.  He will need to improve his positioning and ability to get open if he wants to continue playing in St. Louis.

Another question mark lies in Jay McClement.  After the team let former fourth-line center Ryan Johnson sign with Vancouver, McClement was re-signed to a one-year contract and has been put in the fourth line role.  Jay looked very good in training camp and the pre-season.  He looks like he has built up strength and has worked on his skating, and is prepared for the long haul with the Blues. 

The brightest spot of the Blues’ offense has to be David Perron.  With a plus-16 rating last season, the returning speedster has worked on his skating and has packed on a few pounds.  He will play more this season than last, and the fans cannot be more excited to see what this young man will bring forth in this campaign.

The Blues’ defense has seen better days to be sure.  After being last in the league in defensive scoring and then losing top defensive scorer Erik Johnson for the entire season, things look dim on the blue line. 

Fan-favorite Eric Brewer (sarcasm, my friends), returns for his first full season as captain but still has a lot to prove.  After a season where Eric turned the puck over more than Alexei Gusarov, fans became really upset with the 29-year old defenseman.  If Brewer will continue to play against the top lines in the league, his -18 rating must improve.

Barret Jackman signed a contract extension that would put him through 2011-12 in March, but never seemed to truly earn it.  Jackman was good for hits and cheers from fans, but looked as if he put himself out of position when trying to hit players.  Known as a defensive defenseman, Jackman still has to prove that he belongs on a top defensive pairing to St. Louis to me.

The goaltending looks stellar going into the season opener.  Manny Legace, coming off of an All-Star season, will be the starting net-minder yet again, and is expected to be brilliant.  With 27 wins and a .911 save percentage a season ago, Manny will finish out his current contract in superstar mode for sure.

The team picked up Chris Mason as a back-up/split starter over the summer.  Mason had a bit of a rocky season in 2007-08, but hopes to rebound.  With only 18 wins, Mason was let go as the starter in Nashville for up-and-coming goaltender Dan Ellis.  As a back-up to Tomas Vokoun in 2006-07, Mason tallied a .925 save percentage and a 2.38 GAA.  Backing up Legace may be a better position for the 32-year old when looking at the numbers.

The 2008-09 St. Louis Blues have a great mix of veterans and youth that a team can build on for the coming years.  The analysts are probably right; this is not the Blues’ year for a Cup, and probably not even for Stanley Cup Playoff contention.  But with the developing youth and leadership of veteran players, this could be an exciting year for Blues fans.  If any team in the league has the ability to upset the top teams in the league it is the Blues.  This season will do what was promised by John Davidson and crew; develop the young guys through competitiveness and prepare them for the years to come.  Playoffs or not- this will be an exciting season.