After a fantastic finish to 2008-09 and a dismal performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Blues are ready for another playoff push this upcoming season. The Blues finished last season with an NHL-best second half record of 25-9-7, which catapulted them from the cellar to the sixth seed in the playoffs. But that was then and this is now.
The biggest part of that run was goaltender Chris Mason. After being acquired last summer to back-up reigning all-star Manny Legace, Mason took over the job in early February and held an outstanding 21-7-5 record through the rest of the season. Mason has just one more year left on his contract, so he has to prove in 2009-10 that he deserves the starting job in St. Louis in order to be rewarded with a new contract.
The biggest signing of the summer for the St. Louis club was former Red Wing goalie Ty Conklin. The 6'0” 190 lb. Alaska native posted a 25-11-2 record last season with a .910 save percentage. He will be expected to spot-start when needed, getting about 15-25 starts. Conklin is the type of goalie that will keep your team in games but will also never steal the spotlight. He will be as good as the product in front of him.
Not only has the team improved their back-up goalie position, but they also upgraded their defensive play. With Erik Johnson returning from injury and Alex Pietrangelo expected to play, the team looks to be more of a threat on defensive-scoring. Johnson tallied 33 points in his rookie campaign, including 28 assists. What may even be more impressive is that Erik's teammate, Pietrangelo, racked up 53 points in 60 games for the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL in 2007-08, which included 13 goals. These smart defensemen are also expected to be strong in their own end; both players stand tall at over 6'3” each.
Another young hopeful to make the opening day squad is Swedish defenseman Jonas Junland. The 21-year old defenseman is noted on HockeysFuture.com as “a good skater and has fine hands. Hockey sense is good and big strength of his is the way he gets the puck on the target.” He will need a few more years to develop into a top-three defenseman, but should be a good fit as a 5th or 6th defenseman or as a number one guy in Peoria.
Blues management saw it fit to sign veteran defenseman Darryl Sydor to a one-year deal. After accepting an offer to attend training camp in August, General Manager John Davidson decided to put Sydor in a Blues sweater permanently.
“Darryl Sydor is a true professional in our game," he said. "He's a proven winner who brings valuable leadership to our blue line and will be a positive mentor for our younger defensemen."
This makes sense for the team mostly for the fact that captain Eric Brewer will be injured for, at the very least, the start of the season. Much like Davidson said, Sydor adds leadership and know-how to a mostly inexperienced blue line. Placing Sydor on a pairing with youngster Pietrangelo can be looked at as a great learning experience for the rookie.
Carlo Colaiacovo and Roman Polak will also be vital parts to the Blues' success this season. Both players were considered by many Blues fans last year as the two best defenseman all-around. Both players have a slight offensive-upside, but are mostly known for their willingness to track down loose pucks and be stalwarts in their own end. If these two can recreate their magic from last season, the Blues should be in good shape.
Tyson Strachan and Mike Weaver are also top reasons the Blues held it together last season. Both players played to the best of their abilities to maintain a roster spot for most of the season. On a well-balanced defense, these two will have to stay strong in order to stay with the big club in 2009-10.
It is not all sunshine and lollipops in St. Louis hockey land though.
Barret Jackman was not one of the strongest links for the Blues last season. He ate up the better portion of minutes played on the club, but was not impressive by any means. His knack of getting out of position to make a big hit or lackluster passing abilities need to improve if this club is to make the playoffs for the second straight season. Blues management claimed all season long that Jackman was playing injured, so hopefully a healthier Jackman will make a better Jackman.
Looking at the lineup for opening day, the Blues have a lot of decisions to make as to who will be everyday defenseman. Looking at the lineup on a pure depth standpoint, here is how the defense may look on Friday.
Defense pairing 1: Erik Johnson - Barret Jackman
Defense pairing 2: Carlo Colaiacovo – Roman Polak
Defense Pairing 3: Alex Pietrangelo – Darryl Sydor
Scratched: Mike Weaver
Injury Reserve: Eric Brewer
Sent to Peoria: Jonas Junland, Tyson Strachan
Read Part II at http://www.nhlhockeyonline.com/jeffponder/weblog/8541/the-official-200 This discusses the Blues' offense and how they will stack up against the rest of the Western Conference.
Keywords: alex pietrangelo, barret jackman, carlo colaiacovo, chris mason, darryl sydor, eric brewer, erik johnson, john davidson, jonas junland, manny legace, mike weaver, nhl, roman polak, st. louis blues, ty conklin, tyson strachan
