SB Nation - Chris Mason

Retribution It Is; Blues Score Touchdown In Edmonton.

gallagher — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:00:26 -0000

by John Ulan - AP

"Oh no, get ready for the hard hugger."

The annoucers tonight spent a good amount of time talking about how play like tonight is "how you get into the playoffs" and about how great it must be for management to see this when they showed such patience with the current lineup and about how "some" have been questioning coach Andy Murray's tenure with the team and how it's great to see his team respond.

Slow down.

The Blues just beat the 10th place team in the West (Vancouver) and the 15th place team in the West (Edmonton). I'm as excited as any Blues fan, but seriously, let's not declare the inconsistent efforts to be a thing of the past just yet.

That said, Wah-fucking-hoo! It sure was nice to see the Blues score goal after goal (after goal) against the Oilers, especially after I had to watch in person as the Oilers whipped the shit out of our boys on home ice 10 days ago. It was especially satisfying to watch their fans sitting in quiet frustration as the Blues celebrated after each score and to hear them booing their team off the ice.

Comes around, goes around, ya'heard?

Some random notes for your discussion:

We've spoken before about Alexander Steen and the flashes of skill we see from him. When he gets a little space to wind it up, the guy has a lazer of a shot and he knows how to put it under the bar. You can see why he was drafted in the first round when he unleashes that thing. It also now makes sense why he's seeing time on the power play. On the point, he has the room to operate and set that thing up. A goal and three assists tonight? That dude nose how to score. (You're welcome.)
Yet another example tonight of a guy (Ethan Moreau) overreacting to a perfectly legal hit by going after a guy and trying to start a fight. Yes, I know the Blues do it to, I just don't understand it. Why not just line the guy up later and give it right back? I liked seeing T.J. Oshie, victim of the attack, telling one of his teammates to not go after the guy. He knew they got the power play called and knew it was simple baiting.
Chris Mason: another one amazing save/one soft goal given up night. I'll leave it at that tonight, but seriously, it's an issue when the Blues are scoring their normal two or three goals and not putting up seven.
People are starting to get on Erik Johnson for his play and I can see some of that, he is not a sacred cow, of course, but I'm willing to let a lot of that go. Persoanlly, I like seeing him being creative and going where he needs to go to make plays. He gets back to cover for the most part, but the big benefit is that unpredictability offers offensive chances - it throws off the opposition when they don't know what he's going to do.
Thank you, Ladislav Smid. Thank you very much.
Nice to see the TechnoViking looking confident again. Welcome to Flashback City, Population: Us. Let's hope the IceBerg can keep it going and earn back some more of that playing time. I liked his line tonight with David Perron and B.J. Crombeen, as it gives them some playmaking, some shooting and some grit out there at the same time. Can we see that together a little longer, Coach? Please?
Speaking of lines, also a fan of Paul Kariya playing with T.J. Oshie and David Backes as they did to start the game. Kariya and Frosted Tips have a similar passing ability and their chemistry is apparent. Coach? Hmm? Please?
I've been a big fan of Silent Jay McClement for some time now and watching him score is always a bonus. He strikes me as the kind of guy who can hang around St. Louis his whole career, play a solid, neutralizing game for year after year and never really get a ton of attention. Then, when his career is all about over, everyone is gonna go, "Damn, that guy was really good, wasn't he?"

The Blues are back at it on Wednesday against Calgary, a team that (as I like to say), has like three good players. They're seveth in the Western Conference, but have struggled lately, going 4-5-1 in their last 10. Can the Save And Murray Tour continue to succeed?

Finally, a celebration for a nice night from Patrik Berglund:

Basement Blues Come To Garage To Test Canucks' Character

Sean Zandberg — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:21:42 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

He's got the whole game in his hand

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BLUES (14-14-5) VS CANUCKS (20-15-0)

GAME TIME: 7:00 PM

TV: Sportsnet Pacific

The Enemy: St. Louis Game Time

UPDATE (2:58 PM): Did Blues' GM Larry Pleau rip into the players after their 6-3 loss to the Lightning? Well, only if you believe this guy.

UPDATE (2:02 PM): No Mathieu Schneider at practice today. He was absent due to personal reasons. Remember what I said a couple of days ago... Also, tonight is Fan Appreciation night. That means the "Jersey's Off Our Backs" ceremony will happen post game. Hopefully Rypien's jersey is stained with Blues' blood. Wouldn't that be a keeper? Hell yeah!

UPDATE (1:55 PM):

Asked if the Canucks had to guard against a letdown, which occurred on the last road trip after impressive wins in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Kesler replied: "The world is filled with such negative thinking. There is a positive bubble in this room and we have to not let this negative thinking creep into this bubble we have.”

-The Vancouver Sun

UPDATE (11:49 AM): The Blues have lost 5 of their last 6 at GM Place. -Sports Network

******************

I've seen this story before. The Canucks play well and beat a superb team and then play a basement dweller and show lack of intensity and lose. Is it about to happen again? Do the Canucks want to be in a playoff spot or not? They can do just that if they win tonight.

More after the jump...

This will be the first game of a 4-game road trip for St. Louis. They hold an impressive 8-3-3 record away from home. They last played on Friday, a 6-3 loss to the Lightning. They are 4-4 in December, 4-5-1 in their last 10, and have lost 2 in a row.

Which Blues are "rolling" over their past 5 games?

-David Backes: 3 goals and 5 points

-Brad Boyes: 1 goal and 4 assists

-TJ Oshie: 3 goals and 1 assist

-Andy McDonald: 1 goal and 3 assists

-Paul Kariya: 4 assists

COMPARATIVE STATS

GOALS PER GAME: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th

GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 15th

5 on 5: Canucks 5th, Blues 21st

POWER PLAY: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th. Wow.

PENALTY KILL: Blues 4th, Canucks 18th. Draw your own conclusions.

SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 11th, Blues 16th

SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 23rd

WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER 2 PERIODS: Canucks 8th, Blues 27th

FACEOFF %: Canucks 11th, Blues 19th

Another intriguing stat: The Canucks have scored more goals on home ice than any other team in the NHL. The Blues are 26th overall in goals scored on the road.

Statistically, the Canucks have the Blues dominated. They need to put these guys away and get into the playoff picture. 6 points separate the Canucks from the Northwest Division-leading Colorado Avalanche.

The last time these 2 teams played was on November 10. The Blues destroyed the Canucks 6-1 in a penalty-filled game.

The Blues have started Chris Mason 23 games this season, and Ty Conklin 11. Conklin has better stats. Not sure which one plays against the Canucks tonight.

Tanner Glass scrapped Cam Janssen in a marathon match last game. Let's see Rypien and Janssen go at it!

St. Blouis Lose: Back Down to .500.

gallagher — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:17:48 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

"Damn stupid gloves! I can't get the stupid middle finger up!" St. Louis says fuck you to St. Louis, opening up a black hole in downtown St. Louis.

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I've got about 150 less frustrating things to do tonight than talk about that game some more, so here we go, high-speed style.

I've come to the conclusion that the reason that none of us can point to any one or two things that the Blues are doing wrong is because it is the intangibles that are costing this team games.

Consistency.
Heart.
Desire.
Need for the puck. Want for the puck.
The extra gear that kicks in when a player refuses to lose or decides he has to win.

These intangibles are hard to put a finger on. Who has them and who doesn't. But to me these things show up in comments like, "Boy, that guy is flying tonight." Or, on the negative side, "Holy shit, I thought Brad Boyes was a healthy scratch. Has he been here all night?"

Here's a list of everyone I thought was showing us all the intangibles tonight:

T.J. Oshie

Some other random thoughts for your consideration:

My couple articles about players being virtually untradeable and Andy Murray being virtually unkeepable at this point weren't terribly popular a couple weeks ago. Now, I stand by them even more. What kind of value can the Blues get for anyone that they'd be willing to trade at this point? How much longer can they stand behind Murray when his team's only consistent trait is that they are wildly inconsistent? Remember everyone, this is a business being run by businessmen. What happened at your job in 2009 when business was bad?
At what point will we have a goalie on this team who isn't a back-up trying to hold down a starter's job? Chris Mason is the king of the amazing save/weak goal game. Granted, there wasn't a ton of defense being played in front of him on a couple of those goals, but it's getting harder and harder to defend him as a true starting netminder. Don't get me started on Ty Conklin, because that would be replacing a backup trying to be a starter with another good backup trying to be a starter. You know, like replacing Manny Legace with Chris Mason.
14 seconds isn't a long time, but apparently it's enough to take advantage of a team like the Blues who, again, showed an incredible lack of killer instinct every time they scored a goal tonight.
Speaking of the building-deflating quick response goals the Blues kept giving up, it sure didn't stop Towel Boy from doing his attention-boner-inducing little ceremony. The Candy Ladies knew well enough to not pass the bag of celebratory chocolate and Swedish Fish, why doesn't Towelie get it?
Most overheard comment of the night: "Something's gotta give, right? Something has got to give."
Runner-up: "Wait, I thought I was the last piece of the puzzle."

The Blues are going on the dreaded Western Canadian Swing (TM) starting Sunday night in Vancouver. Maybe something will have given by then.

Cancel My Away Game Season Ticket Plan: Blues Win At Home.

gallagher — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:58:43 -0000

First things first: teams are starting to look past the Blues. Calgary started Curtis McIlhinney tonight, he of four games played this season (Miikka Kiprusoff has played in 29). But let's give the Blues this: they took advantage of not having to play Kiprusoff and did what they needed to get one of those heretofore elusive home wins.

Generally speaking, that team reminded me of the Blues of the early part of the Edmonton game. As we were talking about that game tonight at the rink I made the comment that at first we were all so excited because they were playing like the team we thought we had. Then, in the third period, they played like the team we unfortunately knew we had. That second team never showed up tonight.

Yes, there were mistakes; teams don't play perfect for all 60 minutes. barret Jackman lost track of Jarome Iginla a couple times and it nearly cost them. Yes, Brad Boyes missed the net wide again in key situations, but at least he made some smart plays with the puck and wound up with three assists tonight. Chris Mason made his standard unbelievable save and his standard "how'd that go in?" faux pas.

Overall, however, the type of effort we expect to see from this team every night. If it takes Barret Jackman and Keith Tkachuk mistreating each other in practice like they did this weekend, then so be it. Professional athletes are weird, giant man-child finely tuned coordinated machines. Head games and superstitions come with the territory.

Finally, a few other notes from tonight:

I didn't see the Hull ceremony, but I'm hoping to catch the replay. I was in the building early enough to catch the whole game and when they showed Hullie up on the jumbotron and he flashed that smile-smirk of his and gave the thumbs-up, it made me smile. I miss that guy. He made me a hockey fan. I love that guy.
In case you missed it, the fan that yelled something out that gave Hull pause and made the whole rink laugh was someone who yelled out, "Keenan sucks!" People said it looked like Hull wanted to say something about it. Personally, I don't know how he refrained.
Another great recurring joke of the night was the interviews of Hull's Team. Angelllla asked Tony Twist, Curtis Joseph, Geoff Courtnall and others to tell a 'family friendly Brett Hull story. Not one of them could do it. CuJo even said, "There are no family-friendly Brett Hull stories." Did I mention that I love that guy?
As for the game, a big sign that things went the right way is that I don't have to gush about the play of Silent Jay McClement tonight. When McClement's solid defensive play is noticable, things aren't going well for the team. Silent Jay was solid as always, but it's a good thing that he was overshadowed.
Apparently Brett Hull said in an interview today that T.J. Oshie reminds him a lot of himself when he was that age. All I can say about that is that we should all go into avoid the jinx mode and never speak of this again. That said, how fitting was it for the Teej to win the game with a Hullian shot late in the game? Sinking into a hole in the defense and then snapping on in? Quite fitting, actually.
On the power play tonight, Brad lee said, "Why is Alex Steen out there?" I replied with, "He's a great puck handler." A second later he fired a shot that scored. Call both of us crazy.
David Perron may not have scored and I may be starting to come over to the Answer Man's theory that his teammates don't like him based on their lack of obvious love for him on-ice, but there are few players in the NHL that have that want for the puck that Frenchie has. Even when he's stickhandling through the defense and they're hooking and holding him, he stays focused, keeps moving his feet and trying to get the puck back. You can't teach that quality. wanting the puck is what makes players better than like-skilled equals.

In Chicago tomorrow, which will be a huge test. It'll be a good chance to see how much confidence this team got from tonight as they try to beat a fierce rival in the first game they play against them this year.

You want something else? Here it is, your Hullian end to the Brett Hull Night:

Team Canada Watch '09: Goaltending

Chemmy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:52:28 -0000

Yesterday we had a lively 700 comment discussion on the finer points of Jeff Schultz's advanced plus minus statistics. Today we can all argue about shot quality in a rousing discussion of who Team Canada's goalie should be. Of course Canada will bring three of these guys just in case but we'll all agree that one guy is the starter and argue accordingly.

Follow me through the jump before voting!

STRONG CANDIDATES:

Martin Brodeur

#30 / Goalie / New Jersey Devils

Height: 6-2

Weight: 215

Born: May 06, 1972

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Martin Brodeur	26	1562	18	7			55	2.11	706	651	.922	2

This tubby womanizer left his wife for her sister but tied Terry Sawchuck's shutout record.

Roberto Luongo

#1 / Goalie / Vancouver Canucks

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Born: Apr 04, 1979

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Roberto Luongo	23	1304	12	10			53	2.44	623	570	.915	2

Roberto Luongo is literally the sole reason why the Vancouver Canucks didn't forfeit their next ten seasons. In addition to posting solid numbers behind a worse defensive team than Brodeur, Luongo won't have to move his equipment out of his locker at GM Place. Think of the time savings!

Marc-Andre Fleury

#29 / Goalie / Pittsburgh Penguins

Height: 6-2

Weight: 180

Born: Nov 28, 1984

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Marc-Andre Fleury	26	1517	17	8			62	2.45	653	591	.905	0

Fleury's numbers don't look outrageous but remember that every single defenseman in Pittsburgh is hurt. For a while Fleury was carrying the Wilkes-Barre d-corps on his back and looking good doing it.

NOT A DAMN CHANCE:

Cam Ward

#30 / Goalie / Carolina Hurricanes

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Feb 29, 1984

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Cam Ward	15	829	2	9			41	2.97	406	365	.899	0

Due to his injury and Carolina's horrible season I just can't see Ward making it onto the team. If he played out of his mind he'd still be a longshot and he just hasn't so far.

Steve Mason

#1 / Goalie / Columbus Blue Jackets

Height: 6-4

Weight: 212

Born: May 29, 1988

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Steve Mason	23	1307	9	8			75	3.44	660	585	.886	0

I really like this kid so I'm hoping he's not the next Andrew Raycroft, but Columbus seems to have a ton of young goalies who dominate the league... for one year. No chance at all Steve Mason gets to the Olympics without buying a ticket this year, sorry kid.

WEREN'T INVITED TO CAMP... BUT SHOULD THEY HAVE BEEN?

Chris Mason

#50 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 20, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Chris Mason	21	1254	8	9			51	2.44	619	568	.918	0

Chris Mason is quietly having a great season in St. Louis. His .918 SV% is second to only Brodeur among Canadian goaltenders.

Marty Turco

#35 / Goalie / Dallas Stars

Height: 5-11

Weight: 185

Born: Aug 13, 1975

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Marty Turco	22	1330	9	6			55	2.48	651	596	.916	2

Third in Canadian goaltender save percentage, Turco has a bad rep for not winning in the playoffs despite putting up solid numbers there.

Have at it folks, who do you want in net for Team Canada?

Poll

Who's your choice for Team Canada's goaltender?

Game 32 Recap: Avalanche 4 - Blues 0

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:33:35 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

15 days ago: Colorado Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj deflects a shot on goal in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the St. Louis Blues, Monday, Dec. 7, 2009 in St. Louis.(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

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Final - 12.7.2009	1	2	3	Total
Colorado Avalanche	1	2	1	4
St. Louis Blues	0	0	0	0

Complete Coverage >

Nothingness
Lonliness
Empty chest
And nothing lasts forever

-Living Colour, Nothingness

My first instinct is to make this recap a long, sarcastic diatribe about how Peter Budaj has sucked his way into a 1.34 GAA and .959 save percentage over the last 3 games (and, by the way, 2 key road wins). However, since I don't really know what "diatribe" means, I'm going to play this one straight.

As I stated in my recap tonight, the Avs were going to need a strong game from Peter Budaj to beat the stingy Blues' defense, and they got exactly that. Budaj turned aside all 35 shots he face (including 17 in the final frame) to earn his 1st shutout of the season. His defense played well in front of him (they blocked 20 shots to the Blues 4) for most of the night (3rd period thoughts to follow below), but let's give the credit to the #1 star of the game; Budaj played a hell of a game.

The Avs came out firing in this one, putting up 13 shots on Chris Mason in the 1st period. I saw mention somewhere that Joe Sacco is looking for his team to fire more, and Blues' reporter Bernie Federko was between the benches during the game and indeed said that Sacco was emphasizing this during the game. Despite the solid first period play, it looked like the Avalanche weren't going to have anything to show for it, especially when Mason made a stupendous glove save behind a screen on John-Michael Liles on a late first-period powerplay. Thankfully, on the faceoff immediately after this save, the Avs won the draw, got the puck back to Liles who dished to Kyle Quincey who fired a shot/pass to the net that Chris Stewart deflected into the top corner with just 11 seconds to go in the first.

That would be enough, but the Avs would tack on a few more. At 6:08 of the 2nd, Stastny scored a controversial goal set up by Wolski and Stewart. Wolski took advantage of a sloppy line change by the Blues and carried the puck in down the left wing. The Blues were scrambling to get back in position, and Stewart found space in front of the net. Wolski and Stewart exchanged passed and then David Backes cleared Wolski out of the crease...but he ended up running Wolski into Mason. Stastny came in late and tapped the puck into an empty net. The Blues were outraged, feeling that Wolski interfered with Mason. I've given up trying to figure out what is goalie interference and what isn't, but let's just say I was kind of surprised that one was allowed to stand, even if it's Backes' own stupid fault that Mason was taken out.

The Avs made it 3-0 later in the period, with Stewart deflecting a point shot into the net for the second time in the game (this time, it was Liles taking the shot). Stewart picked up his first 2-goal game of his career. He has 12 points in his last 9 games. Perhaps more importantly, he has 8 points in the 5 games since the David Jones injury, helping to fill a critical void. Matt Duchene effectively iced the game in the 3rd when Wojtek Wolski intercepted a pass and bumped it ahead to Duchene who skated in and fired a wrister through Mason's 5-hole. That goal was Downy soft on Mason's part, but was still a pretty slick shot for Duchene (who otherwise had a quiet night). It was also Wolski's 3rd point in the game. He's been taking a lot of heat this year, but he now has 30 points in 32 games, well on his way to a career year (his high is 50 points). As of right now, he's 19th in the league in scoring, tied with guys like Iginla, Nash and Zetterberg.

The Avs play in the 3rd period continues to mystify me. Actually, after the strong 1st period, the Avs managed just 9 shots the rest of the way- 6 in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd. Luckily, they made those shots count and Budaj made some big saves to preserve the shutout, but it wasn't very pretty to watch. The Avs didn't look sharp in the 3rd - pucks were turned over in the neutral zone, battles to the puck were lost, etcetera etcetera. I wonder, could it be a matter of fatigue? While I like the concept of Joe Sacco using the guys who've played the best in the 3rd, I wonder if using just 3 lines in the final frame is the right idea, especially with a lead. Marek Svatos, Matt Hendricks and David Koci had about 4 minutes of ice time in the 3rd period. While those guys aren't exactly Selke award candidates, a couple of timely shifts in the 3rd to spell our other players might help. Maybe it's not fatigue, but I'd really like for someone to figure it out soon so that it can be fixed; the Avs won't always have an ace like Peter Budaj between the pipes. (and...scene).

Game 32 Preview: Avalanche at Blues

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:22 -0000


Colorado Avalanche	6 MT / 8 ET / 1 GMT	St Louis Blues
16-9-6	December 7th, 2009	12-10-5
38 pts	Scottrade Center	29 pts
4th in West	St Louis, MO	t-12th in West

It's almost over. Tonight, the Avalanche will play in their 21st road game while they've played just 11 games at the Pepsi Center. No other team has played more road games or less home games at this point in the season. After tonight, the Avalanche will have 50 games remaining and 30 of those will be at home (where the Avalanche are 7-2-2). When we saw this schedule this summer, we thought the Avalanche might be out of contention by this point. They've done far better than expected, though, and currently sit 4th in the Western Conference. While they are falling back to the pack a bit, their 9-7-4 record on the road is better than expected (and keep in mind, that includes 4 sets of back-to-back road games).

The travel schedule gets a lot easier from here on in. The Avalanche play just one more road game between tomorrow and Christmas. They have a two 3-game road trips in late-December and early-January and then from January 11th until the playoffs, the don't have any road trips longer than 2 games. And four of the 5 remaining 2-game road trips are back-to-backs (figures), so these guys will be spending a LOT of time at home the rest of the way. Is that going to be a good thing for the team? We'll have to wait and see.

They still have to play tonight, though. The Avalanche are playing a fairly mediocre team in the Blues. While the Avs have already gathered 5 points on their 5-game road trip, this is really a "must-win" kind of game. Why? The Avalanche are currently 1 point behind the Flames in the standings and 1 point ahead of the Kings in the standings. Want to guess who the Flames and Kings are playing tonight? Yep. Each other. A regulation loss by Colorado and they either lose ground to Calgary or get passed by the Kings.

The Blues haven't been able to score much this year, but they've been able to keep other teams off the scoreboard with the 9th lowest goals against average in the league. Chris Mason and Ty Conklin have both put up great numbers this year and oh, by the way, the Blues' penalty kill is 4th best in the league. The Avalanche haven't exactly been lighting up the lamp lately, so goals will definitely be at a premium this evening. Even with a rock-solid Peter Budaj between the pipes (Anderson is still out), the Avalanche will need another strong effort from him and the defense in front as this has all the makings of another 3-2 type hockey game.

Avalanche vs Blues coverage

St. Louis Game Time

Colorado			St Louis
7th	38	Points	23rd	29
9th	2.97	GF/G	25th	2.48
19th	2.90	GA/G	9th	2.59
19th	19.2	PP%	30th	12.9
15th	80.2	PK%	4th	84.8
30th	25.7	S/G	14th	29.9
26th	33.1	SA/G	22nd	31.1
29th	46.2	FO%	18th	49.1
16th	14	PIM/G	23rd	14.6
Stastny	31 pts	Top Scorer	Johnson	19 pts

Blues Win; Killer Instinct Still Needed.

gallagher — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:13:50 -0000

First things first: They got the two points, which is important.

However....

The trend of not being able to finish off the end of a game is becoming a problem. The Kings score tonight with 34 seconds left to force OT. The Red Wings score with 57 seconds left to force OT and end up getting the win. The Stars score with 26 seconds left on Nov. 25 to force OT. It's a trend now and it's got to be addressed.

Much like the extra gear players have to access come the playoffs, the Blues need to have an extra gear to go to when teams pull their goalie and put 6-on-5 pressure on the Blues net. This year the Note have shown an inability to exercise that extra "want" when the other team is desperate. They need to find a way to be on the puck and to clear the puck.

Coaches will call it stepping on the necks of their opponents. It's a killer instinct that teams have to have to exert their will on their enemies. It's an inexact science and I'd have to say it's one of those "I know it when I see it" qualities. The Blues need to identify their closers and have them on the ice in these situations.

But enough of that for now. The Blues did what they had to and got the two points, making it four for Cali and pulling themselves within striking distance of Detroit (currently up one point) and Columbus (up two points, game in hand) and continuing to distance themselves from the Western Basement (three points from ninth-place Vancouver).

Next up is the surprisingly good Avalanche, who have been falling back a bit lately (3-4-3 in their last 10 before tonight's game) and can be beaten.

Some other notes from today:

Brad Boyes scored twice today with imperfect shots; the one in the second period was a whiff that eluded the goalie and the shootout goal hit Quick and still bounced over his shoulder and got in. If the hockey gods have any compassion at all, Boyes will take this as a lesson and realize that his shots don't have to be perfect roof shots to get in the net. Hit the target, NAMBLA, hit the target and good things will happen.
T.J. Oshie is getting his motor running again and it's good to see. Add to that Patrik Berglund's confident play and the excellent play of David Perron again and I know that I for one am starting to calm down the slowly building panic I was starting to feel about the young forwards.
Speaking of the youngsters, Roman Polak and Erik Johnson both looked solid again, boosting confidence in the future, while Darryl Sydor looked a step slower than normal and Barret Jackman looked like he forgot how dominant and angry he was agaiant San Jose Thursday. Young guys, show the old guys. Seriously, let's get this squared away.
Chris Mason has one and is playing great. Ty Conklin has started to grow one and has been great. It's officially time to Fear The Beard. My recommendation is to make it team policy to start growing them. Besides, you know Oshie's and Perron's would be high hilarity.
No idea why Paul Kariya can't score at home, but he clearly still has the ability. That power play slapshot was freaking Viagra. One of the broadcasters made the assertion that Kariya has been the team's best forward for the last couple weeks. Slow down, fella. He hasn't been the best, but I will say that he has shown a willingness to take a hit that was absent earlier in the year and I think it has helped his all-around game.
Oh, and finally, I don't know what it is about Tim Peel and his ability to make bad calls against the Blues, but the wave-off of the first goal because of goaltender interferance was complete cockfuckery. As Dominik pointed out in the GDT comments, it's frustrating when referees make calls based on the last split-second of a play. Tkachuk was around the goaltender interference, but it was caused by the Kings defenseman in the crease.

Next game is Monday night, but feel free to stop by anytime, we're always here for you.

And for those of you wondering what I mean by visual Viagra, here's Exhibit A:

Which Blues Could Make The Olympics?

Brad Lee — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:51:01 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

This face was built for dangerous activities. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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The hockey blogs on the SB Nation network have been putting together previews for the 2010 Olympics. The idea is to put together educated guesses about which players from each team will participate in the Winter Games. We don't want to get left out, so keep reading to see our predictions for players making the Olympics.

Jay McClement, Canada
With his combination of speed, hard work, determination and Zen-like ability to control his emotions in the game, Silent Jay should pack his bags for Vancouver. And when we say pack his bags, we mean he needs to put his cross country skis and rifle in travel bags so he can participate in the biathlon. Ah, the biathlon. It combines the obscure sports of cross country skiing and shooting. The biathlon requires the participants to ski as fast as they can for long stretches then stop and hit small targets at distance with their rifle. That requires the shooter to slow his breathing and heartbeat to get a steady bead on the target. McClement is perfect for it.

Paul Kariya, Canada
One of the fastest and agile skaters on the Blues with a combination of sparkling moves and aversion to contact, Kariya should pack his bags. And he should make sure to include his skates that have toe picks. Kariya is the perfect ice dancer. Just add sequins.

T.J. Oshie, USA
Backwards hat, check. Frosted hair tips, check. Wild energy, check. Reckless abandon, double check. Oshie will be a hit in freestyle snowboarding, preferably the half pipe. Tell me he's not the prototypical snowboarder. Plus he'd guarantee a sellout and hundreds of screaming 16-year-olds.

Ty Conklin, Chris Mason, Canada
This tandem, they just look like they get along really well. They're openly happy for the other after victories and look genuinely concerned after defeats. Goaltenders are a different breed. They're odd. Different. Oddballs, you see. So they have a bond that most players can't even fathom. That's why they will be threats to contend in doubles luge. Have you seen these people in their skin-tight suits all spooned together? You think any two guys can just mount each other and the sled before hurtling down the ice-covered track? Most guys would piss their pants, and on doubles luge you really don't want that. Conk and Mase, they have everything.

David Backes, USA
The Olympics next year are in Vancouver. That's part of Canada last time we checked. And they sometimes highlight some of the local sports during the games. A dark horse to win a medal has to be David Backes in bear wrestling. He'll be in a battle with some work to do before becoming nearly a lock, but it's a safe bet he'll be moving on up the rankings as long as the bears agree to fight him. If not, he'll be moving down.

Patrik Berglund, Sweden
The second-year Swede has been gliding up and down the ice, just kind of scuffling along the entire season. Berglund should pack his broom for curling.

Alex Steen, Canada
It's as plain as the nose on his face, Steen is perfect for ski jumping. The said nose will cut the wind like a shark's fin through room temperature Velveeta. Plus he's mostly from Europe, so he's got that going for him, which is nice.

B.J. Crombeen, USA
Look at the marked-up, bruised, cut, toothless mug on this guy and know he has no fear. He's perfect for skeleton. You don't know what skeleton is? That's the sport where you climb on a sled that's about the size of a cafeteria tray and all the control of one and you slide down the ice track, cranium first at huge rates of speed - even when they measure it at kilometers per hour. Godspeed, B.J. Just remember there's no freaking brakes.

Roman Polak, Czech Republic
Now he's got a lot of work to do to make the Czech Republic men's ice hockey team. But he's pretty much a lock to make Team Italy. Or Poland's.

Are there any players/sports we missed? Give 'em in the comments.

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Remember, Blues at Sharks tonight. GDT will be hopped up on Red Bull. Come back, won't you?

The Trading Block: Who The Blues Could Move

gallagher — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:30:12 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

The trade of Lee Stempniak signaled to the Blues that it wouldn't be Andy Murray that would be held accountable for their slow start. Who could be this year's Stempniak?

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On Nov. 23 last year the Blues were 8-8-2 and 13th in the Western Conference, dead-last in the Central Division. They'd suffered some odd injuries, including an emergency appendectomy to one of their players. Fans were grumbling about the coaching of Andy Murray and the lack of team scoring (just 55 goals in 18 games to that point).

The next day the team traded Lee Stempniak, considered by most followers of the team to be one of the franchise's youthful building blocks, to Toronto for Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. The deal was a classic sell-high, buy-low for the Blues, as Stempniak had a bit of a point streak going at the time (he had three goals and 10 assists in 14 games to that point) and had been a 27-goal scorer once before in his short career. Meanwhile, both Colaiacovo and Steen had long since worn out their welcome in the Center Of The Hockey Universe as underperforming former first round picks.

But the trade was more than a "let's get two-for-one" deal for the Blues; this was a direct message to the players that Murray would be staying and if their performance continued to be mediocre, it was they that would be a-going.

The team continued to struggle along through November and December before going 6-4-1 in January and then, of course, going on The Run that ended with the Blues in the sixth seed in the West.

With the exception of waiving Manny Legace on Feb. 6, the Blues made no other roster moves after the Stempniak deal. Considering the similar state of the team today and the recent comments made by team owner David Checketts that the time to move forward is now, if the team doesn't start to climb the standings soon, another move will be made to shake up the roster. For the sake of this argument, we're going to assume that Andy Murray will not be fired and that the team will deal with first quarter doldrums in the same manner that they did last year and trade someone.

But who fits the bill to be traded this year? Last year's trade of Stempniak was unforeseen and shocking to fans, media and presumably, the players. If a trade is to be made this year, it'd likely be designed to shake up the players who remain behind. The problem is identifying a player who is shocking to see leave and sends the message, but not be the type of player that goes on to make you regret his departure.

Similarly, the roster is full of players that fans might want to see traded, but simply cannot be moved for one reason or another.

We'll analyze the current roster to see who is tradeable and who is not, leaving the minor leaguers and prospects out of the discussion as we're not talking about specific packages or team needs at this point. In the end, we'll give our most likely candidates to be moved if the Blues decide to dangle one of their players.

David Backes

#42 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 216

Born: May 01, 1984

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - David Backes 4 6 10 1 38

David Backes, RW: The Blues thought highly enough of Backes to match Vancouver's RFA offer to him before last season, agreeing to overpay him to the tune of $2.5 million a year. Backes paid back the Blues in spades last year with his 31-goal effort and his nightly physical domination. He became known as Chuck Norris around these parts and it was justly deserved.

But is he tradeable today? Backes' slow start made him an early candidate for consideration in a shake up trade, but his six points in his last four games has made him an even more potent trading piece. If the Blues were to trade Backes it would definitely shake up the roster and send the message that no one here is untouchable, but giving up on the 25-year-old could end up being seriously short-sighted. The return might be great, but what of the loss? Have we seen the top of Backes' game or is he just getting started?

Patrik Berglund

#21 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 187

Born: Jun 02, 1988

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Patrik Berglund 3 2 5 -4 2

Patrik Berglund, C: The former first rounder from 2006 enjoyed a great rookie season, becoming coveted around the league for his 21 goals and 47 points in 76 games, despite playing in twice as many games as he ever had in a season previously. This season, however, has been the epitome of the sophomore slump for the young TechnoViking. He is on pace for just 11 goals and 18 points. His minus-4 stands out when compared to his solid plus-19 from last year.

Is he tradeable? Certainly. Would it be shocking? Absolutely. Would it be giving up on a talent who has not reached his final height yet? Probably. Depending on the return that could be gotten back, Berglund could find himself the target of a "needs a change of scenery" trade.

Brad Boyes

#22 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 17, 1982

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Boyes	6	9	15	-5	2

Brad Boyes, C/RW: In his short NHL career, Boyes has bounced from Toronto to San Jose to Boston to St. Louis. His talent is evident as he has scored 43 and 33 goals over the last two seasons, but his streaky nature and perceived lack of hard work has kept him on the move. He is on pace for 29 goals this year, despite a recent streak of nine points in his last 10 games. At just 27 years old, he is still an NHL commodity and would surely find suitors if he were on the Blues' trade block.

But can the Blues trade a guy who one could argue is the only real sniper on the team? The last person to score 33 goals in the Bluenote was Tkachuk in 2003-04. The last to score 43 was Brett Hull in 1995-96. Yes, Brett Hull. In 1996. He'd likely draw some talent back to the team, but scoring, even if it is streaky, is not a strength from which the Blues have a deep well to deal.

Eric Brewer

#4 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 222

Born: Apr 17, 1979

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Eric Brewer	1	2	3	-8	11

Eric Brewer, D: Calm down, boo-birds. Yes, Brewer might find himself atop many fans' Trade Now lists, but the Robot Captain seems to still be respected within the organization. His statistics continue to track along his career normal, in that area around 20-29 points, but his glaring minus-8 will keep the fans letting him know, "Brewer You Suck!"

If he hadn't missed a calendar year of hockey with various knee and back surgeries and if he wasn't currently on the shelf with another 'lower body' injury, Brewer might have some value. But add to those red flags his current contract of $4.5 million for this year and next and it's unlikely Brewer is going anywhere anytime soon.

Carlo Colaiacovo

#28 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 27, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Carlo Colaiacovo	2	7	9	0	17

Carlo Colaiacovo, D: The beneficiary of last year's "change of scenery" trade, Colaiacovo has revived his career in St. Louis. The offensive defenseman, who never put up more than 24 points in an NHL season before, finished last year with 30 and is on pace for even more points this season, his contract year. He remains haunted by the injury bug, though he managed to play a career-high 73 games last season.

If the Blues think he can be re-signed and continue to be productive in a leading role for the team (he is only 26 now), he won't be traded. If they think he'll be squeezed out by upcoming defenders, Colaiacovo could be a prime trading piece.

Ty Conklin

#29 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 184

Born: Mar 30, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Ty Conklin	7	386	3	2			15	2.33	204	189	.926	1

Ty Conklin, G: Conklin has only been with the team for this season and played only seven games. he's been solid and (most importantly for a goalie) uncontroversial in the back-up goal. He fills a serious need for the team and he's paid appropraitely for this year and next.

There's no shock value to shake up the roster by trading Conklin and any trade involving him immediately opens a hole that has to be filled.

B.J. Crombeen

#26 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 212

Born: Jul 10, 1985

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - B.J. Crombeen	1	3	4	2	63

B.J. Crombeen, RW: The Beej has a very specific role on this team and depending on the night, he either plays it well by hitting and checking and making life a nightmare for the opposition, or he decides he's needed on the ice and puts himself on the ice for a too-many-men penalty. Basically, he's a role player who can chip in some points and allow older fans to boast that they remember when his dad played here.

Trading B.J. wouldn't be much of a blow to the team. Some might say that it sucks, but not too many fans or players would choke on the trade if it were made. There wouldn't be much of a return on a B.J. trade either because most people would see him as a starter, not the main event in any exchange.

Barret Jackman

#5 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 203

Born: Mar 05, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Barret Jackman	0	4	4	5	13

Barret Jackman, D: The World's Angriest Defender (TM), owner of the best You're An Idiot (R) look in the NHL, Jackman is an original Blue, drafted in the first round back in 1999. He has had to re-learn the game as a defensive defenseman after the new rules were implemented after the lockout. Despite his inexplicable role as "the guy we hate when Brewer is out of the lineup", Jackman plays a steady if unspectacular game and while he has seen time on the power play during the less-offesnive days, he clearly doesn't relish the offensive role and is happier defending his own net.

Jackman's trade would definitely shake up the team and the fanbase, though the return would not be terribly flashy due to his unflashy role and large contract ($4.5 million this year and next, $3.5 million in 2011-12).

Cam Janssen

#55 / Right Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

Born: Apr 15, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Cam Janssen	0	0	0	-1	50

Cam Janssen, RW: It's almost superfluous to put Janssen's position in this description as all it does is designate where he lines up on face-offs. The local boy gone pro, Cam Smash, King of Eureka, spends his entire shift running around the rink looking for someone to run into or to punch. St. Louisans love their home-town products and Janssen is no exception. He plays a specific role and with his better skating and durability than heavyweight fighter D.J. King, Janssen has been useful to the team. Also, did we mention that the fans love him?

While his game has gotten better since he arrived here in February 2008, Janssen could be traded. The return would be low and the biggest shake up it would cause would be down I-55 south of 44, where they still need every body they can get to fill sandbags come spring.

Erik Johnson

#6 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-4

Weight: 219

Born: Mar 21, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Erik Johnson	4	14	18	6	16

Erik Johnson, D: Despite missing all of last year to a golf cart jousting incident (allegedly), the Eeeej leads the team in scoring, changes the way teams have to prepare for the Blues' attack, does a mean Napoleon Dynamite impression, isn't afraid to get down with your girlfriend in your car in Al MacInnis' driveway (allegedly) and is likely going to stage some sweet raid on Oshie's condo at some point to get his Elmo hat back.

How do you spell 'franchise'? Not sure, but it definitely has an E and a J in it. This kid isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Paul Kariya

#9 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-10

Weight: 180

Born: Oct 16, 1974

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Paul Kariya	6	5	11	4	12

Paul Kariya, LW: We owe Paul Kariya a bit of an apology. earlier this year we said something to the effect of, "The next time Paul Kariya takes a hit to make a play with be the first." Since that time, Kariya, who must have heard our admonishment through cyberspace, has been offering up his tiny, waif-like body to make plays. And, thankyouverymuch, it has resulted in Kariya's point totals rising, with points in each of the last three games.

Kariya is still on pace for a terrible offensive year, but that isn't the only reason that trading Kariya is a tough task. In fact there are 6 million reasons that other teams don't want to deal for Kariya. That hefty price tag, small offensive output and the final months of a contract owed to a notorious mercenary when it comes to free agency (just ask Anaheim, Colorado and Nashville) combine for a perfect storm of "hell no, we don't have interest in Kariya" among the rest of the NHL teams.

Chris Mason

#50 / Goalie / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195

Born: Apr 20, 1976

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Chris Mason	19	1129	7	8			43	2.29	557	514	.923	0

Chris Mason, G: Mason is the goalie. He's not winning enough games because he's not getting enough help from the rest of the team. His personal stats are great (eighth in GAA and seventh in save percentage) and that's tough to do on a struggling team.

Trading Mason would happen if only one of two things were happening: 1. Tha Canucks called and said, "How about Luongo for that Mason fella straight up?" or 2. The Blues called a press conference and announced, "Screw this year, we love drafting high."

Jay McClement

#18 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 201

Born: Mar 02, 1983

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Jay McClement	4	4	8	0	6

Jay McClement, C: Silent Jay, one of the original members of the Blues' post-lockout Kid Line (along with the traded Stempniak), has developed into a legitimate Selke candidate right before our eyes. His even plus/minus is all the more impressive when considering that he sees most of his minutes against other team's top lines. McClement is also locked up for two years after this season to a reasonable contract ($1.45 million per). Plus, his stock photo looks like he has a skelton's grin, which is awesome.

McClement's trade would shock the locker room more than the fans, especially casual fans who too often overlook his quiet, workmanlike contributions to team success. His contract, work ethic and skill set make him a perfect add for an opposing team. His trade wouldn't bring back the intangibles he adds. It could happen, but it would likely be shortsighted.

Andy McDonald

#10 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 183

Born: Aug 25, 1977

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Andy McDonald	6	8	14	-2	2

Andy McDonald, C: McDonald is struggling offensively this year but everyone has seen what he can do with the puck when he starts running hot. Plus, the Blues just locked him up for another three years after this year at an average of $4.7 million a year.

Trading McDonald would be the Blues saying that they made a mistake with a big contract and are having buyers' remorse. Which would put them on the 'sell low' end of the negotiations, the bad end to be on. The trade wouldn't shock fans or the locker room and the return would be less than impressive.

T.J. Oshie

#74 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-11

Weight: 170

Born: Dec 23, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - T.J. Oshie	4	9	13	1	10

T.J. Oshie, C/W: Oshie only seems like he's in a the throes of a sophomore slump because his rookie season took the city by storm. Young Mister Furnace Face scored the NHL.com goal of the year, blew up Rick Nash so badly (twice) that the fans coined the phrase "Oshied", got voted by someone to be his or her mayor in an actual election and had his name chanted by over 19,000 people on multiple occasions last year. By comparison, a second season where he only tallies 50 points would seem like a let down.

Last year, even suggesting that Oshie be traded would be reason enough to go into Salman Rushdie-like hiding for a writer. This year, it would be like suggesting that Anheuser-Busch is better off being owned by a foreign company like Inbev. It's still fighting words in most places, but in others, well, whatever, they just drink Schlafly anyway. Which isn't to say that Oshie's trade wouldn't shock the team and the fans, beacause it certainly would. The problem is that Oshie can score, but his intangibles are worth at least as much as his points, so the return on him wouldn't match what the team would give up.

David Perron

#57 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-0

Weight: 180

Born: May 28, 1988

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - David Perron	9	7	16	-1	14

David Perron, LW: Perron leads the team in goals, works his poutine-loving ass off on every shift (doing a great rookie Oshie impression) and has an early nod for selection for this year's NHL.com goal of the year. Despite what has happened between Perron and the coach in the past, he is newly mature and coming into his own. And he's only 21.

Despite the fact that he's coming into a contract year and will certainly be looking for a huge pay increase this summer, the day a competing general manager picks up his phone to learn that the Blues are calling to offer Perron in a trade is that GM's best day ever. David Perron is untradeable at this point, no matter the return (sort of insanity, which can happen in the NHL) because of his ceiling.

Alex Pietrangelo

#27 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-3

Weight: 206

Born: Jan 18, 1990

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alex Pietrangelo	1	1	2	-9	6

Alex Pietrangelo, D: There's a rule in hockey that goes something like this: goalies hit their stride and their prime later than any other position. Defensemen hit their stride and their prime earlier than goalies, but still not until later in their careers. Forwards can be thrown into the league earliest at all because creativity, speed and their shot can compensate for other factors.

Pietrangelo isn't playing enough in the NHL for most observers and he's got nothing left to learn in junior, but that hardly makes him prime trade bait. The fourth overall selection from just last year going on the trade block would garner a ton of calls from around the league, but the fact is that the offers would almost always be "you take our busting project for your young defenseman who isn't playing anyway".

Roman Polak

#46 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 227

Born: Apr 28, 1986

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Roman Polak	2	4	6	6	22

Roman Polak, D: He's 23, he's locked up for this year and next for a little over a million bucks each, plays solid defense, can contribute offensively and is fast enough to rush the puck and get back to protect his own zone. He's quiet and unheralded and he's the Jay McClement of the defense. Plus, his fake Twitter account is awesome. As is farting in teammate's helmets.

The shock value is high, his replacement is fairly easy considering the Pietrangelo, Junland, Rundblad, Cole pipeline and the return on him would likely be comparable, if not exactly earth-shattering.

Alexander Steen

#20 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 205

Born: Mar 01, 1984

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Alexander Steen	1	1	2	-1	6

Alexander Steen, LW: Steen has been a staple on the McClement line almost since his arrival in St. Louis and he has also shown flashes of the offense that caused him to be drafted in the first round by Toronto back in 2002. But unlike his trade-mate Colaiacovo, Steen hasn't exactly made himself a more desired commodity around the NHL. he plays an important role for the team, but his role can be filled by plenty of similar players in Peoria who would love the opportunity.

No one nose what value Steen might have around the NHL, but we smell a boring trade if he's the tip of any deal because he's at the end of his contract and has likely reached his beak.

Darryl Sydor

#44 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: May 13, 1972

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Darryl Sydor	0	4	4	6	10

Darryl Sydor, D: Sydor's best days are well behind him. He's lucky that he happens to have a skill set that allows him to be paid premium dollars (a cool million for this season) to act as 'mentor' and not really be expected produce much offensively. Sydor's only value in trade would be at the deadline as a depth/veteran presence guy. As for shock value in trading Sydor at this point, it's unlikely there would be much shake up in the locker room after the initial "I couldn't believe he took Pronger's number in the first place" discussion.

Keith Tkachuk

#7 / Center / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-2

Weight: 232

Born: Mar 28, 1972

G A P +/- PIM

2009 - Keith Tkachuk 5 8 13 -3 22

Keith Tkachuk, LW/C: The days of trading Tkachuk for a big return are probably long gone. If the trade deadline were looming, there might be a ~~sucker~~ general manager or two out there who might still fall for the siren song of "big body, proven goal scorer, veteran presence" for their playoff run, but as for a trade today, there won't be many takers around the NHL.

Tkachuk is on a short, NHL-cheap contract and does have a strong locker room presence... which is exactly why the Blues want him and will be unlikely to trade him. It'd shake up the roster, but the return at this point wouldn't be worth the exchange.

Mike Weaver

#43 / Defenseman / St. Louis Blues

Height: 5-9

Weight: 182

Born: May 02, 1978

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Mike Weaver	0	1	1	5	8

Mike Weaver, D: Small but steady, Weaver doesn't get mentioned much because he is a defensive defenseman who does his job effectively. Not being mentioned much is a compliment for defensive defenseman.

As for trade value, Weaver has virtually none. There'd be little shock value to the team due to his journeyman status and zero shock value to the fans (have you ever seen a Weaver 43 jersey worn by a fan?) and the return would be the definition of infinitesimal.

Brad Winchester

#15 / Left Wing / St. Louis Blues

Height: 6-5

Weight: 228

Born: Mar 01, 1981

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Brad Winchester	0	2	2	1	24

Brad Winchester, LW: It's hard to believe that a guy who stands 6'5 tall and weighs nearly 230 pounds could ever be described as invisible, but Winchester has done just that and in the process has proven how a guy who is taken 35th overall in the NHL draft (2000) can muster only 200 NHL games and 36 points in the following nine years.

Yeah, this is about trade value and shake up of the roster, neither of which describe Winchester.

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So where does that leave the Blues if they are looking to make a trade? Here are our best guesses, by category.

Untradeable Due To Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because they are too important to the team now and/or in the future.

Erik Johnson. If the trade documents came to the NHL offices, even those numbskulls would void it based on sheer stupidity. Wayne Gretzky got traded, sure, but not when he was 21 and the best player on his team.
Chris Mason. What do you need the second you trade Chris Mason? A top-10 ranked starting netminder. Whoops!
Jay McClement. Much like Mason, if you trade McClement, you suddenly need a guy just like McClement.
T.J. Oshie. Oshie's intangibles outweigh anything the team would get for him unless some other GM was eating peyote and then firing up the Blackberry to offer up some ridiculous package for the kid. The P.R. hit alone would making trading the Teej a huge mistake.
David Perron. The kid will be worth three first round draft picks to some RFA-contract-offering idiot this summer, so if the Blues are willing to lose an emerging talent like Frenchie, they should wait until then to do it.

Untradeable Due To Lack Of Value:

These guys aren't going anywhere because the return is too small.

Eric Brewer. The Robot is too broken and expensive to warrant interest from another team.
Paul Kariya. It isn't 1996 anymore. Kariya costs too much, is too close to unrestricted free agency and is producing far too few points to be of any interest to any but the drunkest of general managers.
Andy McDonald. We have no doubt that McDonald will be valuable again one day, but right now he too closely resembles the guy who was easily required for a virtually worthless Doug Weight two seasons ago.

Untradeable Due To Role:

Unless these guys are a problem in the locker room, and there's no reason to think they are, no possible advantage can be gained from trading them.

Ty Conklin. This guy gets traded and has to immediately be replaced by a guy who plays like him, gets paid like him and has the same demeanor as him.
Cam Janssen. Add in the hometown bump you get for having this guy in the lineup, the team would have to get something special to let go of the P.R. advantage Janssen brings. No GM in the league is about to overpay for Janssen.

Could Be Traded For Low Impact:

These guys could get traded, but the return will be small and the shock to the team won't likely be enough to cause significant change.

B.J. Crombeen. Swapping a role player for a mid-to-late pick or another role player isn't going to have the impact the team is looking to get. Plus, why ruin a whole season of blow job jokes if you don't have to?
Alex Steen. The worst thing that can happen to a player is to get injured and then have someone step into your role and make everyone forget you were gone. Steen has played 11 games this year. Seems high, doesn't it?
Darryl Sydor. "Oh no! They traded a 37-year-old depth defenseman they brought in for one year and would have been gone in six months anyway! I guess they are serious; anyone can be traded!"
Mike Weaver. Seriously, how many people really know Mike Weaver is on the team right now anyway? Impact of trading him: all of his immediate family have to update their mailing address for him. As if anyone mails anything anymore.
Brad Winchester: "So we have an offer for 228 pounds worth of hockey pucks. We lose maybe one more fight but we do save about $200 in souvenir costs."

Are You Kidding Me? Seriously. Are You Kidding Me?:

You want shock value? You want some return on your exchange? These are the guys the management and staff are going to argue about trading and the guys who, if traded, would make you call your friends liars when they told you about the trade.

David Backes. Sure, he's struggling. Sure he gets paid a lot for a guy his age. Sure it's been a long time since anyone here has vehemently compared him to Chuck Norris. But general managers in the NHL aren't as easily freaked out by slow starts as fans are. If Backes were made available, the list of teams with nice offers in hand would be long. Trading Backes shakes up the team, nets a good return and lets everyone know that no one is safe. The downside is that he almost certainly becomes a monster and regularly returns to haunt his former team.
Brad Boyes. Most fantasy hockey guys will tell you that the second you trade a great player you immediatley make yourself believe he was never on your team. Boyes can be streaky and frustrating and may always leave you wanting more, but when he's on your team he's a guy that can change a game. Trading him likely brings a nice return, scares the other players into focus and makes all of us go fantasy GM and pretend he never played here, because he's got at least a couple more great scoring seasons ahead of him.
Patrik Berglund. In five years we'll know what we had in Patrik Berglund. He's no Peter Forsberg, but is he going to become the shifty Swedish version of Pavel Datsyuk? Or is he on the fast track to becoming our next Jim Campbell? If he gets traded and blossoms into the slick playmaker with a nasty power play one-timer that we saw in glimpses next year, we'll be tasting our own vomit for the next 10-15 years. If he becomes the next great suburban Mite coach, we'll be applauding his trade like we used to talk about the Christer Olsson for Pavol Demitra deal.
Alex Pietrangelo. Classic giving up too early trade. The kid is 19-years-old and if not for a bout of mono in his draft year could have been drafted before Drew Doughty and Zach Begosian. If he goes away the Blues are counting on Jonas Junland or David Rundblad, both high-risk, power play specialist type of players, to round out their game and fill his spot as they swap him for a slumping scorer of comparable value like Columbus' Nikita Filatov.

On The Block:

These are the guys whose age, reputation, contracts and shake up value to the current roster make them the most likely players to become 'former Blues' should the team decide to go that way.

Carlo Colaiacovo. The guy is young and stepping into his game, but the crunch on the blueline, his contract status and injury history makes him a prime candidate to get dangled out there. His ceiling is probably ahead of him, but he's expendable from a P.R. standpoint, a talent standpoint and in terms of return.
Barret Jackman. This would be even more shocking than the trade of Stempniak last year, but his contract and the depth of the Blues' defensive pipeline makes this a 'head' move more than a 'heart' move. The return would likely be good, too, as Jackman's reputation around the league is excellent.
Roman Polak. How different is Roman Polak today from Dennis Wideman back when he was traded for Brad Boyes? When considering the current and future depth on the blueline, if the Blues could trade Polak today for another streaky sniper do you think they'd do it? Yeah, us too.
Keith Tkachuk. He's the vet with the good story because his family lives here and everyone sees him around town, but he's been rumored to be in the middle of more than one split locker room in his time as a pro. Sending Tkachuk away shocks the Blues' system, forces a younger guy to step up and likely results in a decent return. Short of a no-trade clause we don't know about, it could happen.

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Trade rumors are always a risky proposition and the saying goes that when a team is struggling it's easier to change out one guy (the coach) than a whole team, the Blues have proved in the past that they're willing to change out one player to shake up the others.

Will this year be any different?