SB Nation - Darryl Sydor

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:

Gameday Preview: Anaheim Ducks @ Dallas Stars (7:30 pm CST)

Brandon Bibb — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:00:18 -0000

Next Game

Anaheim Ducks (10-12-4, 14th in West)
@ Dallas Stars (12-8-7, 9th in West)

Thursday, Dec 3, 2009, 7:30 PM CST
American Airlines Center

TV: FSSW
Radio: KTCK 1310 The Ticket

Opponent's Blog: Anaheim Calling

Complete Coverage >

Hopefully Brad convinced you during last night's podcast to not take the Ducks lightly.

For one, the Ducks have been playing better as of late. Though they've lost their last two to Phoenix and Los Angeles, they had won 4 out of their last 5 with three straight wins over Calgary, Carolina, and Chicago.

Still, they're mired in 14th in the West in large part because of the slow start they had to the season. As Stars fans, we're all too familiar with how tough a climb that is considering the slow starts Dallas had in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The Dallas Stars:

Last night on the podcast, we talked quite a bit about the inconsistencies of the Stars and just where we should put the finger of blame. Yesterday, Brad pontificated on the state of the Stars' offense and this is what he found:

Nearly a third of every Dallas Star goal has been scored with a man advantage. Relying on your PP for a third of your offense is not an ideal strategy, but look at what they did in November: 15 of their 31 goals were scored on special teams. They're clinging to the power play for dear life like a life-preserver in the middle of the ocean. And if that's not enough of a fine line to walk, we can look even closer to see that things not only hinge on one part of their game (the PP) but on one man in particular: Brad Richards.

The power play has always been a big part of Brad Richards' game, and the Center is getting ample opportunity to put points on the board this season with the extra man. After a decade of Sergei Zubov as the Stars power play quarterback, the special teams unit found itself in need of a new leader and Richards has been more than happy to fill in. He has seen his PPTOI (power play time on ice) per game increase from 4:05 last season to 5:20 this year. Only four other NHL players spend more time on the power play this season. His power play production is also helped by the fact that the Stars are first in the league in power play opportunities with 128.

Richards has been on the ice for 24 of the Stars' 26 power play goals. He missed one of them due to injury, and has sat on the bench only once and watched his team get one without him. In other words, if Brad Richards isn't on the ice, don't hold your breath on the PP.

Usually when an offense is struggling, expect some lines to be juggled. Tonight's game will be no different as coach Marc Crawford threw out the following lines during Wednesday's practice, according to Mike Heika.

Ott-Richards-Eriksson
Morrow-Ribeiro-Benn
Neal-Modano-Lehtinen
Petersen-Wandell-Brunnstrom

Sutherby and Barch are also options

Grossman-Robidas
Skrastins-Daley
Fistric-Niskanen

The Anaheim Ducks

Despite the slow start, the guys at Anaheim Calling are feeling a little chipper. I'll let them explain:

DANIEL:

We will, of course, take a second to admire the awesomeness of Chipchura's name, and I personally hope that he skates around the ice saying his name like a Pokémon.

All jokes aside, Chipchura has a little size and is supposed to be a defensive forward. But after a 4-2-1 homestand that ended with two losses to division opponents, will Chipchura have any observable effect on the Ducks turning their game around, or is this just a sign that we'll be moving more impressive assets later and filling in with unwanted former First Rounders?

ARTHUR:

Two seasons ago, Chipchura was a 12-minute guy, and if Nokelainen picks up Marchant's PK minutes or if we promote a healthy Ryan Carter to the third line, then this could still spell the end of Todd Marchant. But Chipchura just doesn't feel like the player that can make the front office more comfortable with that move, unless, as I said, they're feeling really good about Nokelainen or Carter.

DANIEL:

I think the most telling part of this trade is how difficult this question is to answer. Chipchura gives no indication that he will be an impact player. However, the fact that he has some size, something we need, and more experience than the likes of Beleskey and Sharp gives the impression that Murray is trying to do something to keep us playing well and get us into the playoffs. Murray is engaging in a massive misdirection campaign and has been since last year's trade deadline.

Long story short, Bob Murray is engaging in the same thing we've seen the Stars engage in when they've had slow starts. Low risk-high reward move. If it works, you've gained a player, possibly for years to come.

Like when the Stars picked up Brian Sutherby, Darryl Sydor, and Steve Begin last season. Syd and Begin obviously didn't work out. Sutherby obviously did and I think that's what Murray is hoping Chipchura can bring to the Ducks.

Key Injuries:

Anaheim: LW Kyle Calder (Hyphema), LW Joffrey Lupul (Back spasms), and C Ryan Carter (Fractured foot) are out

Dallas: No injuries to report

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?

Browse more photos »

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.

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

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.

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

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?

Wednesday Links: Making this site not a blog one link at a time edition

averagejoe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:00:33 -0000

Happy Wednesday to all. Let's do some links.

Blues news

The Blues don't want to have to come back back like they did last year. OK, so then why have they shit the bed so much during the first 25 games? [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
So you know that Tomas Vokoun/Keith Ballard incident ... turns out two Blues know the feeling. John Davidson was the inflicted ... [Canadian Press]
... And Al MacInnis was the angry player. [StarTribune.com]
Roman Polak, Mike Weaver and Darryl Sydor are among the 25 best defensive-defencemen. [From The Rink]

Hockey news

Tuesday's results. [Yahoo! Sports]
Four games on Tuesday, four games on Wednesday. [Yahoo! Sports]
NHL refs are homers. [Behind the Net]
The fellas at PPP sure are happy about the Leafs beating the Canadiens. [Pension Plan Puppets]
Maple Leafs' goaltender Jonas Gustavsson a.k.a. the Monster, is in the hospital after his heart was acting up. Yikes. [TSN]
From Chris Gift: Maple Leaf Gardens is making a comeback. [TSN]
Joel Quenneville gets coaching win No. 500. [Associated Press]
Vokoun is day-to-day. [Litter Box Cats]
Attendance is falling in Nashville. [On the Forecheck]
Marc Savard just got paid. [TSN]
In case you missed it, Alex Ovechkin has been suspended. [TSN]
Gary Bettman won't talk about the 2014 Olympic games. [ESPN]
The Canadiens have been sold. [ESPN]
Ouch: Rostislav Kelsa will be on the shelf with a torn groin. [TSN]

Other links

George Costanza is a wise man. [Sloshspot]
These signs don't fuck around. [Oddly Specific]
Get your beer knowledge on. [The Oatmeal]

Video

Carnie sent this in a few days ago and uhhh ... I forgot about it. Enjoy Poker Faces.

gametimelinks(at)gmail.com. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to bed.

The NHL's top defensive defencemen

James Mirtle — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:56:24 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

Browse more photos »

As with the top defensive forwards list, this is the same Rod Langway Award business I've been putting out for a couple years now. It ranks players defensively based on (a) quality of competition at even strength, (b) goals against per minute played at even strength and (c) goals against per minute played on the penalty kill.

Players also have to have played at least 15 games and fill a significant role on their team's shorthanded unit. Credit, as always, to Behind The Net for the data.

Here are the top 25 a little past the quarter-way mark:

	NAME	TEAM	GP	QCMP	EVGA/60	SHGA/60
1	CHRIS PRONGER	PHI	24	0.12	1.38	4.41
2	DUNCAN KEITH	CHI	25	0.14	1.59	4.12
3	JAY BOUWMEESTER	CGY	26	0.08	1.39	4.51
4	ROMAN POLAK	STL	24	0.12	1.71	5.06
5	PAVEL KUBINA	ATL	23	0.06	1.71	3.38
6	MIKE MOTTAU	N.J	23	0.09	1.69	5.00
7	COLIN WHITE	N.J	24	0.11	2.06	4.63
8	JEFF SCHULTZ	WSH	20	0.09	1.38	6.08
9	NICK LIDSTROM	DET	26	0.08	2.15	3.83
10	MIKE WEAVER	STL	23	0.03	1.12	4.38
11	BRENT SEABROOK	CHI	23	0.17	1.50	6.84
12	M-E VLASIC	S.J	28	0.13	2.51	3.01
13	ROB BLAKE	S.J	17	0.18	2.58	3.85
14	ED JOVANOVSKI	PHX	18	0.08	2.35	1.24
15	MILAN JURCINA	WSH	20	0.16	2.26	5.60
16	NIKLAS HJALMARSSON	CHI	25	0.04	1.56	5.02
17	ANDY SUTTON	NYI	26	0.08	1.60	6.26
18	ZBYNEK MICHALEK	PHX	17	0.07	1.92	5.53
19	ZDENO CHARA	BOS	26	0.23	2.65	4.97
20	RADEK MARTINEK	NYI	16	0.10	1.81	6.47
21	DARRYL SYDOR	STL	18	0.05	1.19	6.75
22	CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF	VAN	26	-0.06	1.31	3.52
23	GREG ZANON	MIN	24	0.06	1.81	6.31
24	JOSH GORGES	MTL	26	-0.05	1.39	3.91
25	WILLIE MITCHELL	VAN	26	0.15	1.85	7.85

Pronger, Keith, Bouwmeester — sure, those are all names synonymous with tough defence. But how about Mike Weaver? Or Pavel Kubina?

It's early, but all of these players are playing significant defensive roles on their teams. Some benefit from having a great goaltender behind them, but there are a lot of blueliners here from weak teams, too.

Someone like Weaver, who has a really low profile, is considered by his coach a pretty big part of shutting down top opposition:

"I'd say Weaver is one of our best puck-movers," Murray said. "He's not a finisher, but in terms of moving the puck out of our zone and putting it in the hands of our forwards, he's pretty good. He's not a guy that contributes on the offensive side. But what is an amazing stat, he's plus-5. And for quite a while there, he and Roman (Polak) were playing the top line on every team. He's a plus-5."

Those are the sorts of guys I'm trying to highlight here, and for the most part, I think this works — even if there are some surprises. The real test is which guys can maintain play like this all season.

Friday links: One goal? One damn goal? Edition

averagejoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:15:18 -0000

It's kinda sad when the best thing you can say about a game is, "Well, at least they didn't get shut out."

Blues news

In case you missed it: Blues lost to Flames 2-1. [Associated Press]
Lars Eller, now known as Skeet, had a good season debut. [Belleville News-Democrat]
In this gamer, we learn the Eric Brewer wasn't available for comment after the game. That's what a captain does. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
It's Darryl Sydor day for Blues beat writers. [Belleville News-Democrat]
Sydor is providing depth and all that. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]
Two players who fucked over the Blues get together to talk about fucking over the Blues. Oh and hiring a hit man to kill his agent. [News Wire]

Hockey news

Thursday night was hockey night. [Yahoo! Sports]
Here is your Friday night schedule. [Yahoo! Sports]
Peter Forsberg, right now, doesn't have a deal in place with the KHL.[TSN]
Alex Ovechkin is practicing, but no word on his return. [TSN]
David Krejci has has the Swine flu. [TSN]
Tuukka Rask, best known for his meltdown last season, signed an extension with Boston. [ESPN]
A former Blues d-man is the best defenseman in the KHL. [Puck Daddy]

Other links

I think this list was either made by RFJCC or for him. [Cracked]
BleedBluecp2 found this and uhh ... well it's Barack Obama (and others) dressing for the weather. [Obama Weather]
Glen Quagmire offers advice. [Sloshspot Blog]

Video

RFJCC knows me all too well. Ladies and gentlemen: "Thunder Busters." I guess you drink on Thunder and Ghostbusters on this version.

Poor College Student here this weekend. Send him stuff at gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

Gameday Preview: St. Louis Blues @ Dallas Stars (7:30p CDT)

Brandon Worley — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:20:13 -0000

Reminder: Tonight's game will be broadcast on 1310 The Ticket. Pregame show starts at 6:30, you can listen online here.

The Dallas Stars enter tonight's game with their preliminary 23-man roster seemingly all set, and this will also be the first game the Stars play with entire NHL lineup on the ice for the same game. James Neal, Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson have emerged as a dangerous second line for the Stars, with both Eriksson and Richards in the top ten in the NHL in scoring this preseason.

The St. Louis Blues have recently signed Darryl Sydor to a one-year contract, earning a roster spot after being invited to tryout in training camp. He's stepping into the role of the veteran leader on a young but talented blue line and is joining a Blues team that is looking to improve on a surprisingly good 2008-09 season.

Lines and injury updates after jump.

Brenden Morrow is still nursing some sore leg muscles and will be a game time decision tonight. Per Marc Crawford (courtesy of Mark Stepneski):

"We don't want to do anything that will further complicate his situation, but at the same time we know and Brenden knows he's got to get some game action," Stars head coach Marc Crawford said. "If he can get some game action and it's not detrimental then we'll do that, and we'll give it until tonight to make the decision."

Lines at practice and the morning skate were as follows:

Neal - Richards - Erksson
Ott - Ribeiro - Barch
Sutherby - Modano - Benn
Petersen - Wandell - Brunnstrom

Daley - Skrastins
Grossman - Robidas
Fistric - Niskanen

If Morrow is able to play tonight, then he'll replace Sutherby in the lineup with Ott moving down to Modano's line. Crawford has said that he's comfortable with Sutherby, but wants to see more of Benn, Wandell and especially Brunnstrom.

Don't forget, Wandell and Benn (and perhaps Brunnstrom) are still battling for one spot on the roster. Crawford has stated several times that he is hesitant to sit two forwards each game, especially with the Texas Stars just a few hours away.

Marty Turco will play the entire game in net.

While I have no actual line information, here is the expected roster for Stl Louis:

Defense
Barret Jackman, Erik Johnson, Alex Pietrangelo, Carlo Colaiacovo, Tyson Strachan, Mike Weaver, Roman Polak,

Forwards
Keith Tkachuk, Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, Brad Winchester, Derek Armstrong, Jay McClement, D.J. Steen, Alexander Steen, Patrik Berglund, Brad Boyes, B.J. Crombeen, David Backes, Cam Janssen, David Perron, T.J. Oshie.

Goalies
Chris Mason, Ty Conklin, Ben Bishop

Thursday links: Getting out of the doghouse like David Perron edition

averagejoe — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:15:28 -0000

Will this week ever end?

Blues news

Blues vs. Wilds tonight. [Blues]
Gillespie, Ill. natives Mike and Austin Cook are the 10,000th season ticket holders. They got to meet Andy Murray, Erik Johnson, Carlo Colaiacovo and Alex Pietrangelo. I'm assuming they did this for the other 9,999 people who gave a damn to get tickets before September. [Blues]
Couple of things to look for in this blog post about the team's new pregame video. One, Jay McClement, Andy McDonald, Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk, David Backes AND Barret Jackman are all wearing the alternate 'A.' No. 2, Darryl Sydor is on the team. He's in the shot (No. 44 behind Jackman), in sight and not an out-of-focus background character like Ben Bishop. [Morning Skate]
Cam Janssen dominates the shootout and more in this blog from Norm Sanders. [Belleville News-Democrat]
David Perron is maturing, so much so that even old men like Andy Murray and Tkachuk like him. [Stltoday.com]
Sydor is trying to win a spot many (including me) believe he has sewn up. [Belleville News-Democrat]
Barry Tallackson is out of camp. [OurSports Central]

Hockey news

Wednesday's action. [Yahoo!]
Thursday's games. [Yahoo!]
ESPN tackles realignment. What I learned? John Buccigross is insane, Pierre LeBrun doesn't understand travel costs, Barry Melrose thinks divisions complicate things and Scott Burnside wants a vagabond team. Really, the NHL needs ESPN back? With insight like this? [ESPN]
Peter Forsberg can't quit hockey. [ESPN]
Not a lot of news here, I'm just a huge Curtis Joseph fan. [Pension Plan Puppets]
Manny Malholtra knows the way San Jose ... and Fear the Fin seems to like the move. [Fear the Fin]
Olaf Kolzig is calling it a career, and a fine one at that. [TSN]
Jim Balsillie says he would keep the Coyotes in Phoenix for this season. Gee, how nice. [ESPN]

Other links

I'm not a Northwestern fan, nor a shill for SB Nation (they don't pay me enough), but I have to share with you all the blog with best name ever. Kudos, Sippin' on Purple, for having an awesome name. [Sippin' On Purple]
A place for stoners to put their ideas they get when they are high. My buddy in college would record his thoughts into a tape recorder -- his "best" idea was to replace outfield warning tracks with trampolines. [highIdeas]
A look at all the McDonalds in the United States. [The Daily What]
The combover is not a good look. [Yep, Yep]

Video

This is, without a doubt, the weirdest thing you will see all day: A man dressed up to look like a deer. Posing. You've been warned.

Ok that was creepy. Non-creepy video after the jump.

Language NSFW.

That's it for today. Gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

How The Blues Should Select The Final Two Defensemen

Brad Lee — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:25 -0000

As far as we can tell the Blues are down to their pick of four defensemen for two spots on their roster to start the season. There has been some speculation the Blues have made their decision. When they tell the players their fate, they should spice it up. They could even broadcast it.

With that in mind, we now present Andy Murray, the Bachelor Coach looking for the two defensemen that will complete his roster...and his life.

I'd like to give you this rose as a token of my roster spot I have just for you.

Andy Murray: Well men, it's down to you four: Jonas Junland, Alex Pietrangelo, Tyson Strachan and Darryl Sydor. Two of you will be sent away, shut out of my heart until someone gets hurt or pisses me off. And two of you...two of you will get these roses and join me on the roster of the 2009-10 St. Louis Blues.

Now I know we've had some quality time together taking a steam in the sauna, having pizza at the postgame buffet and many other moments where I was either hoarsely yelling at you or patting you on your ass. I've formed a bond with all of you. Each individual has performed well during the immunity challenges, especially after we joined the tribes. Let me run down how I think you men have touched...my hockey team.

Young Jonas, I've told you I enjoy watching with the scouts the tape late at night of those young teens in Sweden do their thing. You remind me of those nights. I've seen your potential. I like your instincts, you have a heavy shot and you could man the point on my power play some day soon. But there's the language barrier. I tell you we're going to skate laps for 7.2 minutes and you look at me like I said "We're going to skate laps for a couple minutes. However long you want, you lovable skamps!" So that communication barrier, it's just too much right now. Try Rosetta Stone. I'm sorry, but the Tribe has spoken, you are the weakest link. Enjoy Peoria. Again.

(Junland drops his head, skates off the ice muttering something about terrible tasting herring in Peoria)

Alex. You were our first round draft pick a year ago. We gave you a chance to make the team last fall with a tryout, but as we both know you were still too young and raw to make the jump. So back to Juniors you went. And now here we are a year later, you're almost not a teenager any more. You're a man, but are you the man to patrol my blue line? I don't think we've seen the extent of your potential with the puck and in your own end. I've liked your skating ability, your vision on the ice and your effort. Alex, I love your effort.

I just don't know. You're young. We're not going to always get along. I listen to CCR, you lisent to Coheed and Cambria. There will be nights I'll hate you. Other nights I'll just want to hold you tight and keep the Todd Bertuzzis of the world away. I think I might come to resent asking this...but Alex Pietrangelo, will you take this rose and continue to rock my world? Will you be my sixth defenseman?

(Young Pietrangelo nods, skates forward and engages in a long, passionate hug with his coach before skating toward the Blues' dressing room.)

Well Darryl and Tyson, you can see I have just one rose left. One of you will join me in the dressing room, the other will hit the road. Tyson, you brute. You're big, you're scruffy, you like to drop the gloves. In our end, you bang with the best of them. You like to play the body hard in the corner making it tough on the other team. They are all the kinds of qualities I'm looking for in a defenseman. But your skills with the puck leave something to be desired. I lived with Jay McKee on my team and he treated the puck like a grenade with the pin pulled. So I can probably look past it, but you would learn new curse word combination because of it.

Darryl, you know I like a veteran presence in the dressing room, on the team plane, in the tight confines on the bench, buying Perron beer at the hotel bar. I like to know I don't have to teach a guy how to shift the defensive assignments around as the puck goes bhind the net and how the defensemen are the key to getting the puck into the offensive zone. But damn, you're an old man. I didn't have any gray hair when you joined the league more than a decade and a half ago. How man freaking teams were in the league when you joined? But I told you the other night in the wirlpool that I wouldn't hold you gray chest hairs against you.

This has been one of the hardest choices I've had to make during my tenure as head coach of the St. Louis Blues. I think I can be happy with either of you...but I will give my final rose to...Darryl. Will you be my seventh defenseman?

(Sydor wipes his eyes, gives Strachan a consolation hug and then skates toward a weepy Murray.)

I'm sorry Tyson. If Weaver sucks, I'll e-mail you a rose in Peoria.

(Murray and Sydor skate toward the dressing room as the arena lights fade to black...leaving the only the sounds of a sobbing Tyson Strachan.)

2009-2010 NHL Season Preview: Dallas Stars

Brandon Worley — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:22:57 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

Brad Richards hopes to lead a revitalized Dallas Stars back to the NHL playoffs.

Browse more photos »

SB Nation is showcasing a special feature for the next week or so as every site manager in the network will be writing a season preview for their respective teams. James Mirtle will also review each team over at his site, From the Rink. It is Dallas' turn today, so be sure to head over there to see what James has to say and to vote where you think the Stars will end up in the Western Conference this season.

The Stars will also be featured on SB Nation's NHL page, which features updated, breaking hockey stories all day long. If you have not checked that out yet, it is worth a look see. (Shameless plug: I'm one of the editors for the new SBNation.com)

Most of the following information we have been discussing all summer, but it's time to put it all together for an official preview.

Season preview after the jump.

Overview:

Last season the Dallas Stars failed to make to make the playoffs for the just the third time since moving to Dallas, and the first time since 2002. A team that had entered the season with high expectations faltered out of the gates, leading to a deep hole in the standings the Stars fought to get out of all season. The Stars rallied around each other and behind some magical play by Marty Turco, made a big run in the Western Conference going from 15th to 4th in a matter of two months. Yet injuries and an exhausted and overworked Turco ultimately led to a late-season collapse, and the Stars found themselves watching the playoffs in April.

Owner Tom Hicks, acting on his own and determined to get things turned around, hired Joe Nieuwendyk to replace Les Jackson and Brett Hull as the General Manager of the Stars. It was a decision that caught everyone by surprise, but it was Nieuwendyk's first move that really shook the organization to its foundation. Believing that sweeping change was needed Dave Tippett was fired and replaced with Marc Crawford, a coach whose style was nearly the opposite of his predecessor.

Now the Stars face a season with more questions to be answered than they have in a long time. Can the Stars improve and succeed with a more uptempo offensive system? Will Brenden Morrow be healthy and ready to lead his team again? Is Brad Richards ever going to live up to the high standards set forth by his salary, and what the Stars gave up to get him? How will Marty Turco perform following the worst NHL season of his career?

In a few weeks, these questions will begin to be answered.

Who's in:

Alex Auld, Karlis Skrastins, Jeff Woywitka

Who's out:

Steve Begin, Joel Lundqvist, Brendan Morrison, Mark Parrish, Tobias Stephan, Darryl Sydor, Sergei Zubov

Team Strengths:

Goaltender: When he is confident and focused, Marty Turco is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. Two seasons in a row he proved that he is capable of carrying a team in the playoffs, and is still the best puck-moving goalie around. His ability to negate the opposition's forecheck, while firing a long and accurate pass up ice is a level of play every team wish they had.

Alex Auld provides the most proven backup Marty Turco has had in a very long time, and will provide the Stars with the ability to rest their starter and not overwork him like last season. He also has the ability to push Turco to play better, since the team will feel confident riding him for several games in a row if Turco falters.

Defense: The Stars will continue to have a young yet talented group of defensemen that played incredibly well two seasons ago. Despite a rocky season one year ago, this defense should improve and become more consistent under the tutelage of Charlie Huddy. Karlis Skrastins provides great veteran leadership on the blue line and is one of the more underrated defensemen in the leage. Many have compared him to Richard Matvichuk in his ability to block shots, a trait this Stars defense has lacked for several years.

Forwards: The biggest strength of this team, the Stars have a stable of solid and talented forwards. Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro form one the most dangerous tandems in the league, while Mike Modano is perhaps the best third line center in the Western Conference. Yet it's the proposed second line combination of James Neal, Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson that will really give the opposition the most trouble. This preseason the trio has terrorized opposing teams and is improving their chemistry daily. A revitalized and healthy Richards will provide great motivation and energy for those around him.

Special teams: This team has the ability to have several shutdown units on the penalty kill. Steve Ott, Toby Petersen, Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen provide excellent defensive play among the forwards, while Skrastins brings experience and leadership to the PK among the defensemen.

Coaching: Currently, its unknown what this coaching staff can do. So far in the preseason, we've seen some good signs. The Stars rebounded from a poor showing in Colorado to get a solid road victory over a very good St. Louis team. The Stars seem willing and ready to play hard for their new coach. Overall though, this grade is incomplete.

General Manager: Joe Nieuwendyk has shown that he will not hesitate to do what he thinks is right for this organization. He made a very tough decision to not re-sign Sergei Zubov, who was a former teammate and great personal friend. He fired Dave Tippett, which was not a popular move among the Stars faithful earlier this summer. Both tough, but what he felt were needed decisions to make.

Team Weaknesses:

Goaltender: Marty Turco is coming off his worst season in his NHL career, in which he was worn down and reportedly had several feuds with goaltending coach Andy Moog. It's unknown how he will respond, especially considering he is the final year of his contract. At 34, he is nearing the end of the prime years of his career.

Defense: Young, inconsistent and now learning a new system. The Stars failed to significantly upgrade their blue line this summer and the defense will be their biggest question mark all season long.

Forwards: Mike Modano is in what is most like the final season of his NHL career and while he's still healthy and able, he's not the prolific player he once was. Jere Lehtinen has also had trouble staying on the ice in recent years and with the Stars having a lack of right-handed wingers, his health is key to a well-rounded group of forwards.

Special Teams: Without a true power play "quarterback", the Stars have struggled mightily to score with the man advantage. Crawford will try to strategies and systems on the PP, but until the Stars prove they can sore consistently when given the chance this will remain the team's biggest weakness.

Depth Chart:

Forwards:

Morrow, Ribeiro, Brunnstrom
Neal, Richards, Eriksson
Ott, Modano, Lehtinen
Sutherby, Petersen, Barch
Benn, Wandell, Sawada

Defense:

Daley, Robidas
Skastins, Niskanen
Fistric, Grossman
Woywitka, Hutchinson
Vishnevskiy, Larsen

Goalies:

Turco
Auld
Climie
Krahn

Prediction:

There is no way to accurately predict this team will respond to a new coach, a new system and a brand new atmosphere being implemented by Joe Nieuwendyk. On one hand, this is a talented and driven group of hockey players that can win on any given night and be dominant, especially with Marty Turco in net. On the other, this is also a team that is not overwhelmingly deep on defense and has many questions to answer after such a disappointing season last year. With Anaheim and San Jose doing their best to improve, the Stars will have nearly the same team on October 3, 2009 as the did one year ago. Whether that's good or bad is the big question.

If this team stays healthy and Brenden Morrow continues to be the leader we all know him to be, this team has all the ability to make the playoffs. My prediction: 5th in the Western Conference.

What do you think?

Poll

Where in the Western Conference standings do you think the Dallas Stars will finish in the 2009-2010 season?

1

14 votes

2

12 votes

3

21 votes

4

50 votes

5

65 votes

6

56 votes

7

29 votes

8

7 votes

9

6 votes

10

7 votes

11

2 votes

12

0 votes

13

2 votes

14

0 votes

15

1 votes

272 votes | Poll has closed