After being one of the surprise playoff teams in 2009, the Blues stumbled to a 9th place finish in 2010, missing the playoffs by just 5 points. Kicking off the offseason with a trade for playoff stud Jaroslav Halak was a step in the right direction, but the Blues didn’t really make any significant moves after that, and will be pretty hard pressed to make the playoffs in a very competitive Western Conference, especially since they share a division with Chicago, Detroit and Nashville.
Offense: With only one scorer(Andy McDonald) who broke 50 points last year, the Blues’ offense certainly doesn’t strike fear into opposing teams. The retirement of Keith Tkachuk and the loss of a Paul Kariya to yet another injury (which probably ended his career) may not seem like a huge deal, considering that both players were well past their prime, but it will mean that some others will have to step up big time. Alex Steen, David Perron and David Backes are all capable of scoring 40+ points, but a couple of 40-pointers won’t win you hockey games on a regular basis. The Blues need to get consistent scoring from their checking lines if they want any chance.
Grade: C-
Defense: If the offense is so mediocre, the defense has to be better, right? Not necessarily in St. Louis. Sure, some of the pieces are there, including Olympic silver medalist Erik Johnson, captain Eric Brewer and top prospect Alex Pietrangelo, but top to bottom, the Blues’ D doesn’t exactly scream “lockdown D.” The PK was the best in the league last year, allowing just 45 goals against. They’ll have tobe good on special teams and even better on D, as a middle-of-the-road defense (ranked 11th in goals against last year) won’t carry a mediocre offense very far.
Grade: B-
Goaltending: Chris Mason was the city sweetheart when he helped carry the team to the playoffs in 2009, and he didn’t play poorly last year, posting 30 wins and a 2.53 GAA. Still, when Jaroslav Halak, the hero that guided the 8th-seeded Canadiens to a berth in the Eastern Conference final, became available, the Blues jumped to trade for him. Coming off a ridiculously impressive postseason, Halak will be expected to perform at close to the same level in St. Louis. Only problem is, in a tough Western conference with little offensive help and no proven track record of success over the course of a full NHL season as a starter, I’d be surprised not to see Halak struggle at least a bit this season.
Grade: B+
Key Additions: Jaroslav HalakKey Losses: Keith Tkachuk, Paul Kariya, Chris Mason, DJ King