Thursday, Oct. 01, 2009

Blues face many questions as season looms

Potential is there for team to be a contender

That 25-9-7 run the St. Louis Blues rode to the regular-season finish line last spring created so much optimism that it has spilled over into this season.

With a stable of young talent among the forwards and defense, the healthy return of veterans Paul Kariya and Andy McDonald and another year of experience under their belts, some feel the Blues could be among the surprise teams in the Western Conference.

There are still a lot of question marks surrounding the 2009-10 squad, so let's look at a few of them in closer detail:

Q: How is Erik Johnson's surgically rebuilt right knee, and how will his return affect the Blues' performance this season?

A: Johnson has been cleared since mid-August, and after shaking off some rust in the early preseason games, appears ready to resume his once-promising career. He gives the Blues one of the top young defensemen in the NHL, a great skater and puck-mover who improves the team's transition game immediately.

He had five goals and 33 points as a rookie in 2007-08 and hopes to easily surpass those numbers while ratcheting up his defensive game.

Perhaps Johnson's biggest impact will be on the power play, where he gives the team a huge weapon with a heavy shot from the point. The Blues didn't have that last year, and the lack of a shooting threat from the point allowed Vancouver to put the clamps on the interior of the St. Louis power play during a first-round playoff sweep. The Blues were 1-for-24 in the series after possessing the NHL's eighth-best power play during the regular season.

Q. Should Blues fans expect goalie Chris Mason to remain as hot as he was at the end of last season?

A. No way. But as Mason so ably showed, he is capable of carrying the goaltending load for long stretches and instilling confidence in his teammates. Mason went from a 3-13-1 start to a 27-21-7 final record and heads into this season as the clear starter.

Who could forget his 9-1-1 run to close out the season, or his save percentage of just under .920 in the final 31 games?

Former Red Wings goalie Ty Conklin insures that if something goes awry with Mason, the Blues have a solid goaltending ace in the hole.

Conklin has been a backup goalie in the past two Stanley Cup finals with Detroit last season and Pittsburgh the year before.

Q. Will the dreaded sophomore jinx derail the promising start to the careers of Blues second-year stars T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund?

Don't count on it. Oshie's game relies heavily on energy and skating, which are things that aren't prone to slumps. Both players appeared to wear down a bit late in the season, but it was the first time either had been part of an 82-game schedule while learning all the rigors, travel and nuances of being an NHL player.

Berglund needs to become a more consistent offensive weapon -- and more involved physically. However, he has added more size and strength and could be on the verge of something big.

Q. Is veteran winger Paul Kariya healthy again after two surgeries to repair labrum damage in his hips?

Kariya says he hasn't felt this good in years and he can approach the form he displayed before joining the Blues -- this could be a big season. He adds not only more speed, more offensive production during 5-on-5 play and the power play.

This is also the final year of Kariya's three-year, $18 million contract, which could provide more incentive. A year ago, he had 15 points in the first 11 games before being sidelined by injury.

Q. Why is star winger Brad Boyes almost anonymous outside of St. Louis?

Good question. Boyes topped the Blues with 33 goals last season and had 43 the year before that, so he's among the top snipers in the Western Conference.

Sure, Boyes is a little streaky at times, but there's no denying his scoring skill with 137 points in his last 164 games. He's also one of the few Blues players to not miss a game the past two seasons.

Q. Will the Blues get defenseman Eric Brewer back in the lineup this season?

Reports from Blues President John Davidson and coach Andy Murray suggest things are trending up for Brewer, who missed most of last season because of injuries. Two back surgeries and a more recent knee surgery had provided their share of setbacks, and the Blues recently signed veteran Darryl Sydor as something of an insurance policy.

A healthy Brewer would make the Blues deeper and more experience on defense, but he is expected to miss at least a few months.

Q. There's no denying the skill of Blues winger David Perron, but how many goals is he good for this season?

He had 13 as a rookie in 2008-09 and 15 last season in 81 games. If he improves his shooting percentage and continues to progress, Perron should be able to approach 20 to 25 goals.

Q. Aren't there still some legitimate question marks on defense?

Because of the uncertainty surrounding Brewer's return and an overall lack of NHL experience, there could be some issues here.

Barret Jackman, Roman Polak, Sydor and Carlo Colaiacovo, one of the team's lone offensive sparks on defense a year ago, should help stabilize a unit that also includes Mike Weaver. If Johnson turns in a big year and the Blues get rapid development from rookie Alex Pietrangelo, this could quickly become a team strength.