New Additions should Solidify Blues

The jury is still out on Blues new owner Dave Checketts, but by the way things are shaping up for the Blues and the fresh season it's looking like Checketts means business. Checketts, who took over the team in the off-season, has proven that he's serious about making the Blues an honorable hockey franchise again. And it's not just talk. And to be downright blunt about it: IT'S VERY EXCITING!!!

Yes, the Blues fell off the proverbial map last season and dropped to the bottom of the horrific Central division. Yes, at times it looked like your child's high school hockey team could beat the snot out of the Blues. And yes, the terrible Columbia Blue Jackets led by 98- year old Sergei Federov, were 17 points better than us - not to mention the hated Chicago Blackhawks posted 8 more points than our beloved Blues.

But, don't expect the Blues to be anywhere near the bottom of the barrel this season. And, it pretty much WAS a high school team skating around the Savvis last year. And the Blackhawks will never again out-point the Blues. Nor will the Columbia Blue Jackets. Mark it, dudes.

This is no longer a team that will be bullied. Checketts has made some legit moves in the offseason and he's shored up his squad, preparing them to make a playoff push this season. It will be nice to finally see what kind of coach Mike Kitchen is in the coming years now that he has a few more legit players to command. In the off-season, the Blues acquried Jay McKee, Manny Legace, Bill Guerin, Radek Dvorak, Martin Rucinksky, Dan Hinote, and we re-acquired Dougie Weight.

Who are these people? Well, if you're a true Blues fan then I don't think Doug Weight needs an introduction. He was traded to Carolina last year after the break and was a integral part of their Stanley Cup victory. He's not neccessarily going to blow you away with his stuff but he's a team leader and I wouldn't be surprised to see him notch 80 assists this year. Not to mention he's an avid St. Louis fan: for his one day with Stanley Cup he just so happened to bring it right back home to St. Louis to let his new teammates get a whiff.

Dan Hinote came over from Colorado to help at the center position this season. He only had 13 points last year, five goals and 8 assists but he was hampered with a small injuries all year. I don't expect him to blow up this year with any mind-numbing statistics, but he should be a nice addition to our third-line offense.

Martin Ruckinsky came west from the Rangers where last season he was fourth on the team with 55 points (16 goals, 39 assists). All this came in only 52 games as he was acquired by the team mid-season. Not bad numbers considering. Look for him to post 20 goals in the offense and upwards of 40 assists.

There's no reason not to be stoked about the most recent Blues signing, Radek Dvorak. He's skated in two Stanley Cups, most recently last year with the Oilers where he proved he was still a big time player by his performance in game seven. He's been in the league ten years now and has played in 746 games. Old, you may say? This is just the kind of guy the Blues are looking for right now. He should be a welcome addition in helping mold the youngsters over the next couple seasons. Look for him on the penalty kill unit most often.

Bill Guerin. You've heard his name, I'm sure. But what has he done? Well, truth be told, last year he didn't do much. 13 goals and 27 assists in 70 games, but there's an explanation for this. Guerin was the spokesperson for the player's association during the strike over the 2004-2005 season, and even going into last year he made it clear that he wasn't mentally ready to play due to the stress of the strike. This year, the Blues steal this stud from the Stars, and it looks like he's ready to go again. In his last healthy season, he was among the NHL leaders, tied for first in game winners (10), ninth in goals (34), and 21st in points (69). The scary thing for opponents this year is that Guerin will be teamed up with Keith Tkachuck, one of the most potent offensive threats in the league when healthy (and he showed up this season in the best shape of his life). I look for Billy to score 30 goals this season and notch upwards of 30 assists. If he regains form, it's not far-fetched to say he and Tkachuck would be considered one of the games best 1-2 punches.

Jay McKee? Who the heck is this guy? Well, remember the days of Tony Twist? No, McKee isn't going to be sent into the games simply to fight, but nonetheless, he remains among the games toughest defensemen. Last year McKee led the league in block shots, and had a career high in points. Most impressively, however, is the fact that he, too, also got loads of playoff experience last year, playing with Buffalo, and shined. He notched five points (2 goals, 3 assists) while blocking a tremoundous 64 shots in only 17 games during Buffalo's run. McKee joins forces with a now healty Eric Brewer to beef up an already descent defense that sports the likes of Christian Backman, Barret Jackman, and Bruce Salvador. Add in Eric Wideman's dangerous slap shot from the point and you get a healthy dosage of rough, tough, and dare-I-say good? The first time we can say that the Blues defense has been good since Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis teamed up back there.

And who are they protecting? Well, perhaps the most exciting addition to the newly vamped Blues: Manny Legace. Forget about Curtis Sanford, he made a crucial mistake in the offseason not signing a multi-year deal somewhere in the league in hopes of proving his worth this season. I guess something must have went awal in the program because he isn't going to get his chance in St. Louis unless Legace goes down. Of course we're all partial to Sanford instead of some chump coming from Hockey Town, right? But I got a pretty descent feeling that we'll be forgetting the fact that Legace was a Red Wing last season fairly quickly. Why? Check this out: last year Legace ranked 3rd in goals against average, 2nd in shutouts, and 8th in save percentage. He's the real deal. Don't pay attention to the critics in Detroit who blamed their lame play in the first round of the playoffs on Legace last year. It wasn't all his fault. And now Detroit is looking foolish for letting Legace go: 3 reasons - Number 1, they let him go to a team in the same division (DA BLUES.) Number 2: Their starting netminder is Dominik Hasek, a guy who first tried to retire 8 years ago. And Number 3: their back-up goalie is Chris Osgood, who can still play a little bit but, nonetheless - he's still Chris Osgood. Not to mention, Osgood will be playing many games this season because Hasek will not hold up. And for those of you just getting back into hockey since the strike, Hasek is no longer the feared "Dominator" that he once was. The Red Wings may still hold on to this division, after all they did have the best record in hockey last year, but don't be surprised if someone knocks them off their castle.

Other things to note about this Blues team and their additions are that Dvorak and Petr Cajanek (center) played on the same Olympic team last winter, so maybe there is a chance that some chemistry already exists between those two. Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk, and Doug Weight also have played on the same Olympic team. Perhaps it's not saying much, but it does hold a little weight that all these newcomers aren't completely unknown to their teammates.

Expect big years from the youngsters as well, being that they're learning from some heralded veterans. Cajanek and Lee Stempniak should shine under Guerin, Weight, Tkachuk, and captain Dallas Drake. Jay McClement and Ryan Johnson should also polish up their abilities this year.

My prediction: Not only is this an exciting year because the Blues should be good again but it's also a step in the right direction for our future. I expect Legace to have a big year in the net considering he's being protected by a fairly good defense, and considering he shouldn't have the pressure of his offense not being able to score. The Blues will score this season if they can stay healthy. The Blues are back, BABY!!! They're not made for the Stanley Cup this year, but I expect them to push their way into the playoffs and be a scare when they get there.