Pre-Season Review / Season Pre-View Part 4
Parts 1 through 3:
Atlantic - Crosby, Malkin, Staal
Northeast - Forward vs. Defence Salaries
Southeast - Stanley Cup Hangover
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Central Division: 10 Years Too Late?
The St. Louis Blues look this season to become only the third team in history to go from last place to a playoff spot in a single year. One of the central pieces in their plan is the assembly of their new top line, featuring American All-Stars Bill Guerin, Keith Tkachuk and Doug Weight. Or should I say former American All-Stars?
In some ways I really like this top line. Guerin has plenty to prove after being bought out by the Dallas Stars last year and should be more than fired up. Doug Weight is fresh off a Stanley Cup victory with the Carolina Hurricanes and should help tutor the young Blues lineup about what it takes to be a winner. Keith Tkachuk was among the league leaders last season in points per game, and only injuries and a very poor surrounding cast kept him from ranking near the top of the league. All three are getting nearer to the end of their careers and both Guerin and Tkachuk are in the last year of their contracts. The three have played together before and have been successful together at the Olympics. They have a good mix of size, finesse and sandpaper.
On the other hand, St. Louis may have assembled this line a decade too late. Ten years ago this line would have been among the most dangerous in the league. Now that younger, faster, smaller players are becoming more dominant in the league, giving the prime ice-time to a group of aging veterans on a team deep in a rebuilding faze may not be the best long-term solution.
The signing of free agent goaltender Manny Legace will also work against the Blues. Legace is a more than competent starting goaltender by he’s a short term rather than long term solution. He’ll also struggle compared to last season because he’ll be playing in front of a much weaker team. If St. Louis knows what they’re doing, they’ll use him as no more than a steadying, mentoring influence for their younger emerging goalies. The more games Legace plays, the worse the Blues will be in the long run. And if Luongo couldn’t get the Panthers into the playoffs on his own, Legace certainly won’t be able to do it for the Blues.
The Blues’ success this year, and more importantly heading into the future, will not be determined by the American All-Star line they have assembled this year. It is time for their young players to take over, learn from the veterans, and start looking ahead to next season. Because this season won’t have much more to offer the St. Louis fans than did last year.