2011 Stanley Cup Semifinal (Predictions)

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Vancouver Canucks vs. 5. Nashville Predators

The Canucks are coming off a grueling seven-game series that saw them take down the defending Stanley Cup champ Chicago Blackhawks, so we will have a new champion in June. But the story there is the degree of difficulty for the Canucks after racing out to a 3-0 series lead, only to see them come within one shot of becoming the fourth team in NHL history to blow a 3-0 series lead. Can you imagine the catastrophic proportions in Western Canada had that happened? Now, Vancouver wastes little time in going up against the Predators, who disposed Anaheim in six games, winning their first playoff series in franchise history. I personally would like to see the Preds prevail here. I like Barry Trotz (my Jack Adams winner), I like Shea Weber (my choice to win the Norris Trophy, by the way), I like Pekka Rinne and I like Nashville's us-against-the-world mentality. How does Nashville do this year after year without that major superstar power in their lineup up front? They do it with a structured style of play that is frustrating to deal with. Just ask the Ducks. They play extremely stingy defense and Rinne has quietly risen into that group of upper echelon netminders, so much so, that he's a candidate for the Vezina Trophy this year. And as much as the Canucks just taxed themselves in the first round with the Blackhawks, I just can't see the Predators shutting down this Canucks offense. I think they can slow them down but to completely shut them down, I don't think it happens. The Sedins, up and down in the Chicago series, will be the focal point of Nashville's stingy defense, but the ones I see having a difference-making series here are Ryan Kesler and Alex Burrows. Burrows was huge in Game 7 against Chicago and that trend continues in this series. Even with the addition of Mike Fisher, Nashville just simply doesn't score enough for me to keep pace. They did against the Ducks and Ray Emery, but finally getting that monkey off his back, Roberto Luongo now can set his sights on prospering and doing greater things in the playoffs. Luongo is better than Emery and is good enough, along with that Canucks d-unit, to limit Nashville's chances. The Predators can sneak out a couple wins, but that's about it ...
CANUCKS IN 6

2. San Jose Sharks vs. 3. Detroit Red Wings

You want action? You want drama? You want high-powered offenses? You want 5-4, 6-5 games? Strap on your seatbelts, because this is the series for that. These teams met a year ago in this same round, with the Sharks winning in five games. Detroit, who I keep thinking will melt down and fold into the old-age mantra and they continue to slap me in the face, will be motivated by that series defeat and the fact they will have plenty of rest after sweeping Phoenix in the opening round. The Sharks got here after slipping past a very game and tough LA Kings group. I look at both of the rosters in this series and I see very little that differentiates one from the other. The offenses are powerful, they're deep and very skilled. The defensive units play a very similar shutdown style with a flare for offensive production as well. To me, this series comes down to goaltending, and right now, I take Jimmy Howard over Antti Niemi. I know Niemi has a Cup to his resume (last season with Chicago) and was stellar with the Hawks, but that was last season. Niemi has been pulled in these playoffs a couple times already and his play has been suspect, to say the least. I'm not a big fan of Howard's -- yet -- but he did outperform (by a country mile) the Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov and looked very good in doing so. Special teams could play a big role in who walks away from this series as well. There are plenty of big names in this series: Lidstrom, Thornton, Datsyuk, Zetterberg (provided he's healthy), Heatley, Marleau, Franzen, Boyle, Rafalski ... the list goes on and on. But to me, it boils down to Howard vs. Niemi. I like Howard. It goes the distance ...

RED WINGS IN 7

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Washington Capitals vs. 5. Tampa Bay Lightning

Here is the East's version of the San Jose-Detroit series: action-packed, offensive talent galore, plenty of drama. These divisional rivals were locking up toe-to-toe throughout the season before the Caps went on a tear to overtake the Lightning for not only the division but the top seed in the East as well. Washington's five-game series win over the Rangers was impressive on many fronts, but what's most impressive is the Caps' defensive mentality and goaltending. Finally, Bruce Boudreau gets it. You won't win Cups outscoring people, you do it with a shutdown mindset first, score goals second. The Caps have the pieces in place to do both now. The Lightning overcame a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Crosby- and Malkin-less Penguins, thanks to Dwayne Roloson stealing a 1-0 Game 7 win at the new Igloo. As the Sharks-Wings series, the names jump at you in this series: Ovechkin, St. Louis, Stamkos, Lecavalier, Semin, Backstrom, Green ... all difference makers. And what about the play of Michal Neuvirth for Washington? Stood up and faced the challenge of Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers. The Capitals won four of six games with the Lightning in the regular season and I give them a slight edge in the postseason as well. I like their ability to defend and use the transition game to have success. Speed kills and Washington's forwards have the edge in that department over Tampa's D. This will be a challenge for the Caps D as well to contain the Lightning firepower, and guys like Malone and Gagne can really make a difference if Washington focuses primarily on St. Louis, Stamkos and Lecavalier. This series will be entertaining, but I think the Lightning strike stops here ...

CAPITALS IN 7

2. Philadelphia Flyers vs. 3. Boston Bruins

A rematch of historical proportions takes place one year later here. And we all remember the Bruins blowing that 3-0 series lead, with the Flyers winning a seven-game series after trailing 0-3 for the first time since 1942. The Bruins have been looking forward to this and would want nobody else in this situation. What better way to erase a painful memory than to look your culprit straight in the eye and meet it head-on? However many games this series takes to win, there will be enough drama to rekindle an old soap opera. The Flyers overcame a 3-2 series deficit to dispose of Buffalo in seven games, while the Bruins likewise needed the maximum to eliminate nemesis and fellow Original Six foe Montreal. There's tons of talent on both sides in this series, but what sticks out for me will be Boston's emotion and Tim Thomas. The Bruins will play with a chip on their shoulders from start to finish and Thomas can steal wins, if needed. Although I didn't care for the Flyers' goaltending going against Ryan Miller, they somehow managed to stare adversity in the face and Brian Boucher won there by default despite the shoddy play of Sergei Bobrovsky and Michael Leighton. Philly may have the deepest group of forwards in the league from top to bottom. All four units have goal-scoring ability and can make plays on a whim. I think Zdeno Chara will play like the Norris Trophy candidate that he is here and will rise to the occasion and Thomas continues to amaze in net. Boston's wildcard, in my opinion, is Nathan Horton. He already has two overtime game-winners and the Bruins brought him into Beantown to balance out the scoring when going up against the likes of Briere, Carter, Richards, Giroux and Co. Chris Pronger is not the same and may not be until next season. I can't see him being a difference-maker against Bergeron, Krejci, Lucic, Ryder and the ageless Mark Recchi. Boston gets its revenge. I like them to move on ...

BRUINS IN 6

Perron vows he will return from concussion

Blues remain cautious, optimistic; will

move on if necessary without him next season

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- When he took the brunt of Joe Thornton's shoulder to the head in early November, who would have thought it would be David Perron's last game of the season?

But on that Nov. 4 night, Perron, who would finish off the game -- even score a goal in the Blues' 2-0 victory over Thornton and the San Jose Sharks -- saw his No. 57 sweater hung up for the last time this season (click here for related video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJr33aaE_MM).

Perron would see 10 games before the last 72 would be spent mostly watching his teammates from the press box or in front of a television when permitted.

Not exactly what someone known as a rink rat had in mind.

Instead of spending the post-injury time working on and ultimately wondering when he would get back into the lineup after being diagnosed with a concussion, Perron will have the spring and summer to get himself ready to hopefully get back to doing what he does best.

The 2011-12 season won't officially begin until training camp gets underway in mid-September, but the Blues are hoping time -- which is basically all they and Perron have at this point -- will be the cure-all and the Sherbrooke, Quebec native can skate again.

But for the time being, Perron, who scored five goals and added two assists in 10 games last season, will spend however much time he needs where he grew up. The soon-to-be 23-year-old has gone home.

"When I feel good enough, I'll come back down here (to St. Louis)," Perron said. "... When I feel good enough, I'll do the protocol to get back."

The good news is Perron feels better than he did when he was hurt. But it seems like the progression has hit a plateau for the time being.

"You just stay positive and keep looking forward to the day it's going to be good enough," Perron said. "It's been better. I keep saying that, but it's just myself staying positive."
As positive as Perron tries to be, it has been the most frustrating 5-6 months of his playing career.

"You play hockey and you know stuff like that can happen sometimes," said Perron, who has not accused Thornton of hitting him deliberately. "It did, and it's a process I wasn't familiar with."

And even though there are roughly five months before camp opens, the Blues must face the prospects that No. 57 may not be with them when a new chapter unfolds, according to general manager Doug Armstrong when asked, based on what he knows at the present time.

"No," Armstrong said matter-of-factly. "Based on what we know, he hasn't changed from Game 11. ... If the season was to start tomorrow, he would not be in it. He would not be playing.

"The reality is, time being an ally in David's situation, we're going to give this time. But if we get into mid-summer, and he's at the same position he is this summer ... we have to hope for the best, but plan for him to not be part of our roster ... until he clears."

As difficult as it would be for the Blues to have to move on without Perron, they already did so for most of this past season already. But replacing a key piece who was expected to make great strides will be in line with the many challenges the Blues will have to face moving forward.

"It's unfortunate for Perry obviously missing the entire season," Blues coach Davis Payne said. "(But) with our young, skilled group and the names you're talking about ... the Perrons and the (T.J.) Oshies and the (Patrik) Berglunds, even a Chris Stewart, the years aren't necessarily behind him, more so in front of him.

"I think it's been a very, very valuable year for us in that regard."

Perron's plight continues to fluctuate, depending on what day it is. He admits to feeling good during the day, then experience symptoms, mostly in the evening/night hours.

The Blues tried to slowly have Perron begin a light workout regimen, primarily involving light bike riding. He even visited the same specialist while in Vancouver that helped teammate Andy McDonald and various other NHL players who have dealt with the same types of symptoms.

Perron would not disclose what he is/isn't allowed to do these days as far as workouts go but did say he continues to search for ways until finally finding the right formula.
"There's not much I didn't try to do to get better and we're still looking obviously to find if there's stuff out there that can help or not," Perron said. "... You want to be out there and maybe create a spark and help the team."

Perron's plight could determine if the Blues would be more aggressive in pursuing a forward. If they are fortunate enough to get him back, likely not. Without him, it's a toss-up.

"It's an ugly part of the business, where you care about the individual as a person, you want the best for them, but you can't leave roster spots on the hope and the wish and the maybe," Armstrong said of Perron. "His health will tell us how close he is or how far he is. Then you have to respond to it. But we don't have to make that decision as an organization until July at the absolute earliest."

It's not that the Blues are thinking Perron won't be back. They're just being realistic.

"When he got hurt, did I expect him to be back on January 1? Sure. Did I expect him to be back on February 1? Sure. Did I expect him to be back March 1? Sure. Do I expect him to be back? Sure, I expect him to," Armstrong said. "But all those dates are getting clicked off the calendar and that piece of paper getting thrown away and you get into the next month.

"I was trying to say, if training camp started tomorrow and we had one month, I wouldn't expect David to be on the ice. Now, that's not the case, so I'm not trying to be evasive, but I don't have a crystal ball. I don't know how he's going to feel. What we have to do now is get David healthy enough just to be able to train to play. With these concussions, we all know, he can't train yet. He doesn't have the ability to go for a six- or eight-mile run or ride the bike for an hour. He's still showing symptoms, keeping him inactive from physical exertion."

Perron vows to be back one day, determined to make it all the way back. It's a similar challenge he faced trying to make into the NHL, period.

"I swear, I don't care if I'm still not feeling better in September, I'll still say the same: When I was younger, I had my back against the wall to make it to the NHL and I found a way," Perron vows. "So I know I'll find a way, and I don't care what way it is ... I'll get there one day."

First season as No. 1 goalie will help Halak going forward

Netminder, coach have clear understanding

where to proceed, help elevate his game

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- A year ago at this time, Jaroslav Halak was becoming the toast of Montreal. As a matter of fact, he was becoming the toast of the Province of Quebec.

Halak was in the midst of putting together one of the more impressive runs a goalie could string together in the postseason. Playoff series wins over Alex Ovechkin and the Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins will do that.

All that was missing was a Stanley Cup victory and parade in downtown Montreal.

But when Halak was traded to the Blues last June in a deal that shocked the entire hockey world, the Blues were in the process of giving the Bratislava, Slovakia native the keys to their net and become their full-time, No. 1 goaltender for years to come.

The season began better than advertised for Halak, who opened 8-1-1 with a 1.46 goals-against average, a .944 save percentage and three shutouts in 10 starts. He finished the season 5-1-1 with a 1.42 GAA and a .946 save percentage. It was in between when the Blues were decimated with injuries and they needed their newly anointed No. 1 netminder to step up and "steal" some games. Halak was unable to elevate his game.

Halak was 14-19-9, his GAA was considerably higher at 2.95 in that stretch and his save percentage was considerably lower (.896) in that period from the middle of November to the ladder stages of March.

Halak finished a respectable 27-21-7 with a 2.48 GAA and .910 save percentage. Not too bad considering this was the first time he played more than 45 games in a season.

This first season for Halak, who signed a four-year, $15 million contract soon after his trade to St. Louis, was as much an audition as it was a chance to prolong that magical playoff run of a season ago. Have the Blues finally found stability between the pipes? The jury is still out, but chances are, the process will only get better.

"Being a No. 1, it's a little bit bigger responsibility, but at the same time, it's more fun because you play more," Halak said. "You just want to win every game you play. It's a mental thing and you need to make sure your head is clear for every game. That's the bottom line.

"As far as the physical (portion) goes, I'm fine. I was fine all year long. Obviously, everybody has ups and downs. I had mine. As a team, we went through some ups and downs, but we had a young team. ... We lost guys at key moments and too bad we couldn't recover."

Upon his exit interview, Halak and Blues coach Davis Payne seemed to see eye to eye on all points discussed, which bodes well for both heading into a new year.

"I had a great conversation with Jaro about his year, how he felt it went, where are the areas of concern that we would have, where are the areas of concern that he has and they match up. That's a great starting point."

The numbers Halak put up overall in his first season match up pretty decent. He ranked 18th in the NHL in wins, was 13th in GAA among starting goalies and tied for fourth with seven shutouts. But Halak's greatest challenge this off-season is ramping up his knowledge of the mental grind, of being that player who can hold up for 60-65 games, if called upon.

"It takes time," Payne said. "... There's a learning curve there, there's an understanding of how to get yourself back ready again, how to hit that reset button, whether it's a bad goal, bad period, bad game ... and good period, good save, good game. The reset button still has to get hit.

"I think knowing that you're the No. 1 guy for the first time, there is a learning curve that goes on there."

It's also no coincidence that Halak's numbers against the Eastern Conference and Western Conference were considerably different. Although he didn't play as many games against the East, a familiarity there of being with the Canadiens seemed to help Halak go 7-2-1 with a 1.76 GAA and .940 save percentage while only sporting a 20-19-7 mark against the West and a 2.65 GAA and .908 save percentage.

"I think he recognizes the difference in play between Eastern Conference teams and Western Conference teams in going through the circuit here for the first time ... very, very accurate in what he saw and the adjustments that he needs to make," Payne said of Halak. "... There's a different element when you're trying to play Chicago. There's a different element when you're playing Detroit and how they attack, a different element when you play Vancouver and the other top teams out West.

"There's a number of different areas that he's made clear recognition and we have as well. They match up. We feel that it's going to be a real important year for him as far as strength and conditioning goes because of the workload that he will face. Is he a 60-game guy, a 60-plus game guy? We have to monitor that. These are all questions that we'll get answered here as the summer goes along, but in order for him to hit that number or beyond, the body has to be ready for it, so this is a real important time for Jaro take care of that as well."

Halak made 57 appearances this season but was limited 13 games after sustaining a broken blocker hand in late January. He came back and finished well and will represent Slovakia at the World Championships in his home country at the end of the month.

"I know he's excited about the World Championships and getting to work and making sure that he's prepared," Payne said. "He's excited about how (the season) finished, he obviously liked how it started. He feels that there was more during the middle part of that year -- especially January -- where he could have been sharper. That's a statement you want your No. 1 guy making."

Not making the playoffs after what he went through last season is motivation enough for Halak to come in reenergized for a new season. He made $2.75 million this season and his salary will get bumped up to $3.5 million next season.

"Too bad we couldn't get (to the playoffs)," Halak said. "Overall, the season wasn't probably the best for everybody in this locker room and for me, but it was a learning season. I think I took a lot of good things from this season.

"Everybody goes through ups and downs. No one wants to go through it, but we just need to make sure we will play consistent hockey -- especially me. I need to play on the same level most of the season."

If he does, it bodes well for the Blues.

"Everybody knows in this locker room there is a lot of potential going into next season," Halak said. "I think everybody's excited. ... We need to try and find another level to get to the playoffs."

Backes earns big contract, rewards franchise with banner season

Power forward's greatest motivation: guiding Blues back to playoffs

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- More often than not, athletes seem to perform well when desperate times calls for desperate measures. A contract year certainly qualifies as under such circumstances.
It seems to bring out the best in most.

But in one of those instances when a team wants to keep the player, prevent that player from hitting the open market and reward such player with a long-term contract, it's only natural for the player to repay that franchise by excelling in the present as well as the future even with the security of a new deal.

Meet David Backes, who headed into the final year of a three-year, $7.5 million contract that would have expired at the end of this season. But the Blues saw a rare combination of size, strength, scoring ability, dedication and leadership skills that would be next to impossible to find again. They didn't want to flirt with the idea of losing Backes, who was drafted by the Blues in the second round of 2003.

Backes would have been a hot commodity had he got to the July 1 free agency period. The Blues didn't want to take any chances. So when they rewarded Backes, 26, with a brand spanking new five-year, $22.5 million extension, the Blues put their faith in Backes' strengths to overshadow any deficiencies.

It was back on Nov. 12 when Backes dotted the X's and O's on the new deal. At the time, Backes was in the midst of what seems like a normal slow start to a season: two goals and four assists in 14 games. Some would call that a slump. It just seems to be the norm for Backes.

But when it was all said and done for 2010-11, Backes tied career-highs in goals (31) and assists (31) while setting a career-high in points with 62. He finished tied for second in the league with a plus-32 and played in all 82 games this season despite a plethora of bumps and bruises while hitting -- cleanly -- everything in sight.

Call it Backes' way of saying thank you to the organization that allowed him to fulfill a dream of playing in the NHL and eventually reward him handsomely.

What impressed the Blues more than the numbers is Backes' willingness to thrive in a team role, not personal glory.

"I'd give it all back to be in a playoff spot," Backes said of his statistics. "I'd take five goals and five assists right now if we could (have been) playing after April 9th. The fact is we're not, so I'll take the personal achievements the way they are.

"I'm satisfied and I have a lot of great teammates to give a lot of credit for setting me up and making great plays around me."

Backes, at 6-foot-3, 225-pounds, anchored the Blues' top unit for much of the season. He did so playing center, which is not his position by trade.

It may not always be flashy, it may not always have a picture-perfect finish to it or make the top 10 list on highlight reels at the end of the night, but one word always seems to pop into coach Davis Payne's mind when he thinks of Backes.

"That's probably the biggest word to describe David's game: the consistency in all areas," Payne said. "He knew that he was a big part of it coming in. When guys came out of the lineup, he knew he was a big part of what stayed in there and how we were going to need to play. He took on that challenge. At times towards the end, the load got heavy for him. There's no question about that, but he stayed with his game, he tried to pull guys along, push guys along, take things over when he had the opportunity.

"His leadership continued to grow (and) the way he handled himself down the stretch was outstanding. The numbers speak for themselves, but most impressed in the fact that he does this against top defenders, he does this against other teams' top offensive players."

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said it was a no-brainer giving Backes the security of a new contract. He believes Backes is a focal ingredient moving forward.

"We're heading into the areas that we want to get to and David's a huge part of that, not only on the ice but in our community," Armstrong said. "He represents the St. Louis Blues 24/7/365 the way we want to be represented."

Backes, who's been mentioned on more than a number of occasions to be the next captain of the Blues, continues to display the type of character the Blues are looking for both on and off the ice.

He and his wife Kelly lead the way for David's Dogs, the couple's fundraising group for the St. Charles Humane Society, which the Backes' are on the board. Kelly Backes also started up the group Kelly's Kats in December. So not only does Backes have time to better himself on the ice but off it as well.

"It's an exciting time to make that kind of a commitment to someone you trust, someone that you know the team can grow with, someone that you know is going to represent and teach our young players what it means to be a pro and what it means to get to the other side and into the promised land," Armstrong said. "He's born and raised a Blue. He was drafted by us. He's played here, he understands what it means, but more importantly, he understands where we're trying to go to."

Which is precisely why Backes was in a somewhat somber mood as the players were cleaning out their lockers recently. Losing really bothers him.

"The frustration of a lack of team success is what sits most with him," Payne said of Backes. "That's what we want all our guys feeling. Whether a guy felt like he had a good year or not, we're shy of those 10 (playoff) points. We're shy of that opportunity to play (in the postseason).

"We ask guys to identify in their game the areas that they can gain percentage points that add to our team game. He's got a clear picture of where he feels he could get better, how he could contribute more, how he could be sharper, how he can improve his face-offs. Those type of areas contribute to the team's success. This is his focus leaving town for the summer. That's exactly where we want the focus to be."

Backes could have commanded more money on the open market, but as is the type of character that he displays, loyalty means more than greed.

"There's maybe that thought in your mind to chase that almighty penny all over the place, but there's so many things outside of money that are important; not just to myself and my wife, but to have the great town and the people of St. Louis to support," Backes said.

"It's never a fun day to have the year-end meetings while there's 16 teams still playing. Next year, we're going to do plenty to become one of those 16 teams, then the eight, then the four, then hopefully the two and the last one standing. It's a bitter taste in our mouth right now, but we've got to use that as motivation to have good summers and make sure we come back next year ready to rock."

But for the time being, Backes will allow the mind and body some healing time.

"Rest and relaxing," he said. "Hopefully, have my line in the water fishing a lot, but there's plenty of work to be done in the weight room making sure that (next) season gets off to a good start the way it did this year."

Summer of changes leads to better Berglund

After career season, team's No. 2 center 

determined to be even better next year

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- After suffering through a 'Sophomore Slump' that saw the Blues quietly wonder if he was worth the No. 1 pick they spent on him, Patrik Berglund decided it was time for a change.

A change in eating habits: check.

A change in sleeping habits: check.

Taking better care of his body: check.

And most importantly, the workout regimen: check.

It all started last summer, when Berglund decided to spend most of it here in St. Louis instead of heading back to his native Sweden.

After posting career highs in goals (22), assists (30) and points (52) this past season, it's no wonder the Vasteras, Sweden native and 2006 first-round pick (25th overall) won't alter his routine entirely heading into this summer.

Since his arrival, Berglund, 22, has shown glimpses of that tall, big-bodied, hard-to-handle, control-the-puck by utilizing his size center iceman that placed him among that crop of first round picks in '06.

But after a promising rookie season that produced 21 goals and 47 points, it slipped drastically to 13 goals and 26 points a season ago.

There were whispers that Berglund, at 6-foot-4, 218-pounds, could be trade bait. Maybe the Blues were ready to cut the cord. There were signs of a lack of confidence and more noticeably, a lack of dedication.

It prompted Berglund to make the necessary changes.

And after three seasons, but it appears Berglund finally gets it.

"It's been a really fun year for me. I think I took a big step," Berglund said. "I know I had a good year my rookie year and a sophomore slump last year, but this year, it was more play, more maturity, (being) bigger, stronger, trying to play and show everyone that I'm here to stay. I want to be a part of this team for a long time. Obviously I want to work to become a leader on this team in the future. I think I'm on the right track.

"I'm going to go home, I'm going to take it easy, I'm going to reload my batteries and come back even stronger."

Berglund is headed home for a bit not just to "take it easy" but to play some more hockey. His season isn't done quite yet. He will represent his native Sweden at the IIHF World Championships, which commences April 29 and concludes May 15 in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia.

"It's pretty much going to be the same," Berglund said of his summer routine. "I'm going to be in Sweden more, to play in the World Championships. It's a little different, but it will for sure be kind of the same. I'm going to try and work out the same and do a lot of what I did last summer for sure."

Blues coach Davis Payne noticed a much more mature and dedicated player who entered training camp last September. And despite some ups and downs early in the season, Berglund stuck with his game plan and finally turned into the more consistent and reliable No. 2 center the Blues have been searching for.

"I think when you're talking about the progression of a player and the development of a player, the proof is in being around him every single day and you see here's a guy who's first at the rink for every situation," Payne said. "He's first in the gym. He's first for every meeting. It's a situation where he wasn't looking for immediate success. He wasn't looking for one quick solution to his game. He wasn't looking for one quick answer to be that dominant center or a dominant top-six player in the league. He stayed with it. He didn't have immediate feedback on how his success was going to look. He stayed disciplined, he stayed committed to it, and he's seeing the benefits of that."

Before the Blues cleaned out their lockers and went their own separate ways, Berglund talked about being determined not to be content and will come into 2011-12 a hungrier and a more determined player to ascend to the next level. He's focused on raising the bar and elevating not only his play but his numbers as well. It was a primary focus a year ago.

"It's completely up to you what you want to do. I wanted to take a big step," Berglund said. "I wanted to move forward ... and I did.

"I can look back and (realize) it was a good thing for me to stick around to work on stuff that I wouldn't do at home. I'm not going to stop. I'm going to keep going. I'm happy with the way I performed. I just want to keep moving (forward). I'm excited about the summer."

Payne conducts exit conversations with all his players and was obviously impressed just how motivated Berglund is.

"I think when you have the conversations with him, when he's able to understand just where he is now, I think he's more motivated now than he was at the end of last year based on what he sees is possible," Payne said. "That to me is extremely exciting to look forward to, a big-bodied center who now understands how he can play in this league, how he can defend in this league, you no longer have to play him out of situations.

"A year ago, there would be teams targeting his line trying to attack them offensively ... you don't see that anymore. That's a credit to him on both sides. Not just the production, but the attention to the detail, the attention to his own zone. He wants to be that player. He's motivated to be that player. When you're around him every day, you feel good about that going forward."

The Blues are not expected to make any major transactions this summer. They're going to need Berglund to assert himself even more as that second-line center and be a fixture among the top six forwards on this team.

Berglund becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 unless he signs a contract before that but will undoubtedly earn one with the Blues even if he doesn't get one by then.

"I'm happy with what I did, but you've got to move on and get better," Berglund said. "I want to keep moving forward. I don't want to stop there. That's what I'm going to try to do. I'm going to be serious, I'm going to take it day by day and work hard."

Blues appear set to tweak, not overhaul current squad

Team needs to address own RFA's,

likely make minor moves to bolster roster

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- With the uncertainty of their ownership situation being the Blues' most glaring priority heading into the summer, it still makes one wonder what the makeup of the team will look like in a few months.

Will the Blues, near the bottom of the 30-team NHL as far as payroll is concerned, be aggressive when the free agency period kicks in on July 1? What kind of buyers will the Blues, 38-33-11 in 2010-11, be when the doors open and the bidding wars begin?

If one asks general manager Doug Armstrong, don't expect any type of Brad Richards signings.

"I think the nucleus of our team moving forward is here right now," Armstrong said. "We're going to continue with this group the way it's constructed."

So to make things clear-cut, David Backes, Andy McDonald, Chris Stewart, Alex Steen, T.J. Oshie and a healthy David Perron along with the remaining supporting cast is going to be the group that will lead the Blues into next season and possibly beyond.

Some areas that the Blues will likely look into include depth at forward, perhaps a veteran defenseman and maybe a backup goalie. But Armstrong wanted to make clear that any type of move/moves the Blues make will be to plug holes, not make any drastic overhauls.

"What I saw this year is, when we sustained long-term injuries, we didn't have the depth," Armstrong said. "And it wasn't the depth in the minor leagues. It was probably the depth at the NHL level to go up the lineup. I think if we can add some depth, that's one area that we'll look at. My feeling is that the heavy lifting is going to be done by the players that were on the ice now."

It doesn't necessarily mean the Blues, who were 10 points out of a playoff berth in 11th place in the Western Conference, won't take a dip into the trade route again. After all, who expected that deal last summer to acquire Jaroslav Halak? And did anybody see that blockbuster Armstrong pulled off with Colorado that brought Stewart and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk back in February?

But for those who were disappointed the Blues didn't go cash-crazy last summer when there was a plethora of players available, consider that Armstrong, going into his first full season as the team's GM, wanted to see how a growing lineup would come together.

"This (past) year, we entered the season staying out of free agency because we wanted to see how some of these players were going to play," Armstrong said. "I thought some players, we got a good read on. David Backes is the player that we thought he was going to be. At his age now, I don't see a lot of change in his game. I think he's going to be a consistent 60-70 point player. I think he's going to be a consistent physical force, and a consistent leader.

"Two players we were hoping to get a better read on that we didn't were Perron and Oshie, both due to injuries. We were going to give them that opportunity, and David obviously only play 10 games and T.J. missing the real meat of the season, we weren't able to get a good read on how he fits, not only in the league, but how he fits on our team."

Management and coaches have to be impressed not only with the makeup of the Blues' roster but to see a younger-tiered group come together and finish with a flurry (6-1-2 in the last nine).

When asked if he thought his team was a better hockey team than the one that started off 9-1-2, Blues coach Davis Payne said without hesitation, "Yes, I do.

"We've got some players who understand what is it going to be like, how our team looks going forward, how we play, the type of responsibilities they are going to have," Payne added. "It's the Patrik Berglunds who are going to get top-line minutes, it's the Kevin Shattenkirks and (Alex) Pietrangelos that contribute in high volume ... you can go up and down the lineup. The experiences that have been gained over this last stretch, it says Niki Nikitin's going to be a player going forward, Ian Cole's going to be a player going forward. I hate to stop when you get part of the way through the lineup, but the way we can play, the way we can attack, the way we can defend, I absolutely believe we are a better hockey club."

The onus, at least temporarily, will once again be on the majority of this current group, and the players understand that loud and clear.

"Everybody has to step up and be that much better ... 5-10 percent better," said defenseman Barret Jackman, who has one more year remaining on his current four-year deal. "... If there is somebody that's maybe struggling, then everybody else has to pick up their game to compensate it. It's a team game and that's the way winning teams do it.

"You can look ahead and be very excited about this team and what we have in the locker room right now."

As much as they'd like to keep the current group together, the players are fully aware that there will likely be some changes that take place.

"It's the reality of the business," Backes said. "There's going to be guys that are in this room at the end of the season that aren't going to be back. There's going to be some new faces that hopefully are contributing to our lineup right away. With the moves that have been made so far, you see this team moving in the right direction and you expect more great moves by the management to help us in here. And then we need to perform once we're in here."

Does Backes have any suggestions?

"I'm not going to do the GM job for him," Backes joked, referring to Armstrong. "... I'm certain there's a plan that he's evaluated for the entire season. He sees a few deficiencies. We can always improve at forward, defense, goaltending was pretty solid this year. ... We'll see what happens when we get our 23 guys on the roster at the beginning of next year. We'll need a tight-knit group that comes out of the gates fast and is able to sustain that the whole season."

One area that might consume much of Armstrong's time once the playoffs are over with is getting his own players resigned. The Blues have eight players that finished the season here that will be restricted free agents along with another five down in Peoria.

"I'm not concerned with expediting that," Armstrong said. "My experience in the past has shown that if there's a deal there to be made, you make it. And if there's not a comfort level, you let July 1 (come).

"Every player has the option to become a restricted free agent. They have the option to see if there's one team out there that covets them to the level of giving up a lot of draft picks, and then the team has to respond. ... If there's a deal there to be made, I'm all in favor of making it. But there has to be a comfort level from everybody that now is the time to make it. And if I talk to some guys and they say 'Now is the time,' great. July 1, the pendulum is right in the middle. It swings back and forth on leverage, and right now, there's no timing issues."

If the Blues make the leap into the top eight in the West next year, they'll need similar -- if not better -- production that Backes (31-31=62 points), McDonald (20-30=50), Steen (20-31=51), Berglund (22-30=52), Stewart (28-25=53), Matt D'Agostini (21-25=46), Oshie (12-22=34), Pietrangelo (11-32=43) and Shattenkirk (9-34=43) gave them this season without making any headline transactions. Plus, last year's first-round pick Vladimir Tarasenko could be a factor as well.

"We've got things that are in place right now that make us an effective team," Payne said. "Our job is to take those pieces as coaches and mold them into a functioning unit and be the best team that is a playoff team. I believe the guys that are in there now are capable of that.

"I know that Army is going to take a look at all avenues for improving the team and make those necessary adjustments. We're going to spend and obviously have time to spend on defining what our lineup looks like, what our depth looks like, how we feel these guys have gained the experiences as the year has gone on, that young d-core ... the Nikitins and the Coles, Shattenkirks, the way Carlo (Colaiacovo) has played towards the end, Jacks being in that mix, obviously Petro and Roman's year we're very pleased with. There's some great options in there. How those options end up looking is something that Doug is going to make decisions on and we'll have conversations on what gives us our best chance to not only get in but win."

A chat with general manager Doug Armstrong

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Doug Armstrong just completed his first season as the general manager of the Blues and sat down to discuss a variety of topics. He details his disappointment in not making the playoffs and that the nucleus of the team is already here, among other things:

What does this team need going forward?
I'm going meet with the coaches over the next couple of weeks and dissect the group individually and then as a team. I think the nucleus of our team moving forward is here right now. We're going to continue with this group the way it's constructed. What I saw this year is, when we sustained long-term injuries, we didn't have the depth. And it wasn't the depth in the minor leagues. It was probably the depth at the NHL level to go up the lineup. I think if we can add some depth, that's one area that we'll look at. My feeling is that the heavy lifting is going to be done by the players that were on the ice now.

This year, we entered the season staying out of free agency because we wanted to see how some of these players were going to play. I thought some players, we got a good read on. David Backes is the player that we thought he was going to be. At his age now, I don't see a lot of change in his game. I think he's going to be a consistent 60-70 point player. I think he's going to be a consistent physical force, and a consistent leader. Two players we were hoping to get a better read on that we didn't were (David) Perron and (T.J.) Oshie, both due to injuries. We were going to give them that opportunity, and David obviously only play 10 games and T.J. missing the real meat of the season, we weren't able to get a good read on how he fits, not only in the league, but how he fits on our team.

On the backend, we started the season hoping Petro (Alex Pietrangelo) was going to be NHL-ready and be surprised if he was going to be a go-to, count-on player. Obviously we were pleasantly surprised. He's a player that you're always concerned how players are going to respond the second season, (but) I'm not concerned that he's not going to come back and be the same player moving forward. I think he's experiences in junior, at the world junior championships ... he doesn't seem to have a game that's going to be exposed. The last 15 or 20 games when teams were playing against the Blues, that name was circled, be aware of him, be aware of his creativity ... and he responded well to that. That's the biggest challenge for a first- or second-year player, you're not a new face. Teams circle your name. Our opponent will go in and say these are the players we've got to be keyed on, and Petro, I'm not concerned will have a fallback at the end of the day. I'll be proved right or wrong by his actions, but I think he's the type of player that's not going to have a big valley in his second year. Then in goal, I thought Jaro came in, had the great start, had the great finish, but what we need to do ... I don't think Jaro needs to be a top 2-3 goalie in the league for us to have a successful season, but I think Jaro should demand of himself to be in the top 10 in the all the categories that goalies are judged on. I think if he's able to get into that area that we'll be a playoff team and a very dangerous playoff team. I think learning the conference was one thing, also learning what it means to be a starter, preparing mentally and physically, understanding the challenges that are there in the dog days, is something ... I expected there to be a learning curve and there was. Now I expect that curve to be finished. I expect him to settle in to the goalie that he's going to be. We need him to be the goalie that we traded for.

Because of the youth on the backend, do you think you need to add a veteran defenseman to go with Barret Jackman?
I think the same holds true on defense that it does up front. Depending on what's available, depending on my meetings with the coaches on what we need ...veteran players are important on a team that wants to move ahead. We have to judge a lot of things on the players that we have returning. What type of role they're going to take? I want to really dig down when we talk about Petro? Where do we see a player like (Nikita) Nikitin? Ian Cole showed flashes of what he's going to be. I think there's going to be a lot of internal work that has to be done ... usually it's early June when the trades start happening, when teams start talking about what they need to do. Then usually there are very few trades after the draft. It's usually the free agent period and then you'll get into August when the trades start up. I think we'll have a really good indication after our meetings. I want to meet with our pro scouts and do the proper due diligence. Unfortunately, we have nothing but time on our hands right now, so we might as well use it.

If you do bring in a veteran defenseman, what does that mean for guys like Ian Cole and Nikita Nikitin, who would be battling for a sixth or seventh spot?
If you bring one in (via) free agency, then you have to make space for them. If you bring one in via trade, you might not have to make space for them. They might be taking someone's job. I think it's best to wait and find out, if we bring one in, how we bring them in ... and how it's going to affect the players coming back.

Do you expect the coaching staff to remain intact?
Yeah, I do. Obviously Davis (Payne) and I will sit down and discuss that. I'll meet with Davis and his staff when I return from Europe. We'll go over it, but I think it was a great learning curve for that coaching staff to have to deal with what they've had to deal with, and I don't see any reason why, if they want to return, why we wouldn't go ahead with them.

That means extensions for (assistant coaches Brad) Shaw and (Ray) Bennett?
Yeah.

You have a number of restricted free agents. Where do those negotiations stand? How quickly would you like to have that taken care of?
I'm not concerned with expediting that. My experience in the past has shown that if there's a deal there to be made, you make it. And if there's not a comfort level, you let July 1 (come). Every player has the option to become a restricted free agent. They have the option to see there's one team out there that covets them to the level of giving up a lot of draft picks, and then the team has to respond. What makes these Type A personalities, they think there always 'The guy.' So sometimes you have to let them run the course and find out that maybe there's not the offer sheet and they've got to come back and negotiate. And if there is, you respond to it. If there's a deal there to be made, I'm all in favor of making it. But there has to be a comfort level from everybody that now is the time to make it. And if I talk to some guys and they say 'Now is the time,' great. July 1, the pendulum is right in the middle. It swings back and forth on leverage, and right now, there's no timing issues.

Have you been told what your budget will be for 2011-12?
No. We haven't had any indication from ownership on what the number will be next year. Obviously with Mr. (Dave) Checketts' situation, looking to sell the team, I certainly respect that there are other things more important right now. And with that being said, there's no immediate rush to have a budget for next year right now.

Would you normally have a budget right now?
I think all teams work differently. At different times, this cap system is change. A lot of teams know their budget as soon as they see that cap number, a lot of teams know at different times. As a manager, when you get the information, you just deal with the cards that you're dealt. I'm in no rush because I really believe that the nucleus of our team is here. I'm 100 percent guaranteed that whatever the budget is, we're going to be able to get our restricted free agents signed, so I'm not concerned about that.

So you have a good idea where each of those restricted free agents is going to fall in salary-wise?
Yes, we do. Obviously during the season, you think about negotiating and you think about arbitration. Players that have arbitration rights, you follow what their comparable group is going to do, you have an understanding what that number is going to be. You have a good understanding of what you're willing to pay, and they have a good understanding of what they're willing to accept. It's much more of an arm-wrestling with a player without arbitration rights than it is with arbitration rights, because with arbitration rights everybody knows that there's a mechanism there for a third party to judge your worth. For a player without rights, two parties have to agree on a worth.

Did you agree with what David Backes said about people using the Blues' youth and injuries as excuses?
I didn't hear David's comments in their entirety, I'm not sure who's making excuses for injuries. I'm not. I'm shocked if the players are. So, you deal with the cards that you're dealt. Other teams have injuries. It's a reality of our business. We're paid to get a job done and we're paid to make the playoffs. And, quite honestly, we're all paid quite handsomely to do that, and we didn't accomplish that. There's outside factors that come into that. But I'd be disappointed that if we got to next Oct. 14, and someone gets a concussion, and the guys say, 'Ok, this year's over.' That's not the mindset you need. Again, I'm not paraphrasing that's what David said. Injuries are part of the game. I did read his comments. I do understand where he's coming from. The fans have been very patient building with youth. But we're not a young team anymore. I think that's been very clear with everyone that I work with, coaches, players. We're not a young team anymore. That is gone. We want to make it very hard for young players to get on this team. Internally, we don't have to count on players without NHL experience to get us to an area that we want to get to. The players that are going to get us to where we want to get to are here now.

There's a lot of talk about top-six forwards, defensemen and goaltending. But what about the third- and fourth-line forwards. How can you build them up and make the team better?
That gets into the depth of your team, that NHL depth. I'd like to publicly say it, the person who took the greatest advantage of his opportunity was (Chris) Porter. He came in and he really stepped up. In his role, he was the most effective of the call-up players in my opinion. He was the one guy that came in and really said that he wants to position himself to be on the cups of being an everyday NHL player. (Ryan) Reaves came up and played well, too, but no one was more consistent at that than Porter. So I want to give that accolade to him. A lot of players are going to be coming back on two-way contracts. A lot of players are going to have to fight and earn that spot. If we have the depth and these players don't earn that right, then they have to start in Peoria. I'm excited about what Porter did, I'm excited about what Reaves did, I'm excited (Vladimir) Sobotka back again, (B.J.) Crombeen ... I think there's good depth there.

Do you expect Cam Janssen to be back next season?
I haven't met with any of the coaches yet on any of the players, not just the unrestricted guys. It'll be something that we digest. We'll probably make those decisions, not in May, but more into June.

Do you feel a need for his role, even if it's not him?
I think that Cam lent a comfort level to the players. But I think Ryan Reaves also lent a comfort level to the players. My vision of the NHL is that there's more and more light heavyweights on each team ... do you need a one-dimensional player? I'm not saying that Cam is a one-dimensional player, but do you need a guy with a singular element that outweighs all the others. Or is a team toughness attitude the way you want to go. That's an organizational decision that I want to sit with our coaching staff about, and quite honestly, I want to talk to our players. They're on the ice, they know what's going on on the ice. I'd like to get their input on the different styles that are needed to be a competitive team. They're the ones in the trenches, they know exactly what's going on. It would be foolish for me not to tap into the experience of our veteran players, like a (Alex) Steen, like a (Andy) McDonald, like a Backes ... to get their input on today's game.

Do you think Reaves is to the level that he can handle the job from Day 1?
I think he's going to come back, he's one of those players that's restricted. He's going to come back in, he's going to be given the opportunity in training camp to play some games without a safety net, without other guys in there. All indications are from when he played, he looked very comfortable with some pretty big guys in this league. He's a huge man, he's got great size, he can skate ... there's a lot of really intriguing things there for that player. Probably a lot like (Columbus') Jared Boll. That's the one that keeps popping into my mind. If he continues to grow, a player like that.

Based on what you know now, would David Perron be in the lineup next year?
No. Based on, he hasn't changed from Game 11. You have to pass the protocol of being able to go symptom-free for a time. That's when the clock starts on doing the test. He's not to that level yet. If the season was to start tomorrow, he would not be in it. He would not be playing. The reality is, time being an ally in David's situation, we're going to give this time. But if we get into mid-summer, and he's at the same position he is this summer, we have to hope for the best, but plan for him to not be part of our roster ... until he clears. That's just the nature of the beast. It's an ugly part of the business, where you care about the individual as a person, you want the best for them, but you can't leave roster spots on the hope and the wish and the maybe. His health will tell us how close he is, or how far he is. Then you have to respond to it. But we don't have to make that decision as an organization until July at the absolute earliest. Again, he could spike positively in the next two weeks, or he could spike negatively. I don't know enough about concussions, I don't know how he's going to feel.

You said Perron won't be ready for the 2011-12 opener the way he is "now." Some will take your answer to mean that he definitely won't be ready for the opener. Are you saying that?
Thanks for clarifying. When he got hurt, did I expect him to be back on January 1? Sure. Did I expect him to be back on February 1? Sure. Did I expect him to be back March 1? Sure. Do I expect him to be back? Sure, I expect him to. But all those dates are getting clicked off the calendar and that piece of paper getting thrown away and you get into the next month. I was trying to say, if training camp started tomorrow and we had one month, I wouldn't expect David to be on the ice. Now, that's not the case, so I'm not trying to be evasive, but I don't have a crystal ball. I don't know how he's going to feel. What we have to do now is get David healthy enough just to be able to train to play. With these concussions, we all know, he can't train yet. He doesn't have the ability to go for a six or eight mile run or ride the bike for an hour. He's still showing symptoms, keeping him inactive from physical exertion.

Perron has been tight-lipped about his symptoms, but one thing that has cropped up is his neck pain. Is he dealing with something in addition to concussion symptoms?
Not trying to be evasive, but I need to know the time, I don't need to know how the watch is built. Whether it's neck related, back related ... at the end of the day it's a concussion. And when the trainers tell me that those symptoms are gone, then he moves forward. I'm not one to try and dig in and find the studies to say, 'Ok, you should be doing this.' These doctors and trainers get paid to make those decisions.

If you don't have Perron, do you need another skilled forward, or are you happy with the skill level of this team?
I like the skill, I like our ability to score goals in different ways. I think we've seen that over the last 20 games, that we have the ability to score goals in different ways. Our power play can be a determining factor in a positive fashion for this team. There's enough skill there. Again, depth is an area that we might want to address ... you ask a coach, you'd always like more skill. I don't mind our skill level though. We have to learn, our skill players as well as everyone, has to learn how to defend and defend leads. We have to play much better in one-goal games. We have to shut games down. Talking to a couple of (general) managers, you have to gain points in 70 percent of the games. You have to find a way to grab a point. You can't let that game slip away. There's a couple of examples in my mind that we lost some points in the third periods of games. All of the sudden, that turns into a streak of four or five games without points. It's a difficult league when you need 97 points to get into the playoffs. You better be grabbing points on most nights, and to do that, you better learn how to defend a lead, and you better be comfortable playing in one-goal games.

How would you rate Davis Payne's performance?
I thought Davis got his eyes opened. I say that in a positive fashion. He came in last year in a difficult situation, but faced very little adversity from the time he took over, except taking over a new job and a new team. But the team responded, they played well, we went through the season, there was too big of a gap to close. But he wasn't dealing with a lot of injuries, wasn't dealing with player trades. He didn't have a lot to deal with, except just keep pushing that group forward. I think in his first full year, he had to deal with training camp at the NHL level. When you're dealing with minor-league players, you're dealing with, 'OK, how can I help you get to where you want to go to.' They need the coach as an ally as much as anything. At the NHL level, quite honestly, it's more business oriented. You're dealing with players that are arbitration-eligible, going to be unrestricted free agents. Those are things that as a minor-league coach, you're not dealing with as much of that. It's more of a, 'Hey, we're in this together, I've got to get you to where you want to go to.' Well now they're here. So he had to learn how to deal with that, and I thought he did a very good job. I thought it benefited him being from the AHL, an ever-changing roster and getting them to buy into a system. I thought he did a good job with that. I thought he did well given the circumstances that he had to deal with on different occasions. The one thing you like as a manager, not once did I hear it from him ... the grumbling about the players. The wrong players, we need, we need. The coaches' job is to coach the players that they're given. I thought Davis did a fabulous job of not playing the 'What if' card, or the 'We don't have enough card.' Every time I talked to him, it was 'We've got to win.' Sometimes you feel you're getting that in lip service, but I thought he coached like that, too. He coached with the expectation of needing to win. He coached giving the guys the opportunity to present a different spot in their game. All in all, I thought it was a great learning experience for Davis. Probably more than he needed, or wanted, but I think it's going to make him a better coach moving forward.

What can you tell us about Vladimir Tarasenko and the possibility of him playing with the Blues next season?
I'd like him here next week (laughing). For sure, we'd love to have him over here. Let me rephrase that, I'm glad he's not here next week because he's currently trying to make that Russian national team for the World Championships. I hope he makes that. That's an unbelievable experience for a young player. We obviously have players going over, and if he could gain that experience playing against some NHL player, it's only going to make him stronger. But with that being said, we'd love to get him signed, we'd love to get him over here. Is he NHL ready? He'll have to decide that in training camp. I'm not a big believer, like with Petro ... you don't count on them. You hope for the best, but you plan for them to be 20 year old players, 19 year old players.

I'm probably skewed more than the norm, in the respect for the league, in that it's a man's league. These guys are trying to earn a living. If you're an experienced player on the St. Louis Blues, you want the guy that can help you win, because that's how you make your living. They're not here to baby sit, they're not here to guide guys on, we're not maybe where we were three or four years ago, with a bunch of young guys. They want the future to be now, those players. So if Tarasenko gets here, he's going to be given the opportunity to prove that he's an NHL-caliber player. Now the reverse side of that is, sometimes when you're a better team, it's easier to bring a young player on because there's no expectation that we need you to move the needle the extra 10 percent or eight percent to make us a playoff team. I think the situation with Tarasenko is very good. Watching him play at the international level at the Worlds, I'm going to get a chance to see him play hopefully a couple of times over the next month or so, he looks as NHL ready as any of the players at the World Juniors. And some of those players are going to make the NHL next year, I guarantee it. Now he has to deal with the language, he has to deal with the culture, he has to deal with guys that want his job. I guarantee you the players we talked about earlier aren't going to say, 'I didn't know Vladi was coming here, send me to the minors.' That's not going to happen. He's going to have to come in here and do something he's never had to do in North America, fight for a spot, create a space for himself, create a comfort level for a coach to say, 'I need him on the team.' As much as we want, or hope, or wish, it's really irrelevant. It comes down to the athlete getting the job done out on the ice.

What's the outlook on the backup goaltending position, and is Ben Bishop a player who could be that guy?
That's going to be a good discussion moving forward. (Peoria) is entering the playoffs right now. Ben has an injury. I feel for Ben because he came up here and played very well, went down there and as you get into the most exciting time of the year, he sustained an injury, so Jake has got the ball right now, and he got that team into the playoffs. He's got the net right now. We're going to have to decide. I'm going to spend a lot of time with (Blues goaltending coach) Corey (Hirsch) to get the understanding of what he believes is necessary. If it's not Ben Bishop, then it's either going to be Ty Conklin or someone else. Could be Jake. Let's say Jake Allen gets in the net, and all of the sudden, they're celebrating a championship, you have to look at him maybe a bit differently than a week ago. I think there's competition at the American League level that's going to give us some answers, and there's also some real strong dialogue with Corey Hirsch and Davis Payne on where we want to go, what we want to be, how those guys can help us get there ... and also an understanding of what's available. But I want to preface that by (saying) Jaro is the guy. Jaro has to be the guy that we described earlier for us to have success.

If Allen led Peoria to the AHL championship, you'd give the Blues' backup job to a 20-year-old?
You never know.

A chat with head coach Davis Payne

By LOUIE KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Davis Payne just completed his first full season as the head coach of the Blues. After taking over for Andy Murray midway through the 2009-10 season, Payne is 61-48-15 in 124 career games after a 38-33-11 2010-11 campaign. Payne, 40, met with the media on Tuesday and answered questions about a variety of topics:

How good is this team at full strength?
We feel when we've got our guys in there at full capacity and full energy, we can play and that game is good enough. The challenge becomes how do you do it when you're not running on all full cylinders. That's the challenge. How do you put yourself in position time and time again to when less than 100 percent for any reason, you give yourself a chance to grab points; potentially an overtime or shootout extra point.

Some of those games that were close that didn't go our way that were kind of hump games to get ourselves into situations where we could create more momentum for ourselves or end a losing streak quicker, those are the ones we'd like to have back. There's a growth that has to go on there for all of us about how to control a game in the areas you can control regardless about your lineup or energy situation is. There are different ways to do that. We've got to do a better job (including) myself as a coach of recognizing how we get ourselves to that point.

You had to press a number of players into service at the NHL level that may not have otherwise been here had it not been for the injuries. How valuable was that experience for them?
I think the experience is extremely valuable. You don't ever like to lack the success or ever having to go through it, but there are benefits to going through it and that's exactly it. You get guys into situations against top players and there's a learning process that goes there and there's also an understanding process that, hey, their game, yeah it's got room to grow, but it's effective at this level and those roles.

What do you take away most out of your first full season?
The understanding of how to win without your 'A' game. I think that's the biggest message that we have to gain from this. There's points to be had our there during the course of a season when you do have injuries and you do have a schedule adding up upon you. The way you play versus how hard you play sometimes can really make a difference and I think that has been a part of our biggest recognition here in the last little bit and certainly is something we absolutely have to take forward.

Are you a 'what if' type of a coach when it comes to a season? Sort of like, 'What if you didn't have all those injuries?'
You can't go back and say that you can. You can't go back and say if ... those guys were hurt. Other teams had similar situations. We had a bulk of them at the same time, but that will be a part of how we address that situation going forward, how do we handle ourselves when those guys are out. How do we get through January, as opposed to being 2-8-2, how do we make sure we scratch and claw and get some of those points, get some of those close games, tie games, one-goal games into overtime, a shootout situation? That's the next step.

Were we a playoff team without injuries? It's a non-factor because we're not. That's the disappointing and bitter part of the season. That means we've got things to learn, we've got ways to learn and progress to be made.

Do you believe you are a better hockey club today than at the beginning of the season?
Yes, I do. We've got some players who understand what is it going to be like, how our team looks going forward, how we play, the type of responsibilities they are going to have. It's the Patrik Berglunds who are going to get top-line minutes, it's the Kevin Shattenkirks and Pietrangelos that contribute in high volume ... you can go up and down the lineup. The experiences that have been gained over this last stretch, it says Niki Nikitin's going to be a player going forward, Ian Cole's going to be a player going forward. I hate to stop when you get part of the way through the lineup, but the way we can play, the way we can attack, the way we can defend, I absolutely believe we are a better hockey club.

We feel progress has been made, we feel like we're right there. We're going to give (the fans) their just do.

Can you talk about if Perron comes back, that young group moving forward?
It's unfortunate for Perry obviously missing the entire season. There's a lot of lessons there for us as a team. With our young, skilled group and the names you're talking about ... the Perrons and the Oshies and the Berglunds, even a Chris Stewart, the years aren't necessarily behind him, more so in front of him. I think if you look at how you create offense, how you use your skill, I think there was a lot of learning curve that went on with our guys in that regard. It's not a 1 on 1 situation, it's not a 1 on 1 league. It's a create-a-mistake, take-advantage, how to create that mistake with a 2 on 1, how do you create that mistake with good puck support, good decisions. How do you make sure time and time again you put yourself in a position of strength because at times, your opponent's going to play it right. You have to take the right play that's made available to you. I think the learning that's gone on from Bergy, from T.J. and from Alex Steen to some point ... understanding how to create that situation, whether it's at the start of a game, middle of a game, end of a game, just make sure you get to that point so that your skills can take over.

I think it's been a very, very valuable year for us in that regard. Our guys understand and we've done a lot of talk about puck decisions and creating those advantages and what do they mean to us. How does momentum get created out of that situation, how do you stop momentum when the other team is pushing at you based on all your decisions? It goes to the young defensemen as well. How do we make the right play when we are under pressure? How do we reverse that momentum going back against us? When we know offense is created with possession of the puck, understand that it's also created with position of the puck on the ice. I think the learning lessons that went on for these guys to know that they can play in this league, they know they have the skills and abilities. Now, how do you function those abilities within the game? I think the experiences they've gained this year was a huge, huge volume and it's going to pay dividends big time.

Berglund specifically. ... Do you have any proof that he's turned that corner?
The proof's in every day. I think when you're talking about the progression of a player and the development of a player, the proof's in being around him every single day and you see here's a guy who's first at the rink for every situation. He's first in the gym. He's first for every meeting. It's a situation where he wasn't looking for immediate success. He wasn't looking for one quick solution to his game. He wasn't looking for one quick answer to be that dominant center or a dominant top-six player in the league. He stayed with it. He didn't have immediate feedback on how his success was going to look. He stayed disciplined, he stayed committed to it, and he's seeing the benefits of that. I think when you have the conversations with him, when he's able to understand just where he is now, I think he's more motivated now than he was at the end of last year just based on what he sees is possible. That to me is extremely exciting to look forward to, a big-bodied center who now understands how he can play in this league, how he can defend in this league, you no longer have to play him out of situations.

A year ago, there would be teams targeting his line trying to attack them offensively ... you don't see that anymore. That's a credit to him on both sides. Not just the production, but the attention to the detail, the attention to his own zone. He wants to be that player. He's motivated to be that player. When you're around him every day, you feel good about that going forward.

Was there an unrealistic expectation built on that 9-1-2 start?
I don't know if anyone finished at that pace. I don't know exactly what that winning percentage is. Was it realistic that you were going to carry (that pace) through 82 (games)? Probably not. It was a good start. It was what we needed to do to build that assurance as to how we were going to play and the way we were going to play was going to create success. There were some areas, especially in that ladder part of that winning streak that our goaltending was probably the better pieces inside our room. ... There's a portion of that record that is able to be carried forward, for sure. There's obviously some different things that could have gone on. If everybody's whole and in tact the entire year, I see no reason for that type of success, maybe not at quite that level, to continue. ... We felt as we finished, there's teams that are starting tomorrow that we could go head-to-head with and feel pretty good about it.

What were you the most unhappy with this team looking at the big picture?
It fluctuated. There were times where the special teams in that middle part of the year was an area where we really needed to be better. When we had that January, we had a lot of road games and the roster had changed. We needed to be better in special teams. Special teams fall on the coaches as well to make sure we've got the right plan. ... Those are things that needed to be better. ... If you look at games where we had a point sitting there in front us, whether it was a tied game in the third or we found our way back into a third period or a one-goal lead in the third period, those points that were left out there that ended as zeroes in our column was probably the bigger of the most disappointing situations.

What can Jaroslav Halak do, what can you do, what can (goaltending coach Corey) Hirsch do to make Halak more consistent?
I had a great conversation with Jaro (Monday) about his year, how he felt it went, where are the areas of concern that we would have, where are the areas of concern that he has and they match up. That's a great starting point with Hirschy and getting a chance to work with a new staff, a new voice and the give-and-take that goes on there.

It takes time. I think you look at a guy who's come in as a first-year guy, the first time as a No. 1 guy. There's a learning curve there, there's an understanding of how to get yourself back ready again, how to hit that reset button after, whether it's a bad goal, bad period, bad game ... and good period, good save, good game. The reset button still has to get hit. I think knowing that you're the No. 1 guy for the first time, there is a learning curve that goes on there. I think he recognizes that his recognition of the difference in play between Eastern Conference teams and Western Conference teams in going through the circuit here for the first time ... very, very accurate in what he saw and the adjustments that he needs to make. A lot of teams that apply traffic to him and his handling of that traffic at the top of the blue paint, his depth at those situations, recognizing what teams are trying to do ... there's a different element when you're trying to play Chicago. There's a different element when you're playing Detroit and how they attack, a different element when you play Vancouver and the other top teams out west.

There's a number of different areas that he's made clear recognition and we have as well. They match up. We feel that it's going to be a real important year for him as far as strength and conditioning goes because of the workload that he will face. Is he a 60-game guy, a 60-plus game guy? We have to monitor that. These are all questions that we'll get answered here as the summer goes along, but in order for him to hit that number or beyond, the body has to be ready for it, so this is a real important time for Jaro take care of that as well. I know he's excited about the World Championships and getting to work and making sure that he's prepared. He's excited about how it finished, he obviously liked how it started. He feels that there was more during the middle part of that year -- especially January -- where he could have been sharper. That's a statement you want your No. 1 guy making.

What can you say about David Backes, his year and the consistency from start to finish?
That's probably the biggest word to describe David's game: the consistency in all areas. He knew that he was a big part of it coming in. When guys came out of the lineup, he knew he was a big part of what stayed in there and how we were going to need to play. He took on that challenge. At times towards the end, the load got heavy for him. There's no question about that, but he stayed with his game, he tried to pull guys along, push guys along, take things over when he had the opportunity. His leadership continued to grow, the way he handled himself down the stretch was outstanding. The numbers speak for themselves, but most impressed in the fact that he does this against top defenders, he does this against other teams' top offensive players.

The frustration of a lack of team success is what sits most with him. That's what we want all our guys feeling. Whether a guy felt like he had a good year or not, we're shy of those 10 (playoff) points. We're shy of that opportunity to play his week. We ask guys to identify in their game whether the areas that they can gain percentage points that add to our team game. He's got a clear picture of where he feels he could get better, how he could contribute more, how he could be sharper, how he can improve his faceoffs. Those type of areas contribute to the team's success. This is his focus leaving town for the summer. That's exactly where we want the focus to be.

When do you expect to name a captain? Have you made a recommendation on it?
No, we haven't. Just got through all the player meetings. We'll sit down with Army, sit down with the coaches. The leadership thing is something that will be important going forward. We've got some guys ... Jacks (Barret Jackman) and David and Alex (Steen) who wore the assistant 'A's as the year went on after we traded Brew (Eric Brewer). It is an important function within our room, within all the areas being that guy that answers to you guys in good and bad, being that go-between coaches and the rest of his teammates. It is an important piece and it's going to take some thought on our part on who the right guy is, who the right guy going forward is. We've got lots of guys who are capable of doing that and we want to make sure that it's one that meshes with all those areas and all those concerns. As far as recommendations right now, we haven't said one guy (or) this is our guy. It's certainly a conversation that's going to take place.

Do you think if this defense comes back as it is now, it's good enough to succeed or do you need a veteran presence besides Jackman?
The makeup is something that is tough to comment on right now. We've got things that are in place right now that make us an effective team. Our job is to take those pieces as coaches and mold them into a functioning unit and be the best team that is a playoff team. I believe the guys that are in there now are capable of that. I know that Army is going to take a look at all avenues for improving the team and make those necessary adjustments. We're going to spend and obviously have time to spend on defining what our lineup looks like, what our depth looks like, how we feel these guys have gained the experiences as the year has gone on, that young d-core ... the Nikitins and the Coles, Shattenkirks, the way Carlo (Colaiacovo) has played towards the end, Jacks being in that mix, obviously Petro and Roman's year we're very pleased with. There's some great options in there. How those options end up looking is something that Doug is going to make decisions and we'll have conversations on what gives us our best chance to not only get in but win.