Hockey Guy was sad to hear that Blues ruffian D.J. King will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. King had become one of the better fighters in the league – making him fun to watch – and he seemed like a great guy.

This did leave the Blues short on beef. Since a handful of NHL teams still stress fighting, the John Davidson-Larry Pleau-Doug Armstrong braintrust wanted to get another enforcer in the house.

Hence the claim on David Koci of the Lightning. This dude goes 6-foot-6 and 238 pounds.

Lightning coach Barry Melrose told the St. Petersburg Times that he didn’t want to lose the big fella. Koci can maintain peace without dropping his gloves.

“That’s why the United States has a nuclear arsenal,” Melrose said. “It’s called a deterrent. Do you think (Minnesota’s Derek) Boogaard is in the lineup because he’s going to get 10 goals? I don’t think so.”

So why did the Lightning let Koci go? The team just claimed Matt Pettinger from the Canucks. Koci had played just once this season and took two bad penalties during his brief appearance.

“That’s a business decision,” Melrose said. “David Koci did everything we asked of him. Obviously, going out and getting those two penalties, I was forced to play him a little bit different than I hoped. I hope David Koci doesn’t get picked up. I want to keep him in the organization. We will have injuries and he will be a guy we get back. But that’s a business decision more than a hockey decision.”

Here is taste of what Blues fans might see:

AROUND THE RINKS: The Kings have entered the Marian Gaborik sweepstakes and word out of Minnesota has the Wild ready to move the star winger. Efforts to extend his contract have failed and the team doesn’t want to lose him as a free agent . . . Melrose banished Radim Vrbata to the press box for a game after the winger had zero points and zero hits in his first four games . . . Will Brian Burke moved to Toronto as general manager of the Maple Leafs? Perhaps. He expects to decide by December. His contract in Anaheim is up after his season and a generous extension is on the table. But Toronto is Toronto and his wife, a former broadcaster in Canada, could benefit from the move professionally . . . The Penguins, looking to regain their offensive edge, are playing Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby together on the first line. That allows Jordan Staal to center the second line.