After weeks of rumors about Shanahan, Davidson went on the record Thursday afternoon regarding the team’s pursuit of one of the most popular players in the club’s history.

“We’ve thrown our hat in the ring,” Davidson said. “When it comes down to it, Brendan has to make a decision that’s right for him and his family. It could be New York. But we hope he explores the Blues as a viable option.”

Here’s what we know:

* Shanahan is a sure-thing Hall of Famer who is in the twilight of his career. At age 39, he’s an unrestricted free agent who wants to play at least more season in the NHL, preferably in NY, where he’s been the last two seasons.

* The Rangers have roughly $1.5 million left under the NHL salary cap ($56.7 million) and probably can’t fit Shanahan in. There has been little dialogue between the two sides and the growing sentiment in the Big Apple is that the Rangers wouldn’t mind parting ways.

* Shanahan wants to end his career in NY for several reasons. He’s in the media capital of the world, and it’s been reported that he would like to get involved in media work after his career. He doesn’t want to  uproot his family, and in fact, he’s already enrolled his kids in a private school in NY for the upcoming school year.

* He has not ruled out the possibility of playing in St. Louis, even to those close to him, but it’s not a move that he’s dying to make.

* The Blues need help on the power play and they need more leaders in the dressing room. Although he scored just 23 goals in 73 games last season, Shanahan could help with the PP and he’s arguably one of the most respected leaders in the NHL today.

* Finally, we know that the Blues would love to generate a buzz about Shanahan returning. Individual ticket sales are going on sale soon, and his name (even as a possibility of coming here) might get some folks to buck up. I’ve been told by a few sources that Blues owners are more enthralled with the idea of signing Shanahan than some in the organization.

So, what do we make of all of this? Nothing for now, except that the Blues are going on the record as being interested. Could they afford it? The team’s payroll is currently around $50 million and they could get him signed for one year (maybe around $3 or $4 million) and stay under the salary cap.

To date, the Blues have not offered Shanahan a contract. They’ve simply had conversations with his agent, Rick Curran. Here’s what Shanahan said late Thursday night:

“I haven’t spoken directly with any other teams,” Shanahan told the New York Daily News. “But the ones that have contacted my agent have all been told the same thing: ‘My focus remains on working something out with New York. And we’re still talking with (Rangers general manager) Glen Sather.”

That’s why I wouldn’t bet on Shanahan coming here. No. 1, his heart is in New York.

From the Blues’ perspective, this would go against everything they’ve been preaching for the past two seasons. Davidson and Co. have continually said they’re going to give the kids (Oshie, Berglund, Perron, etc.) a chance to play. Adding Shanahan certainly wouldn’t be a detriment, but he doesn’t make the Blues a guaranteed playoff contender and meanwhile he takes away ice time from players who will be counted on in the rebuilding process.

That’s why New York has all but decided to let him walk. The Rangers have young players such as Petr Prucha who they want to see more from. They can’t push Shanahan into a third-line role because he’s too big of a presence for that. Do the Blues want to do that? No way.

Yes, Shanahan will put more fans in the seats. But after three years of missing the playoffs, the Blues must have higher priorities than sellouts. If they put a winner on the ice, they won’t have to worry about selling tickets.

The Blues may have a legitimate shot to land Shanahan, but at this point, in mid-August, it looks more like a team looking to make a splash that isn’t necessarily needed.

JR

“Dan and Amy met (four) years ago through a mutual friend,” Missy Christiansen, Hinote’s sister, told the Rocky Mountain News. “A year later, they saw each other a few times, in Las Vegas and also a weekend in Boston, to celebrate a friend’s birthday. From that weekend that was it . . . it was love.”

According to the RMN, the couple will tie the knot at the Keystone Ranch in front of 400 folks dressed in 1950s-era clothing. The list of attendees will include one of Hinote’s best friends, Peter Forsberg, along with John Michael-Liles and former Blue Shjon Podein.

The 31-year-old McCarthy, who was the “cyber girl of the month” for Playboy.com in January 2005, moved to St. Louis and has attended many Blues games the past two seasons. She is a personal trainer for obese children locally, volunteers at Children’s Hospital and also writes for a St. Louis magazine.

Older sister Jenny McCarthy, a fellow Playmate and the girlfriend of actor Jim Carrey, has attended at least one Blues game. Jenny might be the more popular of the two, but together they drew quite a bit of attention.

“Jenny used to get up at five in the morning to glue her bangs into a wave,” Amy McCarthy told FHM Magazine. ”Then she’d spend two hours putting on eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara. I grew up low-maintenance because I couldn’t get into the bathroom.”

Hinote, who won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001, has always been known as a ladies’ man. One of his former gal pals was a cheerleader for the Denver Broncos.

When a reporter asked Blues center Jay McClement last year if the young players on the team were “living the dream,” being a professional athlete and single, Hinote jumped in and said: “No, they’re not . . . believe me . . . they’re not.”

While Hinote can dish it out, he has also taken his fair share of shots from the Blues during his courtship with McCarthy. Typically after a morning skate, players bolt quickly from the arena and enjoy a few hours to themselves before they return for a game that night. Once last season, Hinote was hanging around and hanging around before he finally said, “Well, I guess I’ll head home.”

One Blues equipment staff member quipped: “Oh, you poor thing . . . going home to a Playmate model. We should all have those kinds of troubles.”

But it’s all in good fun with Hinote, one of the Blues’ more entertaining personalities.

“There are a lot of disappointed ladies out there now that the world’s most eligible bachelor is off the market,” Blues defenseman Erik Johnson, Hinote’s roommate on the road, said Friday.

So Dan Hinote is the world’s most eligible bachelor?

“Besides me of course,” Johnson quipped.

Perhaps someone will buy Hinote a new car as a wedding gift. He still drives around a beat-up Dodge Durango that looks like it’s never seen a water hose. In a feature on Stlblues.com, Amy McCarthy tells writer Chris Pinkert that not washing his truck is one of Hinote’s worst habits. “He says, ‘That’s what the rain is for,’” McCarthy said.

“ALLLL-RIGHTTTTTYYY then,” as Jim Carrey would say.

 Speaking of Carrey, will he be in attendance Saturday?

“I doubt it,” Hinote told the RMN. “That man’s busier than the president.”

Either way, it figures to be a night to remember. Congratulations to Dan and Amy!

JR

Q: What do you think about what you’ve seen?

JD: “Impressive. It’s interesting to see how much some of the kids have grown, whether it be height or body weight or muscle. It’s interesting to see the kids we have just drafted. Some of them I’ve never seen play before . . . the scouts do all of that work. Then there’s others that have changed from young shy kids to becoming pros and men. It’s an interesting dynamic, all of this stuff. And then you try to figure out, ‘Are any of these kids going to be able to play for the Blues this year? Or, are they two years away, three years away?’ I find it fascinating in that respect.”

Q: It’s still too early to make projections about what will happen in training camp, but from what you’ve seen from T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund, what are your thoughts about them?
JD: “They’re good players. You can sense that they’ve got something special, both of those guys . . . amongst others too. There’s been some guys that have been pretty good here . . . guys that you want to see the next step from . . . (Jonas) Junland looks like he’s taken the next step. He had a good year last year. Ian Cole, you can see him. You can see the skills of (Lars) Eller, David Perron. It’s been good in that respect to watch.”

Q: Assuming Oshie and Berglund make the team, what’s the difference between them and Perron and Johnson last year from an age standpoint? Oshie and Berglund are 21 and 20, compared to Johnson 19 and Perron 19 last year.

JD: “Oh yeah, Oshie’s had three years of college and he’s a year older. Berglund last year had a great experience year. I think with both of them, when they came last year to the development camp, and having Berglund here for part of the (main training camp) last year, it gives them a chance to see what it really takes. Nobody knows it until you experience it. I don’t care who you are, what country you’re from, what level you play. Until you experience being around the actual NHL pros, that’s when you figure out how good they are, how strong they are, how fast they are . . . then you compute in your mind what you need to get to. To see Berglund on his own come in here early and workout - his strength is way up - and he’s not the shy young many that’s never seen this before. His eyes aren’t the size of silver dollars any more. He’s more of an experienced pro walking in. And then with Oshie, he’s a ball of energy. It’s going to be fun to watch him play. If these kids can make this club, it’s going to be an important factor for our future.”

Q: T.J. said he’s a lot stronger than he was last year. Do you see that?

JD: “I see that with the size of his back, the width of his back. I see him when he battles for a loose puck. It all started last year when he saw what it takes. But he still has a ways to go, as does everybody.”

Q: Has anyone else caught your eye?

JD: “I like looking at the kids that we just drafted. The Nigro’s and the McRae’s and the Livingston’s. I certainly wish Pietrangelo was on the ice, but he’s not. It’s the first time that I’ve seen Eller skate really. Last year he was injured. To see his puck skills and his computer - his head, the way he thinks - it’s pretty darn good. (Ian) Schultz is another kid, a tough kid out of Calgary. You like to see the big kid (Anthony) Peluso . . . if he plays a mean game, with that body and as tough as he is, he’s big enough to burn diesel . . . if he has an edge to his game, he’s going to have a chance one day because he’s got the hands and he’s got hockey sense for a big man. You don’t see that too often. He’s got a gift there. But he’s got to play with an edge that’s going to be necessary to play in the NHL. There’s stories with every single guy out there and we’re only two days in.”

Q: Some of the prospects are jokingly hoping that David Perron slows down a little bit. Watching the camp, can you tell that Perron has played a year in the NHL?
JD: “You know that I can tell with David Perron. He wants it as bad as anybody in the NHL. He wants it bad. Now that he’s made the NHL, he wants to come back and prove that he can play at another level. The passion that that kid has is special. I was sitting upstairs with Doug Armstrong and Doug just turned to me and said, ‘Boy, the puck really follows that kid, doesn’t it?’ That’s true. Some kids have that gift . . . they’re always around the puck no matter what. David’s got a long way to go yet, but he’s making every concerted effort possible to go to the next level, and I have a lot of respect for that.”

Q: What have you seen in Nikolai Lemtyugov?

JD: “Skill and a willingness to try and play here. He very easily after a really good year in Peoria last year could have gone back to Russia. They’re looking for players like that, but he wants to play in the NHL. I think that you don’t teach skill, so we’ll see how this camp goes for him and we’ll see how the big camp goes for him and see where it goes. I’d love to see him go to another level . . . he’s got skill.”

Q: Do you worry that if you don’t give Lemtyugov a crack at the NHL soon, he might go back to Russia?

JD: “It’s always a possibility, but there’s not much we can do about that. They have options. The kid comes from another world, another country, and they have hockey over there and they’re paying well. But his dream is to play in the NHL. I respect that. He’s getting married in August, his wife is going to come over and she’s going to get into business here. She speaks very good English. We’ll see how it goes with Lemtyugov.”

Q: How close is Jonas Junland to competing for an NHL job?
JD: “I think he has definite NHL upside and puck skill. He needs to get stronger upper-body. If he is very diligent this summer, and takes Nelson Ayotte’s program, and comes to camp and plays like he has here, this kid has that ability to do it. But if he doesn’t work on his strength, especially upper-body, then it’s going to be hard. I think that he’s got natural skill and ability and he proved it last year playing in  Sweden, but he’s got to get stronger . . . otherwise it won’t work.”

Q: Are you guys counting on a lot from Steve Wagner?

JD: “Yeah, oh yeah. You know what we’re looking for . . . we need goals and goals don’t just come from the guy putting the puck in the net. It starts in your own zone, the transition plays. It starts with the ability to move the puck on the power play. He’s gotten a lot stronger. He got banged around a little bit last year and that’s another example of how a player learns. He got banged around a little bit. He’s learned that and he’s much stronger now. He’s physically stronger. He has the game; he just needs the physical strength to play here all year.”

Q: There’s a lot of well-deserved talk about Erik Johnson and even Alex Pietrangelo now . . . do you think Wagner is a guy who can fill that offensive role?

JD: “Oh, absolutely. He proved that at various points last year. He’s got what people look for, and that’s puck skill as a defenseman. Not just getting the puck and banging it off the glass, but making plays. He’s got that ability. He’s a good playmaker, he’s a good skater, and he’s gotten himself physically stronger. If he hadn’t gotten himself physically stronger, then I don’t know what the chances would have been. But he’s taken advantage of his offseason, especially after the leg injury and he’s now put himself into a category where he’s got a good chance to come in here and be a real contributor for us. He’s gone out and earned that because of what he’s done to himself.”

Q: What about a guy like Chris Porter?

JD: “He’s another kid, he’s going to push people. He’s really strong and he’s got a lot of wheels. He’s an energy guy, he knows his game . . . you can see the maturity of his body, too. We should have before-and-after pictures from a year ago to right now to see the change on these frames. A lot of times you draft players and you look at the body and you say, ‘Oh boy’ . . . like (Alex) Pietrangelo for instance is around 200 and he had problems with the mono. I just know down the road he’s going to weight 225 pounds because he’s got the frame. Porter’s a kid who’s got the frame and he went out and worked. He’s a strong kid. So he’s another kid that’s going to have a chance.”

Q: Ben Bishop is missing camp this week after having another knee surgery. Are you worried about him?

JD: “No. He probably could have played here, but why even take a chance. Something flared up, just a little piece of cartilage they had to snip off. Thankfully it wasn’t worse . . . you never know with those things. We decided, ‘Just hold him out.’ He’s such a tall guy and we want him to build muscle to protect his joints. He’ll be 100 percent by next week probably, but we didn’t want to take a chance.”

Q: Erik Johnson had postseason shoulder surgery. What’s his timetable?

JD: “He says he’s ready to go now. That’s what happens when you’re young. When you’re young, you can come back a little ahead of schedule. It’s not even an issue. He has no pain. I was watching Ray Barile working with him today. He looks like a horse. He hasn’t been cleared (for contact). He says he is, but we haven’t cleared him. He wanted to play in that celebrity game the other night . . . that’s all we needed was Tony Twist running him over.”

Q: Why isn’t Cade Fairchild at this camp?

JD: “Exams . . . he may be here later (Wednesday).”

Q: Is the overall talent base at the camp a lot better than it was a year ago?

JD: “You guys tell me. I think it is. When you have kids on the cusp of playing in the NHL and then you have kids that you know are going to play here. That’s been the idea of how we’ve gone about our business. The base of young talent . . . I don’t know . . . I think there’s a lot of it. We’ve worked hard accumulate draft picks, we’ve worked hard to find the free agents like Wagner. We’ve worked hard to develop these kids with their offseason programs to get physically stronger. And now we’re sitting here talking about names that are going to have a chance - if not this year, next year. It wasn’t too long ago there wasn’t that discussion. It was, ‘Let’s go find guys. Let’s go look at the waiver wire, let’s go find somebody to fill these spots.’  Now we’ve got some kids that have a legitimate chance of being really good hockey players. And from what we here from the outside, a lot of people think the Blues’ talent base of future stars is as good as anybody’s. We’re pretty proud of that. Jarmo and his staff have worked their tails off, and in the office, we’ve worked to try and find more draft choices than normal. Now we have to see if we’re right.”

JR

From my view here on media row, I can spot Mike McCarthy, JD, Al MacInnis, Andy Murray, Kevin McDonald and Jarmo Kekalainen, along with a few scouts. I spoke with JD for a few minutes about the Chris Mason trade and the team’s plans with the No. 4 pick.

On acquiring Mason for a fourth-round pick . . .

“We actually finished it late last night . . . late,” Davidson said. “We had a whole and now we don’t have a hole there. When you look at our situation with Manny, who’s a good goaltender, and then Toivonen playing in Finland and Bishop and Schwarz in Peoria, we had a hole, a real crater. We had to fill it and we filled it now.”

Prior to finalizing the Mason trade, the Blues dealt Jamal Mayers to Toronto for a third-round pick. So basically, the Blues traded Mayers for Mason and traded a fourth-round pick for a third-round pick, moving up 41 spots in the draft tonight.

“It’s sad to see Jamal go, he’s been a good person for us . . . not only with the team, but also in the community,” Davidson said. “But we had to fill a hole. And we didn’t want to take any chances July 1, primarily because people will disappear, particularly goaltenders. You don’t know what’s going to to be there. We had to do something so we did.”

Mason will cost the Blues quite a bit more than Mayers would have. Mason is signed for the next two seasons at $3 million annually. Mayers was also signed for the next two years at roughly $1.4 million per.

The Blues will actually pay Mason more than Manny Legace, who will be paid $2.4 million next season ($2.1 against the cap). With Mason making that kind of money, I asked JD if that changed the landscape of whom the Blues’ No. 1 goalie would be heading into training camp.

“I was a goaltender in this league and you always have competition,” Davidson said. “If you go play and play well, you’ll play. Manny’s a goaltender for the St. Louis Blues and Chris Mason is, too. We want them both to play well and they’ll both get a lot of playing time. I think it will help Manny. Knowing Manny’s workload last year and our one-goal games, it’s tough. This will give him a little bit of a reprieve. I know Manny has worked his tail off all summer. He’s really in good shape. He seems to be excited about next year. This is good for us and we have a better chance of winning now than we did yesterday.”

Davidson continued: “They’re our goaltenders, and if Manny plays as well as he has in the past, he’ll get lots of playing time. Chris is going to come in and help us and if they push each other, that’s wonderful. Internal competition, that’s a fact of life. I played for a long period of time, and there’s always other guys that want to play. There’s nothing wrong with a little motivation. We’ll worry about those issues when it comes up. If they both (play well), that’s a great situation. If Manny wants to further his career and play for a long time, we’ll get there.

“His contract is up at the end of the year. We respect Manny and we know his contractual situation. Manny’s got a chance to play a lot for the Blues. Let’s back it up. Manny’s played well for us . . . we’ve also provided an opportunity for Manny to play here. It’s been a good marriage and there’s a chance that marriage could go on for a long time. It’s just everybody has to do their job. We have a great deal of respect for Manny Legace. But now we don’t have to sweat it out until late in the summer.”

Mason got off to a bad start last season (like all the Predators), but Davidson said he’s not worried.

“I look at his overall body of work,” Davidson said. “I think there’s a lot of athletes in sports who can have an off year. It doesn’t mean that they’re not a good athlete in what they do. We know that he took his season seriously. He’s trained hard this summer. We checked with Paul Kariya on him, Andy Murray had him at Worlds. His character is exceptional, his work habits are exceptional. We think he’ll bounce back and play well.”

Will the Blues keep the No. 4 pick?

“It looks like it,” Davidson said. “There’s just too many good players there to get foolish and lose that opportunity.”

 JR

Oshie, who was the 24th overall pick in ‘05, will be forgoing his senior season at the University of North Dakota and will be in Blues’ training camp in September.

Oshie, 21, is in St. Louis today and will be available to the media on Wednesday morning. Stay tuned for more details.

 JR

A source said Friday that Quenneville, who coached the Blues from 1996-2004, could be hired to replace Paul Maurice in Toronto. Maurice was let go by the Maple Leafs earlier in the week.

Quennville was dispensed after three years in Colorado. Despite a multitude of injuries, the Avs finished in sixth place in the Western Conference this year and beat the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs. The Avs were then swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round.

Quenneville, who had one year left on his contract, was 131-92-23 in three seasons in Denver.

“After meeting with Joel, we mutually agreed that the best decision for both parties involved is to go separate ways,” Colorado VP & GM Francois Giguere said. “On behalf of the organization, I want to thank Joel for his years of service and wish him the best in his coaching career.”

The situation in Toronto is fairly sticky. Cliff Fletcher is running the show for the time being in Toronto and he’s in charge of hiring the management staff that will replace him. Rumors have been running wild that Anaheim’s Brian Burke will eventually become Toronto’s team president in 2009, when his contract expires with the Ducks.

This week, reports surfaced that the Maple Leafs have contacted Dave Nonis, who was  fired as the GM in Vancouver recently, asking him to come to Toronto as GM and be united with Burke in ‘09 when he arrives.

“If they do decide to bring me in, and tell me what they’re thinking, at that point there’s a decision to make,” Nonis told reporters on Thursday.

The Maple Leafs probably won’t hire a coach until they have something in place with Nonis, or another GM. But at this point, Quenneville is a possibility in Toronto, according to a source.

“There will be discussions, but you can be sure of one thing,” Fletcher told the Canadian Press. “The person coming in is going to be a strong hockey person and he’s going to have very definite opinions of his own.

“This is a start of a new era for the Maple Leafs. This is all part and parcel of that. The team missed the playoffs the last two years. A new regime is coming in place and I think when you bring in a new regime they bring their own people. It’s just common sense.”

JR

Paul Kariya

Q:  Do you have plans to beef up your offseason workouts, as Andy Murray told the media?

PK: “The main thing for myself is my strength and my power and when you’re 5-10, 180 pounds, you need to be strong out there. It’s a battle . . . it seems like every year, the guys are getting bigger and stronger. So it will be a lot of weight work and hopefully I can put on a few pounds . . . 5 or 10 pounds. I think that will be a help in the second half.”

Q: Has strength ever been a problem for you in your career?
PK: “Certainly when I came into the league, that was a big adjustment . . . going from college to the NHL. But it’s something where I’m not naturally 6-3 and 200 pounds, so that’s an aspect of the game that I always have to work on.”

Q: Do you feel like you got worn down this year?

PK: “No, but there’s definitely stretches where as an offensive player if you’re not scoring and you’re not creating anything, then you’re not feeling good about your contributions to the team. My job here is to help the team score goals and if you’re not doing that, you’re not proud of what you’re contributing.”

Q: Mentally, was this the most frustrating season you’ve had?

PK: “Well, it was up there, no question. Because we had such a successful start and everyone was speaking very highly about the Blues and about the organization and where we were headed . . . to go from the high to the low is very disappointing. It’s one thing if you’re not there from the start to the finish and know that you have a lot of work to do. But it’s another thing when you show that you can do it and the team is a playoff team.”

Q: Why couldn’t the Blues score goals this season?

PK: “If your team is 30th on the power play, you’re not going to score a lot of goals. In the league now, teams are so good, everyone is coached so well that 5 on 5 it’s tough. Especially through the second half of the season, it gets really tough to score 5 on 5. Your power play has to come through when maybe you don’t have your legs or you don’t have the jump that you normally have to score 5 on 5. With the talent in this dressing room, I think that’s probably been the biggest disappointment . . . because we definitely have the talents and the smarts and the ability to be at least top 15 power play, certainly not 30th.”

Q: Was the power-play structure too rigid? Could there have been more creativity?

PK: “I think that we definitely didn’t shoot the puck enough and we didn’t establish our shot. If you look at the top power plays in the league, they are all shot-based power plays. Then the plays, whatever you want to call them, the fancy plays, flow from there. But we just didn’t seem to get it clicking. Then at some point, I definitely think the confidence of the guys on the power play to get the job done was lacking. Anytime you don’t have success, it’s hard to keep your confidence going . . . that you’re going to be able to do it.”

Q: So what were the other problems on the power play . . . lack of defensive transition or not having the big shot from the point early in the season?

PK: “Again, you have to establish a shot, whether that’s from the point or from the halfwall. In years to come, you’re going to see a lot of goals from EJ back there and a lot of plays set up from his shot. But 30th overall, it’s unacceptable for the talent in this room.”

Q: John Davidson said that the Blues need another puck-moving defenseman to help the power play. Do you agree that you need another player like EJ to help get the puck in the offensive zone and set up?

PK: “Well, I think a guy like Steve Wagner is going to help us out, if he’s healthy. I was really impressed with him at the start of the season and where he can go. You’ve got to remember as a defenseman, and EJ was incredible the last half of the season . . . that’s the hardest position by far to come into the league in. In addition to be placed on the power play and quarterback it is really tough. So I think with those experiences, those guys are going to become really good. But it’s a tough, tough thing to come into the league and expect to quarterback a power play.”

Q: Were the Blues THAT good early in the season, or based on the secon half, were you guys overachieving at the time?

PK: “I think the record is what it is. If you put those kind of numbers up defensively, with Manny and having the top penalty-kill, the numbers don’t lie. They show what type of team we had. So I don’t think it was a question of overachieving. I think we underachieved in the second half.”

Q: One stat that sticks out is the number of one-goal losses. In the first 41 games, the Blues were 10-11 in one-goal games, and in the last 41, the team was 5-13 in one-goal games. What was the difference?

PK: “It was not getting that extra goal. As I said, a lot of times as the season goes on, it becomes tougher to score. Look at the league scoring . . . it’s not going up. It goes down. So it becomes tougher to score. So look at a team like Montreal. They’re the top-scoring team in the league . . . why? . . . because they have the best power play. Period!”

Q: Do you anticipate the team being better next year?

PK: “No question about it. We have such a young team here that the experience of going through an NHL season . . . guys like Erik Johnson and David Perron are just going to be better, they’re going to be stronger, they’re going to have an extra summer of working out. That’s going to help them a lot. Even guys like Lee Stempniak and David Backes, guys like that, are going to be helped out from this experience.”

Q: Andy Murray said he was going to be harder on the veterans next  year. Did you notice a difference between how he treated the vets and how he treated the kids?

PK: “I think every coach has his own way of getting things down. If Andy didn’t feel the way he handled this year was working, then he’s going to change it.”

Keith Tkachuk

Q: The team was made up of veterans and young players. Were you able to blend the locker room?

KT: “Yeah we were. I think the room is solid without a doubt. Eric Brewer has done a solid job about being captain, making sure everything is going smooth and on the same page.”

Q: All of the Blues players had their picture taken with you and the puck from you’re 500th goal. How cool was that?

KT: “It’s pretty cool. I think it will set in more in a couple of days when I really think about it. The whole reaction after I scored . . . when the whole team came off the bench, it meant a lot to me. It was a great feeling and I’ll always remember that.”

Q: Do you see yourself as a center or winger, or do you have a preference?

KT: “I think the games that I played better were on left wing. I like playing center, I do. I said this year that I was a centerman. Now, I’m leaning the other way. I don’t know what they’re going to do, so . . . wherever they tell me to play, I’ll play.”

Q: If the Blues are unable to bring in a free-agent forward, and T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund are the only additions, can the offense and power play get better?

KT: “Well, the power play can’t get any worse. It better be better because that’s the reason why we’re doing (media day) today instead of being in the playoffs. We didn’t have any goal-scoring. One guy, Boyzie.”

Q: But you really can’t expect Oshie and Berglund to come in and change the power play dramatically?

KT: “I don’t know. You’ve got to ask Andy Murray that. We’ve got to find ways to score with the man-advantage. The good teams, playoff teams, are pretty much at the top except Colorado.

Q: Was the power-play structure too rigid?

KT: “No, it has nothing to do with that. You can draw up plays and put your diagrams out. But it’s about working and having five guys out there taking what they give you and score goals. The power play just struggled and couldn’t find a way out of it.”

Barret Jackman

Q: What was the most frustrating part of the season?
BJ: “I think after having a great start, just slumping so much. After Christmas and on the big road trip, where we didn’t fare too well . . . there were a couple of places where we felt we played well enough to win, but just didn’t put the puck in the net. There’s a lot of things to be disappointed about.”

Q: What does this team need to do in the offseason?

BJ: “I think the goal-scoring is obviously an issue for us. There are some guys struggled putting the puck in the net. Hopefully next year everybody has a good year and we get back to the way the guys have been the last few years. As acquisitions go, that’s Larry and JD. Once the free-agent market comes up (July 1), they’ll assess the team and see who’s out there and see if there’s anybody worth bringing in.”

Q: Could you assess the defense overall?

BJ: “We didn’t get many points from the backend . . . we didn’t get many goals . . . maybe 15. “That’s not enough for a defense to chip in. Offensively, we were disappointed with those numbers. But defensive we played pretty well. There’s still some games you could look at and say, ‘If we did this, if we did that . . .’ we would have had a few more wins. But it’s one of those things where everybody didn’t play well enough because we’re not in the playoffs.”

Q: How did Erik Johnson look?

BJ: “I think good. As a 19 year old coming into the league, he was learning and had some growing pains. But the last half of the season, I thought he really picked up his game and felt a lot more comfortable and started doing the things that everybody knew he could do. It’s nice to see him do it at this level.”

Q: The team is going to be even younger next year with Oshie and Berglund.  How important is it to have leaders in place and doing their job?

BJ: “It’s going to be really big. All the leaders are going to have to step up next year and give a quick lesson to the rookies about what it’s going to take to win. It’s going to be a lot of hard work next year and some more growing pains, but hopefully we can be more consistent. And hopefully the younger guys can come in and big a good fit.”

Q: We were told that Eric Brewer played through a lot of pain with his shoulder injury. Did you know about it and could you tell?

BJ: “Yeah, for quite a while he was playing through pain. He never let it show, he went about his business and played hard every night. He was a true leader this year.”

Eric Brewer

Q: How bad was the injury?

EB: “It hasn’t been too bad. It’s just something (surgery) that needs to be done. We’ve got the time to do it.”

Q: Did the injury happen in the fight in Phoenix Oct. 4?

EB: “Yeah, I kind of jammed it and that didn’t help. But I was fine after (four games) off. It wasn’t just that. I mean, we play hockey, so . . .”

Q: Do you expect the surgery to keep you out for the early part of training camp in September?

EB: “I don’t . . . I don’t know until they fix it, though. We’ll see how it goes.”

Q: How much did you enjoy wearing the C?

EB: “It was awesome. I enjoyed it. It definitely opened my eyes a little bit to some things, but I think that was to be expected. It was a little different for sure. We filtered a few things through me, which I’ve enjoyed. It kind of gives you a different insight from everybody. But I must say I’ve enjoyed it.”

Q: Murray said that he plans to hold the veterans more accountable next year. What are your thoughts on that?

EB: “I think at the end of the day, if we would have scored a few more goals, it changes the outlook on things. . . . A lot of things change with a few games that would have come out differently. At the end of the day, you have to look at some of the guys that have been around, who are here to get the job done. When you don’t make the playoffs, that’s the way it works.”

David Perron

Q: Does it seem like the season flew by fast?

DP: “It’s just crazy. I remember my first day here and getting into the hotel for training camps . . . moving different places and ending up at Nelson’s (house). The year went by really fast. I’m glad that I was here the whole year and the coaches and players really helped me.”

Q: Have you ever had the chance to step back and say, ‘Wow, I played in the NHL this year?’

DP: “All year, reporters would ask me that question because my path was kind of different than many people. I just tried not to think about that and keep improving every day. The offseason is a big part. I hope the Blues know that I’ll train real hard this summer and that it’s an important summer for me. I’ll come back in really good shape next training camp.”

Q: Was it a grind? Did it get to a point where it was overwhelming?

DP: “Yeah, mentally it’s hard. You know what happened the whole year? Sometimes you get frustrated and you see what the fans might think, and you’re like, ‘They’re right!’ I want to play, I want to play. But in the end, it’s what the coach thinks and you’ve got to deal with it. When you’re on the ice, play your best and I think that’s what I did at the end of the year. It was a grind, but it was a fun year and I learned a lot.”

Q: Do you feel like you got on the same page with Andy?

DP: “It’s not that we were on the same page, it’s just that I had to learn and maybe he had to know me a little bit more. I’m glad that I had the chance to play more at the end of the season. One thing I learned is just let the thing happen and when you’re on the ice, play your best. That’s why I’m looking forward to next year. It’s not like I’ve played one year in the NHL and now I’m all set and I can play for 15 years now. I’ve got to work every year.”

Q: What do you want to do to your physique? Do you want to be bigger?

DP: “I don’t want to gain too much. I don’t want to gain 20 pounds or something. Ten or 15 would be good . . . lose some body fat. I’m around 10 right now, so it’s all right. I want to come here stronger and bigger, but not the expense of my skills. I want to work on my quicker shots, one timers and stuff like that. One thing for sure next year, I want to shoot the puck more. I had around 70 shots, which is not enough. When you play more, obviously you’re going to have more shots. But I know I’ve got to shoot more.”

Q: Obviously, you got so much more experience with the Blues than in junior hockey. Can you begin to explain the learning experience it was for you this season?
DP: “I’m glad I was here. Great teammates, great coaches, great organization. It’s been the best year of my life and I’m looking forward to next year.”

Q: Next year, the Blues are going to have more young guys. Will you be able to help Oshie and Berglund through the growing pains that you went through yourself?

DP: “Yeah, I will, for sure. They’re going to make their mistakes like I did and sometimes Erik did. It’s part of the game and that’s how they’re going to get better. Even if I would go tell them, ‘Do this, do that’ . . . sometimes you’ve got to learn on your own. I think for sure I’m going to be able to help them and they’re going to help me.”

 Jamal Mayers

 Q: How is your eye? (In the second-to-last game of the season at Nashville, Mayers got hit in the eye with a stick blade).

JM: “It’s one of those freak things. I think if I didn’t trip over my own feet, I would have been fine. But it’s kind of an unfortunate accident. Not being able to see for a few days was pretty tough. It’s coming along just as they expected . . . probably a little too slowly for me . . . but everything is fine with it.”

Q: How thrilled were you to be named to Team Canada’s roster for the upcoming World Championships?

JM: It’s an honor and I’m excited about the opportunity. It should be pretty special that it’s in Canada. I’m not sure the last time that’s happened. Obviously I’d rather be in the playoffs, but I guess I get a chance to keep playing.”

Of course, the Blues would rather be opening the first round of the NHL playoffs Wednesday, but they weren’t nearly good enough in the second half and therefore their season came to an end Sunday with a 4-1 win over Columbus.

The Blues finished with a record of 33-36-13 for 79 points, which was the fourth-fewest points in the NHL this season. That means the club will have a 10.7 percent chance of winning tonight’s lottery and thus picking No. 1 overall in June.

Here’s the breakdown of the 14 teams in the lottery and their chances of winning:

1. Tampa Bay Lightning (25%)
2. Los Angeles Kings (18.8%)
3. Atlanta Thrashers (14.2%)
4. St. Louis Blues (10.7%)

5.  New York Islanders (8.1%)
6. Columbus Blue Jackets (6.2%)
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (4.7%)
8. Phoenix Coyotes (3.6%)
9. Nashville Predators via Florida (2.7%)
10. Vancouver Canucks (2.1%)
11. Chicago Blackhawks (1.5%)
12. Anaheim Ducks via Edmonton (1.1%) 
13. Buffalo Sabres (0.8%)
14. Carolina Hurricanes (0.5%)

This is the way the draft lottery works: NHL officials will draw four numbers. The combination order of those four numbers drawn determines who wins the lottery.

For example, let’s hypothetically say the numbers 2-7-3-9 pop up tonight. NHL officials will look at their chart and see that that combination belongs to the Atlanta Thrashers. Therefore, Atlanta would climb from No. 3 to No. 1 and have the first pick in the draft.

The way the percentages work is that 25 percent of the combinations belong to Tampa Bay, 18. 8 percent to the LA Kings, 14.2 percent to Atlanta, 10.7 percent to the Blues and so on . . .

The most spots a team can move up in the draft lottery is four and the most any team can fall back is one spot. That means only the top five teams in the draft lottery have a shot of ascending to No. 1 tonight.

Let’s say that Carolina somehow wins with its 0.5 percent chance . . . the highest the Hurricanes can move up is No. 10. The top nine picks would stay in the same order, Carolina would go to No. 10 and teams 10-13 would fall back one spot.

That’s all it is . . . one combination of four numbers will determine the entire draft order for the first 14 teams.

So the Blues will be picking either No. 1 (if they win the lottery), No. 4 (if any team 1-3 or 9-14 wins the lottery) or No. 5 (if any team 5-8 wins the lottery).

The NHL has held this type of draft lottery system in seven of the last eight years. The only year it was different in 2005, when the league was coming out of the lockout. There were no standings from the previous season to base the lottery on , so the NHL devised a unique system in which every team had a shot at the No. 1 pick. Pittsburgh won it and selected Sidney Crosby in a no-brainer decision.

So throw out the 2005 draft lottery. In the other seven years, the team with the best odds of winning the lottery won just twice time: the Blues in 2006 and the Florida Panthers in 2002.

In those seven years . . . 

- The team with the 2nd-best odds has never won the lottery.

- The team with the 3rd-best odds has won two times.

- The team with the 4th-best odds has won once.

- The team with the 5th-best odds has won twice.

Here’s what happened in those years . . .

In 2007: Chicago moves up from No. 5 to No. 1 and selects Patrick Kane.

In 2006: The Blues win the lottery and retain the No. 1 pick, selecting Erik Johnson.

Other notable picks that year: Jordan Staal (No. 2), Jonathan Toews (No. 3), Nicklas Backstrom (No. 4), Peter Mueller (No. 8).

2005: Pittsburgh wins special lotto and takes Crosby.

Other notable picks that year: Jack Johnson (No. 3), Carey Price (No. 5), Anze Kopitar (No. 11).

2004: Washington moves from No. 3 to No. 1 and selects Alex Ovechkin No. 1.

Other notable picks that year: Evgeni Malkin (No. 2).

* That year, the team that got the short end of the stick was Chicago, which had the second-best odds of winning the draft (18.8%). Instead, Washington won and moved up from No. 3 to No. 1 and got Ovechkin. Pittsburgh, with the best odds of winning the draft (25%), fell to No. 2 and took Malkin. Chicago dropped to No. 3 and took defensemen Cam Barker. OUCH!

2003: Pittsburgh moves from No. 4 to No. 1 and selects goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Other notable picks that year: Eric Staal (No. 2), Thomas Vanek (No. 5) and Dion Phaneuf (No. 9)

*Perhaps moving up to No. 1 overall didn’t help the Penguins after all!

2002: Florida won the lottery and retained the No. 1 pick. However, the Panthers made a trade with Columbus, sending the No. 1 pick to the Blue Jackets, who took Rick Nash with the selection. Florida then took Jay Bouwmeester at No. 3 . . . OUCH!

2001: Atlanta moves from No. 3 to No. 1 and selects winger Ilya Kovalchuk.

Other notables that year: Jason Spezza (No. 2). This is another draft where moving up was huge. After Kovalchuk and Spezza were taken, Tampa Bay picked third and took Alexander Svitov. That’s who Atlanta would have been left with, but instead they got an All-Star in Kovalchuk.

2000: New York Islanders move from No. 5 to No. 1 and select Rick DiPietro.

Other notable picks that year: Dany Heatley (No. 2) and Marian Gaborik (No. 3). If you had to guess right now which one of the those players deserves a 15-year contract, who would it be?

So how will history write itself tonight? Tune in at 7.
JR