If you sat behind an office cubicle Friday and wondered what happened on the first day of Blues’ training camp, I’ve got your answer: Nothing.

The Blues took part in conditioning drills and I caught some folks nodding off in the bleachers. Too bad they didn’t do the fastest-skater competition today . . . that was done a few weeks ago. The players began the drill on their belly on one goal line and, after rising to their feet, skated to the red line.

Here are the results:

1. Paul Kariya (4.4 seconds)

2. Andy McDonald

3. Erik Johnson

4. David Perron

5. Roman Polak

Nothing like that on Friday. The official opening day of camp was a dud, but it should be better Saturday when regular practice begins at the Mills. The first group will start at 8:45 a.m. (despite what other schedules may say) and the second group will go after that. 

The 50 players in camp have been divided into two teams . . . Blue and Gold.

Blue (22): Eric Brewer, Barret Jackman, Erik Johnson (injured), Keith Tkachuk, Paul Kariya, Andy McDonald, Lee Stempniak, Dan Hinote, Jay McClement, D.J. King, Brad Boyes, Yan Stastny, Jeff Woywitka, Manny Legace, Marek Schwarz, David Backes, Roman Polak, Steve Wagner, Cam Janssen, David Perron, Mark Cundari and Jay McKee.

Gold (28): Brad Winchester, Trent Whitfield, Andy Wozniewski, Ben Bishop, Chris Porter, Matt Foy, Charles Linglet, Steve Regier, Mike Weaver, Nicholas Drazenovich, Julian Talbot, Chris Mason, Alexander Hellstrom, Alex Pietrangelo, Jonus Junland, Jim Jackson, Eric Neilson, Patrik Berglund, Anthony Peluso, Jake Allen, T.J. Fast, Tyson Strachan, Tomas Kana, Cam Paddock, Nikolai Lemtyugov, Grant Potulny, T.J. Oshie and Ryan Reaves. 

Andy Murray said the teams are divided by the distinction of guys who played for the Blues last season and guys who didn’t (although I don’t understand Cunardi on the blue team).

Murray said that the Blues were having a team meeting Friday night, at which the coaches would separate the two squards and deliever this message: “The guys that are in the blue group didn’t get the job done last year. There is some opportunities there for guys that are sitting in the other group. We obviously respect the players that are here, but we have to make sure there’s a competitive element and there will be.”

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Here’s more highlights from Murray’s chat with reporters:

- On last season: “When I say we didn’t get the job done last year, we didn’t get into the playoffs. Did our organization improve? I think so. We gave a lot of young players an opportunity to play. We certainly made strides. We didn’t have the point total at the end of the year we would have wanted. Based on our first 41 games, things were looking pretty promising in terms of the playoffs, but we failed in the second half.”

- On fitness tests for the players: “The early indications are that are team is in great condition. A lot of our veterans have come back and led the fitness testing. That’s a great testament to their commitment this year.”

- On level of concern regarding Erik Johnson’s knee: “Well you know certainly Erik’s knee injury is a concern for everybody. We really don’t know the full extent of that and won’t until Tuesday. Erik is certainly a key component of this organization and it’s unfortunate that he’s injured and can’t participate now. We’ll get a clearer picture on Tuesday.”

- On how Johnson’s injury increases the competition for defensive jobs: “I think we were going to have competition for defensive spots no matter what the circumstances were. We don’t have a lot of defensemen on one-way contracts. We’ve got a lot of defensemen on two-way contracts. So financially there’s some flexibility there, too, if a young player steps in and shows us that he’s capable of playing in this league.”

- On having more offensive skill than last year: “Well, I think we’ve certainly added some skill with our young players, players that we drafted and some players we’ve acquired. We think our skill level will be up. As we said, a lot of that skill comes from our very young players . . . how are they going to fare once we put the clock on? It’s one thing to have a rookie tournament in Traverse City and it’s another thing to have intra-squad games and exhibition games. But come early October, when they turn the clock on for real at the Scottrade Center against Nashville, that’s when we have to see if these young guys can step up and get it done. We hope they can. If our young players do step up, our skill level will certainly be enhanced.”

- On grooming a player like Berglund slowly or baptizing him by fire: “I think they’ll be some indications given here in the training camp, as to how we’re going to do it. I know Patrik Berglund in the first exhibition game in Kansas City, we’ve got him slotted in the middle with Paul Kariya on the left side. That’s a pretty good left winger to have in your first exhibition game (of the year). It’s an indication of what we think of Patrik.”

- On having a preseason game Monday, after just three days of practice: “I think the fact that our players have worked so hard with our conditioning coach, on and off the ice . . . we’re going to do a lot of grinding drills in practice tomorrow. We’re going to do some competitive drills and we’re going to have an official intrasquad game on Sunday. So we’re getting our players back into game mode. We’ll use these couple of days to our advantage and I think they’ll be ready to play.”

- On the competition at goalie: “For me to stand here and say it’s an open competition for goaltender would be unfair to Manny Legace. He was an All-Star here. I’ve been here for a 1 1/2 years and the reason that we’ve had a winning record during that time is because Manny Legace has played very well for us. I’m not going to show a lack of respect for him by saying it’s an open competition. I will say that we know that we have two very capable NHL goaltenders. Chris Mason, I had him with Team Canada . . . I know what kind of goalie he is. When I first got here to St. Louis, it seems like we played Nashville four times in a row. Mason stood on his head against us every night. Manny knows what he’s capable of. We’re certainly going to have the ability to know that when we’ve got to give Manny a break, we’ve got more than a capable goaltender. Manny also knows that he’s got to keep his level high because Chris Mason is very capable of being a No. 1 goalie in this league. I like the competition.”

(Murray said that Legace would start the season opener Oct. 10 against Nashville and Mason will start the next night, Oct. 11, at the NY Islanders . . . As far as the goaltending schedule for the preseason, Mason will play the first half in KC Monday against LA and Marek Schwarz will play the second half . . . On Tuesday, Legace will play the first half against Dallas at home and Ben Bishop will play the second . . . 2008 draft pick Jake Allen will play the AHL game Tuesday afternoon against Dallas).

- On the culture change in the locker room with Jamal Mayers, Bryce Salvador and Ryan Johnson: “You’re talking about three solid citizens . . . what it does, I think, is puts more of an onus on our other veteran players . . . the Keith Tkachuks, the Barret Jackmans, the Eric Brewers, the Jay McKees, the Danny Hinotes, the Paul Kariyas. These guys have to step up and realize they’ve got to become even more significant as players and leaders in the room.”

- On Eric Brewer’s shoulder (which required offseason surgery): “Brew’s been cleared for contact. Strength-wise, he’s building up, but Eric Brewer as long as this weekend goes well will play Monday night.”

- On anybody sticking out at the NHL Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Mich., last week: “I think we expected Oshie and Berglund to be pretty good. I think how (Jonas) Junland played was probably . . . I can’t say a surprise because our European scouts said how well he was playing over there in the men’s league . . . but probably a bit of a surprise that he played well. He was in my opinion in that tournament our very best player. He was our best player. He’s a puck-moving defenseman. He jumped up in the play there. It’s real difficult for me . . . if I was in my first year as a coach and a guy played like that, I’d say, ‘This guy is great.’ But we’ve got to see him once we put the clock on for an NHL game. But he was good up there. A puck-moving guy . . . kind of what we need . . . a guy that can help us generate points.”

JR