These are interviews conducted with Blues players on Tuesday, as they cleaned out their lockers and headed for their offseason destinations.

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.”