THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Should the Blues have traded for Chris Pronger knowing that they were just a few days away from buying out Jay McKee?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
No. The price tag was simply too much for Pronger. The Ducks wanted a package of players and the names mentioned were Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie and David Backes. I would keep them and take my chances signing Pronger next season. The decision to buyout McKee came Monday, as the team tried to free up enough money to re-sign Mike Weaver and Brad Winchester, and a goalie in free agency.

DERRICK GOOLD
The bundle of players and picks Philadelphia had to pay to get Pronger borders on absurd, so even though a move for Pronger made so much sense for the Blues — especially with the release of McKee imminent — the p.r. and the performance just wasn’t worth that price. But buying out McKee leaves the Blues exposed to a bigger question. Now that they’ve alleviated some cap space on their payroll, how will they spend it? Will there be goals at the end of the stick they can now woo? Bring on the scoring forward. Because as swell as it would be for the Chattering Class to have Pronger back in front of the mics, ready for that red light to pop on, or back for another round of those screaming scrums in the hallway, the Blues don’t need a talker, even if he plays a mean blue line. They need scorer.

TOM TIMMERMANN
Every trade hinges on what the other team wants, and if the Ducks were looking for more than the Flyers gave up, that would be a pretty steep price. But even at a good price, the Blues might not “need” Pronger. (If he were free, then by all means …) They’re not replacing their No. 1 defenseman. They’re replacing their No. 5 or 6 defenseman. At that price, McKee was way overpaid. If you move Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson back into the equation, and maybe Alex Pietrangelo, pretty soon the words most associated with McKee would be “healthy scratch.” The Blues don’t need a high-priced defenseman. Pronger’s salary would also limit their ability to spend money on a goalscorer.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
When looking at the Chris Pronger situation, it’s important to understand one thing. Ducks GM Bob Murray was determined not to trade his largest asset, and one of the best defensemen in the world, to another Western Conference team. If you think the Flyers gave up a lot (which they did) just think what the Blues would have had to part with to acquire the greatest D-man in the history of the Blues organization. (Yes I said best D-man to ever play for the Blues.) I love how teams like Philly and the New York Rangers year after year chase the Stanley Cup only to get bounced early in the playoffs. The Blues are trying to build a Cup winner, not chase one. Do I wish the Blues were able to land Pronger? Absolutely. But it had be realistic in terms of what they needed to part with. The cap hit for the next two seasons for McKee is around $1.4, now they can go out and get another player for around $2.5 which adds up to the same $4 million number McKee would have cost if they had hung onto him.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
No, not at the price that was paid to get him. The Flyers gave up three first round picks (2010, 2011 and 2008 1st rounder Luca Sbisa) and a 25-year-old Joffrey Lupul, who has 102 career goals. All that plus a conditional 3rd-round pick is too much to pay for a guy who makes a lot of money and can be a free agent after the 2009-2010 season. Heck, if Pronger doesn’t like it in Philly (wouldn’t that be a shock given the nature of the sports scene there) the Blues can try to sign him next offseason without having to give up a player.

There are deals I would have made to get Pronger, like a player off the roster and the No. 17 pick, but not what Philly parted with. He would certainly make the Blues a lot better for this season and I’m all for trading kids for impact players heading into a year where you expect to make the playoffs, but you can’t mortgage too much of the future just yet.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Erik Johnson is getting close to receiving full clearance on his injured right knee and should return to the ice 100 percent very soon. In the brief time you’ve been able to see Johnson play, what impact do you think his return will have on the Blues next season, both offensively and defensively? And, do you believe Johnson will someday live up to his No. 1 overall draft status?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
Johnson’s return should have a significant impact on the Blues’ defense. He’s exactly what they were missing last season, a defenseman who could naturally move the puck and also tee off from the point. As a rookie in 2007-08, Johnson led the defense with 33 points and he was only getting better at the end of the season. The year off because of the knee injury was terrible, but Johnson said Tuesday that he’s used the time to build up his body. He played at 222 as a rookie, got up to 240 a few months ago and said he plans to be 227 by training camp. He never would have had that time without the injury. Johnson also said Tuesday that he’s VERY motivated by people saying the “lost” year will hurt his development. So he’s healthy and all of the ingredients are there for him to get back in the picture.

As far as living up to his No. 1 draft status, I’m of the belief that unless you’ve shown that you can’t be that type of player, then there’s still a chance he can live up to it. In the time he’s been on the ice, he’s not shown anything to make people think otherwise.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Erik Johnson will be a great player, a true cornerstone defenseman. He can do it all. He’s tough. He has excellent mobility for a big man. He’s an accurate passer. He’s smart and can read the ice. He has the kind of shot you want on the point from the power play. The knee inury was a setback, but he’ll benefit from the adversity. He used the time to build himself up and become bigger and stronger. The time away from the ice made him realize how much he loves hockey, so in that regard he’ll be even more devoted to the quest of maximizing his talent to have a sensational career. When I talked to Johnson the other day, I was just very impressed by his maturity level. He’s still a young man, but he really grew up during his time off. This will be a very hungry and determined hockey player when the Blues gather for training camp in several months.

TOM TIMMERMANN
I think it’s tough for any defenseman to live up to a No. 1 overall status. As a top pick you’re judged by the people you were chosen ahead of, which in Johnson’s case is Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews, Nicklas Backstrom and Phil Kessel. One of those guys may well help a team to a Stanley Cup before Johnson does. If you think of a No. 1 pick as being a franchise-changing, best guy in the league, well, the hockey cognoscenti may appreciate defensemen, but not Jacques Q. Public, which means it will be tough to live up to that status. In Johnson’s lifetime, one defensman has been an MVP, Chris Pronger. In my slightly longer lifetime, there have been two, Pronger and Bobby Orr.

But Johnson can be very, very good and his impact will be large because he bumps everyone down. What would he have meant this season? It means that in the series with the Canucks, the Blues wouldn’t have been playing Mike Weaver or Jay McKee. (Probably Weaver.) Erik Johnson would be out there for 20+ minutes a night. He would get time on the power play, which obviously killed the team in the playoffs. He would get time on the PK. They will score more goals. They will allow fewer. I wish he played this season to get the playoff experience that all the other kids did.

DAN O’NEILL
I don’t think we have seen enough of Johnson to be able to predict whether he will live up to his status as the No. 1 overall pick the draft. I think he showed enough in the second half of his initial season (2007-08) to suggest he will be a solid NHL defenseman, but whether he will be the second coming of Al MacInnis remains to be seen.

That said, he addresses exactly what the Blues need, a big defenseman with offensive transition skills and a hard shot. He certainly should help the power play. But I think a lot of people are assuming Johnson is going to pick up where he left off, I doubt that. I think he faces a significant transition period, just from a physical standpoint. On top of that, he still needs experience and time to develop. To be honest, it’s difficult to say exactly what people can expect to get from Johnson when he returns.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Assuming he stays healthy, Johnson will easily be the best offensive defensman on the Blues squad next season. Unless they make a trade for someone like, oh I don’t know, Chris Pronger. Johnson scored 33 points in 69 games in 2007-2008 despite the fact that he didn’t turn 20 until the end of March that season. That, by the way, led all Blues defensemen that year and would have led all Blues defensemen this past season too.

Once he’s back to 100 percent as a player, not just the health of his knee, he’ll be a major force as a guy who can move the puck two ways: passing it and skating with it. During our post-game shows late in Johnson’s rookie season Kelly Chase would marvel at how the kid just skated away from opposing forwards while bringing the puck out of the defensive zone and into the offensive zone.

Barring further injury there is no doubt in my mind that E.J. will live up to the hype and become an All-Star.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
The Blues getting a healthy Erik Johnson in the lineup will be huge. Most Blues fans have yet to see why this kid was chosen 1st overall back in 2006. We all know the Blues biggest weakness is on the back end and having a guy who can flat-out skate, shoot, and lug the puck up ice will do wonders for a team with lots of skill up front. Plus EJ is  the closest thing to Al Macinnis when it comes to possessing high-end vision in the offensive end. The Blues need a major upgrade when it comes to D-men who can make direct plays with the puck. Johnson will provide a lift especially in the offensive end.

Now with this being said, it would be foolish to assume he won’t be affected by missing an entire season after tearing his ACL. We can only assume he will rebound fine physically but losing a full year of maturation on the ice will take time to overcome.

In terms of him living up to his first overall status, this one is tough. In order to do this Johnson will have to prove he is the best player to be drafted in 2006. This won’t be easy considering Jonathan Toews, Jordan Staal, Nicklas Backstrom, Phil Kessel, Bryan Little, and Milan Lucic are each part of this terrific draft class. Johnson will be right there, but I just listed off some elite NHL players who should continue to be great for the next 10-15 years. It’s hard to say who will have the best career. We live in a Monday morning QB world so it’s easy to second guess, but people need to remember EJ was the consensus No. 1 pick heading into his draft year. As long as he stays determined and committed to being great, the Blues and their fans will be very happy with No. 6 for the next decade.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: The Blues are riding a five-game winning streak and currently sit in the eighth and final playoff spot. What do you think the keys to this late-season push have been?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
You can point to many stats, but in my mind, the Blues are in the eighth spot in the Western Conference today for two reasons:

No. 1 — Preparation: This is Andy Murray’s top trait, and he gets a lot of help from assistants Brad Shaw, Ray Bennett, Rick Wamsley and Scott Masters (video). The Blues go into each game like a high school student taking a test with a cheat sheet. Their detailed preparation gives them a better chance of executing with less talent.

No. 2 — Team chemistry: The Blues have had decent team chemistry the past few seasons, but nothing like this season. The players in the Blues’ locker room genuinely care for each other and each other’s success on the ice. The Blues are one unit taking the ice each night, not 20 talented individuals with varying agendas.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Obviously, it starts with Chris Mason in goal. The Blues have the NHL’s best winning percentage since Jan. 3 and it’s no coincidence that Mason is No. 1 in the league in save percentage during that time (.925). The Kid Line has been incredibly effective; the star power of T.J. Oshie, David Perron and Patrik Berglund is shining through, just as Blues’ management predicted.

But there are other important factors. Defenseman Jay McKee is a +14 since Jan. 3 and has really stepped up his play. The return of Andy McDonald and defenseman Roman Polak from injuries has been a big help. Defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo has sharpened the Blues’ passing out of their zone, and he’s been a positive presence at the point on the power play. And while Brad Boyes is a minus-20 for the season, he’s a +1 since Jan. 3. And Boyes’ timing is good; when he scores a goal the Blues are 9-2 since Jan. 9.

Let’s not forget center Jay McClement, who is playing the best hockey of his career. McClement is often on the ice against the other team’s top line, but since Jan. 3 he’s at even in the plus-minus, is winning more than 50 percent of his faceoffs, and has nine goals and four assists. McClement is probably the team’s most unsung contributor.

And kudos to coach Andy Murray for holding this team together during the blitz of injuries.

JEFF GORDON
No. 1: Goaltending. This has been the team’s Achilles heel for some time. Chris Mason has been awesome. It all starts there.

No. 2: The kids are producing. Patrik Berglund got his second wind. T.J. Oshie is crushing people. David Perron is scoring big goals. The future is bright, yes, but the kids are good right now. Their recent play has been remarkable.

No. 3: The makeshift has held up, against all odds. Mike Weaver is playing great. Jay McKee has made himself a plus. Barret Jackman is holding up against top lines. Roman Polak is showing great poise for a young player. Give all these guys credit for pulling it together.

DAN O’NEILL
The key to any success in hockey starts with, and most heavily depends upon, goaltending. Like pitching in baseball, like quarterbacking in football, goaltending is the cure for any problem, the problem in any cure.

Chris Mason has given up some soft goals of late (follow the bouncing puck), but he has continued to make numerous clutch saves and give the Blues a chance. While Mason plays well, the Blues have to be effective on the power play. Special teams are crucial. For that to happen, they need more frequent contributions from their veterans, i.e. Brad Boyes and Keith Tkachuk.

Last but not least, they need T.J. Oshie and David Perron to keep taking whatever vitamins they have been taking, and share them with the rest of their teammates. They have been terrific over the last couple of weeks.

TOM TIMMERMANN
Chris Mason. 4-0-0 in the past four, 1.72 GAA, .930 save percentage. You can point at some other things, but without Mason, the Blues are cooked. Goalie play is a fickle matter, but you’ve got to give the Blues management credit for farming Manny Legace out and riding Mason. Talk about making the right choice.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
The biggest key of all in the Blues’ 5-game winning streak is that every single player on the team is contributing. That’s a little broad in scope, so I’ll narrow it down a bit below, but it is absolutely true. Everyone is pulling their weight.

As Bernie Miklasz noted in his “5 Minutes for Blogging” entry today, the offensive re-emergence of the “Kid Line” has been a driving force in this late-season push. T.J. Oshie has been leading the way with dynamic offensive play, gritty corner work and an amazing physical presence (Paging Mr. Nash, Mr. Rick Nash. Please come pick up your pride at the customer service counter.) Patrik Berglund and David Perron have elevated their games right alongside Oshie and it’s been a thing of beauty to watch.

It should also be pointed out that goalie Chris Mason continues to play at an elite level. Even though he’s not getting any rest, Mason is still carrying the mail. In this 5-game winning streak he’s stopped 126 of 135 shots (.933 save percentage) and made some absolutely huge saves, including in the shootout against Columbus with the game on the line.

Finally, the defensemen need to be recognized for the consistency of their play. They’ve been rolling with the same 6-man unit for a while now and they’re doing a solid job night in and night out. It may be an unofficial St. Louis pastime to find some poor defenseman and nitpick his every move, but right now there isn’t much to complain about.

It’s great to see it all come together, isn’t it?

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, Team 1380)
There has been an absolute revival of Blues hockey in St. Louis and it has been pretty amazing to get an up-close and personal view of what has taken place. There are several keys that have allowed the Blues to skate their way back into contention.

First off, head coach Andy Murray doesn’t let these guys off the hook when they make a mistake. He holds them accountable and doesn’t allow them to become complacent or satisfied.

Since the turn of the New Year the Blues have been one of the top hockey clubs in the NHL. You can’t be a playoff team in this league without goaltending and quality special teams. The Blues rank in the top ten in both power play and penalty killing percentage. Thanks to the consistent play of goaltender Chris Mason, the Blues also have climbed all the way into the top ten in goals against average. It wasn’t too long ago the team was ranked 26th in the league in GAA.

The team is playing their system almost to a “T.” How good is this team playing defensively? The Blues have done an outstanding job of controlling their scoring chances against. They don’t give up many chances, which allows the team to be in virtually every game. How many odd-man rushes or breakaways do you see the Blues allowing from game to game? (The goal by Antoinne Vermette the other night for Columbus was a player showing incredible explosiveness and beating two guys to a loose puck.)

The Blues have the ability to counter and score better than we’ve seen in recent seasons. When they create a turnover or force a mistake they have skilled players who can make you pay offensively.

The Blues became a bigger team by adding guys like B.J. Crombeen and Brad Winchester and they use their size very well. Management deserves some credit here, as well, for pulling off a two-for-one trade in which they’ve added two professionals in Alex Steen and Carlo Colaiacovo. This move was a major turning point for the season.

The bottom line is this team was picked to finish last at the start of the year and have used the underdog role as motivation. Throughout the last 30 games the Blues and coaches have maintained a level headed approach which has their focus where it needs to be.

Did I mention Oshie, Perron, and Berglund?

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: With 23 games remaining, the St. Louis Blues are six points back in the hunt for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. What must the Blues focus on performance-wise during this stretch run that will give them a shot of claiming a playoff spot?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
Just being consistent. The Blues were competitive in both Nashville games, continuing to battle against a hot goaltender. For their effort, they earned three out of a possible four points and could have had four. But last week, they weren’t competitive for two periods against Columbus, and they got what they deserved. The Blues are going to lose a handful of games in the final 23, but if they want to have a chance at the playoffs, they have to be competitive in all 23. And that means making a play — whether it’s a scoring chance or a save — when it’s there. The Blues have had chances in several games recently, including Saturday’s game versus Nashville, to make one more play . . . and it would have made the difference. They need that one play.

TOM TIMMERMANN
The Blues need to come out fast, score early, take a lead and then win in regulation. Overtime games won’t cut it. Comeback wins or overtime wins may be great for drama and emotion, but the overtime games are of limited help when it comes to points. Some first period energy — and goals — are what they need.

DAN O’NEILL
Because there are so many teams ahead of them, because the teams involved play so many games with each other down the stretch, because someone is always picking up points, it will be very difficult for the Blues to move into a playoff spot. In terms of performance, the most important factor for the Blues is goaltending. Chris Mason has to be a difference-maker if the team is to have any chance of winning the number of games it will take to make the jump.

JEFF GORDON
I talked to Rick Wamslety today and he really liked what Chris Mason had done in goal the last two months. And the team’s five-on-five play is much better, too. Roman Polak’s return has solidified the D. Now the Blues just have to score more — as we saw Tuesday night.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, Team 1380)
It goes without saying the Blues won’t win hockey games if they fail to score like we witnessed the other night against Nashville. The recipe for winning hockey doesn’t change here in the final 20-plus games left on the schedule. They need solid goaltending every night, which for the most part they have received as of late, to go along with a commitment to the defensive zone. The Blues are not going to scare anybody offensively during 5-on-5 play. This puts an even greater emphasis on the power play, which can’t let them down as it did on Saturday. Last but not least, the mentality must change in the 4-on-4 overtime. The Blues, to me, play too passively in OT, which is not a winning formula. I would like to see more urgency to play the best players, those who give your team the best chance to score and ultimately win the hockey game. The fact that Patrik Berglund, David Perron, and Carlo Colaiacovo didn’t even enter the ice Saturday during OT is inexcusable to me. How Jay McKee goes from not being able to crack the lineup a few days earlier to playing in OT is certainly a head scratcher.

ROGER HENSLEY
Remember when then-Kansas City Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil told running back Larry Johnson it was time to “take off the diapers?” Remember how Johnson responded by becoming one of the league’s premier RBs? I think it’s about time for this Blues team to be told to take off the diapers. There are just too many ready-made excuses — from the team’s youth to injuries that still have a few key players off the ice. Instead of focusing on that, however, it’s time to focus on what they do have. There is a stable of thoroughbreds over there at the Scottrade, guys plenty capable of getting the job done, and they’ve shown that against some elite teams. This team has been entertaining and hard-working all season. But now it’s time to finish the job … and that means finishing games. The Blues need to reel off a couple of mini-streaks to build the confidence and momentum they seem to lack. My message to this team would come from the Stuart Smalley collection: “You’re good enough, you’re skilled enough and, doggone it, people like you.”

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MIDDAY NEWS AND THOUGHTS

THE WARNER MYSTERY: Arizona QB Kurt Warner completed the 2008 regular season ranked in the league’s top five in completion percentage, passing yards, TD passes and passer rating. He led the Cardinals to the only playoff success they’ve had in the desert, taking the team all the way to the Super Bowl. Warner, 37, says he wants to play for the Cardinals next season. The Cardinals say they want Warner back. So why is it Warner is without a contract just four days before free agency opens in the NFL? ESPN.com’s Mike Sando says it’s because it is hard to put a value on Warner. But you can see what a few scouts think Warner’s contract value should be in Sando’s story today.

I predict Warner will sign a contract with the Cardinals in the next four days for one season at about $10.5 to $11 million. But who knows, maybe Brenda is telling Kurt to hold out for more.

MACLIN MAKES HIS MARK: The Chicago Tribune’s Dan Pompei had this to say about Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin from the NFL combine: “While running routes and catching the ball, (Maclin) looked like the best player on the field—which he was supposed to be. He also showed his resiliency by not missing a drill after injuring his leg while trying to adjust to a poorly thrown ball.”

Pompei takes a look at the ups and downs from yesterday’s workouts in this article.

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SOMETHING TO PONDER

NO JOSHING AROUND: The remarkable story of Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton has been well-chronicled. He broke free of addictions to crack, cocaine and alcohol in 2005 and has resurrected his career in a MVP fashion. This year, he went a step further, dropping his habit of chewing tobacco. That’s not an easy thing to do in a major league clubhouse, where so many of your buddies still reach for a can of dip. But Hamilton is used to doing things that aren’t easy. If you don’t know much about Hamilton, this story in today’s Dallas Morning News is an excellent way to catch up.

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NUMBER OF THE DAY

$4.4 million — Total compensation for USC football coach Pete Carroll, making him the highest-paid private university employee in the United States for the 2006-07 fiscal year, according to a report today in the L.A. Times. Carroll’s Trojans have won two national titles, seven consecutive Pac 10 titles and have played in seven consecutive BCS bowl games.