THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Brett Hull will enter the Hockey Hall of Fame next week. There are a lot of great names and great players in the long history of the St. Louis Blues. If you had to pick one person historically as the face of the franchise, would that person be Brett Hull?

JEFF GORDON
Brett Hull made the Blues a mainstream attraction during his days here. Scottrade is the House that Brett built. But I would consider Bernie Federko the face of the franchise. His brilliant play kept this franchise going forward through really dark times. Save for a cameo with the Red Wings, he spent his career with the Blues. He has remained heavily involved with the franchise in his retirement. He has old-school ties to the Plagers.

DERRICK GOOLD
I would like to say Al MacInnis, the gentleman from Port Hood with his exceptional play and understated presence, but the face of the Blues was, is and probably always should be Brett Hull. Grinning, of course. Not only is Hull the most charismatic player ever to where the Note, he changed what hockey means to St. Louis. I wish I could remember the exact number: Before Hull arrived there were less than five rinks in the greater St. Louis area. His goal-scoring binges and his panache inspired an exponential proliferation of rinks. Hockey was in because Hull was here. All around the area, you can still find rinks that Hull built. What that meant was hockey took hold in the area as more than just a spectator sport. Couple the increase in rinks with the Blues alumni who became coaches and managers of hockey teams, and suddenly St. Louis was on the map as a source for hockey talent. Starting a few years ago, St. Louis natives started going in the NHL draft. Blues’ Cam Janssen and Ben Bishop are both part products of the rink rage, and they are from an era of young St. Louis-native players that can be considered the Hull Generation. Heck, even Mr. Hockey Andy Strickland, I bet, is a chronic puckhead with an incurable case of mullet envy because of Hull. The Golden Brett didn’t just make watching the game popular with his flamboyant scoring. He made playing the game popular, and for that he’s the face of hockey in St. Louis, Blues and otherwise.

DAN O’NEILL
“Face of the Franchise” is a term that is a little hard to get your arms around. Certainly, there has been no one more dynamic or important to the franchise than Hull. He is the leading goal scorer (527) in Blues history, he is the most colorful/controversial player in Blues history and he is the person most responsible for the team building the Kiel Center (now Scotttrade). Two years before Hull came to the Blues, they were drawing 13,000-14,000. By the time he left, they were drawing 19,000. I have my personal favorites — Red Berenson, Brian Sutter, Mike Liut, Barclay Plager … but there is no question Brett Hull has been the most influential player in the team’s history.

DAVE LUECKING
It’s a tough call because the team has had some great players over the years — guys like Bernie Federko, Brian Sutter, the Plagers and Al MacInnis — but I’d go with Hull. He brought pizzazz to the franchise, creating a buzz in town only a few years after the team almost left for Saskatoon. His charisma on and off the ice put butts in the seats, at home and on the road.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
In a way this is a trick question. Is Brett Hull the greatest player to ever play for the Blues? In my opinion yes, but that doesn’t automatically make him the face of the organization. This organization has a lot of faces for me. No one is more recognizable than Bob Plager. Hall of Famer Bernie Federko played all but one of his prolific years here. Then you have guys like Kelly Chase, Brian Sutter, and Al MacInnis. John Davidson is certainly the current face but he’s closer to being the all-time face of the New York Rangers than he would as a Blue.

But what separates Hull from the rest is the impact he made on the sport of hockey in St. Louis. To this day no one has ever had the star power Brett created. He took over the city when he played here and made several of his teammates household names in the city. He was a one-man show unlike any player that’s ever skated for the Blues and made going to games an event. Just like no Cardinal will ever be bigger than Stan the Man, no Blues player can steal the spotlight from the Golden Brett.

Except maybe T.J. Oshie … he’s got a ways to go still.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Tough question but I’d have to say no, Hull is not the “historical” face of the franchise. He is certainly the most dynamic scorer and dominating presence the franchise has ever had, but to me the “face” of a franchise has to be more than a guy who lit the lamp a lot while wearing the Blue Note. Hull spent 10-plus seasons here — the best of his career no doubt — but he was also a big part of Stanley Cup winners in Dallas and Detroit, making his legacy a little tougher to read.

The real historical face of the St. Louis Blues franchise is Bernie Federko. He is a homegrown Hall of Famer, he spent 13 of 14 NHL seasons wearing the Blue Note before being traded for Adam Oates and he’s been an integral part of the franchise in the nearly 20 years he’s been retired. He was a great player and has become an ambassador for the team in his retirement. Hull was simply a great player.

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QUESTION: David Perron was seemingly all over the ice Wednesday night, from battling in the corners to popping the puck in the net. Long term, what kind of player do you see Perron becoming? Does he have the potential to be elite, will he simply be a nice, complimentary player or will his inconsistency ultimately lead to him being labeled an underachiever?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
I don’t know if Perron will be an elite scorer in the NHL, but in my view, he will be a very productive offensive player before it’s all said and done. Outside of Andy McDonald, Perron may be the Blues’ most skilled forward. The one thing McDonald has on him is experience.

Because he’s not established, Perron has played at times this season like he doesn’t want to make a mistake. Lately, playing on the defensive stopper line, he has looked much better, probably because he’s playing looser.

In the long run, Perron will be a top-six forward who will be equally gifted at scoring and passing. But he needs to use his teammates more and not be afraid to make a mistake.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I don’t think Perron is going to be an elite player. The “elite” tag is for guys like Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Zetterberg and others like that. Perron is not going to be that kind of player. That said, I think he can be a 30+ goal scorer someday and eventually reach the 70-80 point total. I wouldn’t be shocked, given his skill level and the fact that he’s still just 21, if he had a 40-goal season or two and a few All-Star appearances before it’s all said and done. He’ll be a Top 6 forward, a power play guy and he’ll provide plenty of highlight reel material because of his creativity. I just can’t go as far as to say he’ll be an elite player.

ROGER HENSLEY
I think Perron is insanely talented and has the highest upside of any player on this Blues squad. I also think Perron has been maddeningly inconsistent at times, which makes it difficult for me to figure out what kind of player he’ll actually end up becoming. Given, he’s only 21, so some inconsistency should be expected.

All that said, I think that Perron has the potential to ultimately be a 35- or 40-goal scorer perenially when he reaches his prime years … and given his professional start at an early age, that should come sooner rather than later and perhaps expand a few years longer than some. But the key word there is still “potential.”

This season I see Perron starting to do more things than he has in the past. I see the willingness to get his hands dirty in the corners. I see him (now that he put on almost 20 pounds in the offseason) looking for folks to hit on the ice. And I see a guy who seems to keep his head up more, which puts him more in the flow of the game with the rest of his teammates — which in turn opens up passing, both sending and receiving the puck.

But what ultimately makes Perron special are the things he can do when he has that puck on his stick. Full speed, body moving one direction while his stick and puck move the other … it’s a sight to behold when he’s on top of his game. For him to become that 35- to 40-goal scorer, Blues fans will need to see THAT David Perron more consistently on a nightly basis.

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QUESTION: Last season’s late playoff push got Blues fans excited in a major way for this season. Then there was the dramatic trip to Sweden that brought two victories over the Red Wings. Lost in the excitement is the underlying fact that the Blues are still young and relatively inexperienced. Do you think fan expecations for this team are too high right now?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
This is a tough call, but, yes, expectations are probably too high. You have to look at what those expectations are based on: a playoff appearance last year, the potential of young players like T.J Oshie, David Perron and Patrik Berglund, and the return of injured players like Paul Kariya and Erik Johnson. Although the Blues deserve a ton of credit for their second half, and they were in every playoff game against Vancouver, the postseason ended in a sweep. Moving on, no one can guarantee the youngsters will turn into the stars most think they will be. And meanwhile, Kariya and Johnson have some rust to knock off. The Blues should be a playoff team and those expectations are legitimate, but some folks have the incorrect impression that they should be a dominant club right out of the hop.

JEFF GORDON
With the return of Erik Johnson and Paul Kariya and the addition of Ty Conklin and Darryl Sydor, this team has an excellent talent base. I like this mix of young players and battle-tested veterans. This team has experience, leadership AND young legs. There are several helpful players at Peoria, too, which protects this team from major injury concerns. For a big chunk of Thursday’s game, we saw, again, what this team is capable of.

DAN O’NEILL
There is no question that fan expectation is too high right now. It’s simple mathematics. The fans expect the Blues to be a playoff team, maybe even one that goes deep into postseason play. In contrast, the Blues have won two of their first five games, a pace that definitely will not make the playoffs. So, you have a square peg and a round hole. But it is five games into the season, much too early to judge the Blues as underachievers. Players like Erik Johnson and Paul Kariya need time to find their game after missing an entire year. T.J. Oshie, Brad Boyes and David Backes are not rolling yet. Give it time.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
When you win expectations are increased. It’s a fact of life. There is no reason for Blues fans not to have placed heavy expectations on this club heading into the season. The Blues as an organization earned high expectations with their performance last season. It’s a new world for the Blues regime and this hockey team. No longer are the Blues able to rest on the idea that they are rebuilding. Keith Tkachuk told me prior to the season the team expects to contend. I’m not ready to categorize them as a Cup contender just yet, but if they were to fail to make the playoffs it would be a drastic step in the wrong direction. The Blues should be held to a high standard because they have good players and coaches they can win with. It’s perfectly acceptable for fans to expect this team to win a fair amount of hockey games. The days of the  Blues being just a feel-good story are in the rearview mirror.

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QUESTION: What a night Thursday was. Cards lose in the bottom of the ninth. Mizzou gives up 27 points in the fourth quarter and falls to Nebraska. Blues give up 1-0 lead to lose their home opener. In your time covering sports here in St. Louis, what has been the most devastating loss you’ve witnessed?

DAN O’NEILL
What happened Thursday night was bad, but not close to being the most disappointing for this scribe. There was the Cardinals losing Game 7 of the 1968 World Series to Detroit, with Bob Gibson on the mound and Curt Flood misplaying a ball in center field. Gibson losing Game 7 — unthinkable. …There was Missouri’s overtime loss to Nebraska in 1997 when the Cornhuskers caught a bogus tipped pass in the end zone to stay alive. … Missouri’s basketball loss to UCLA in the 1995 NCAA Tournament when Lollipop Guild member Tyus Edney went the length of the floor with six seconds remaining. … the Don Denkinger call in the 1985 World Series. … Adam Vinatieri’s 48-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Rams in the Feb. 2002 Super Bowl. … Neil O’Donoghue’s miss from 50 yards as time expired in Washington, denying the Football Cardinals a playoff spot in 1984. … all were more disappointing than Thursday.

JIM THOMAS
Well, that’s a lot of ground to cover. I was in Oklahoma that sunny day in 1986 for the Norman Conquest: Sooners 77, Missouri 0. LB Brian Bosworth — The Boz — eating a hot dog, standing near the stands in the second half. … I covered a succession of Missouri basketball losses to the likes of Northern Iowa and Rhode Island in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. … And I’ve seen the Rams lose in just about every manner conceivable. But I have to go with Super Bowl XXXVI, New England’s stunning Super Bowl triumph over St. Louis. The Rams, Mike Martz, the Greatest Show on Turf were never the same after that one.

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
For sure, the Rams’ 20-17 Super Bowl loss to New England in 2002 was the worst in recent memory. Watching the Rams tie the score and then seeing Tom Brady march the Patriots 53 yards on six completions for Adam Vinatieri’s game-winning field goal was tough. But I’m going to throw another heartbreaker into the mix for the hockey fans. … It happened on Dec. 6, 2006. With a sellout crowd in attendance at Scottrade Center, where a lavish pregame ceremony took place to retire Brett Hull’s No. 16, the Blues laid a complete egg in a 5-1 loss to the Red Wings. To me, that was rock bottom of the Blues’ freefall. I’ll never forget Hull doing an interview with a few us during the game, and he made a comment about it being a great night despite the debacle on the ice. A few days later, Blues coach Mike Kitchen was fired, and the Andy Murray era began.

BILL COATS
Game 7 loss to the Tigers in the 1968 World Series. Cardinals were up 3-1 in the series, then Curt Flood slips in center field, then Mickey Lolich shuts down the bats. That took a while to get over.

KATHLEEN NELSON
Game 7, 1985, the game after the Denkinger fiasco against KC. The Cardinals lost 11-0. For goodness sake, it was the seventh game of the World Series and the Cardinals totally flopped. Their inability to rebound for the biggest game of the year was far more disheartening than losing because of a blown call.

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QUESTION: The Blues kick off their season at 2 p.m. today against the Red Wings. Hockey in St. Louis finally has arrived again. Who or what most intrigues you about the 2009-10 St. Louis Blues?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
What intrigues me is whether the Blues will be able to stay healthy. Because if they stay healthy, they have a shot to be pretty good. Not only have the Blues suffered a number of injuries the past few seasons, but the injuries seem to happen to their best players. I realize that 20 guys aren’t going to play 82 games each. But the Blues can’t have a situation like last year when Paul Kariya played 11 games, Andy McDonald (46), T.J. Oshie (57), Eric Brewer (28) and D.J. King (1).

BERNIE MIKLASZ
I want to see how much Paul Kariya has left, and whether he’s still an elite offensive player. I want to see how quickly Erik Johnson emerges as the new Scott Stevens. I want to see if Chris Mason was for real. I want to see if David Perron can convert his enormous talent into 30 goals. I want to see if Alex Pietrangelo has the toughness to play in the NHL. I want to see how an ascending team handles the pressure of expectations. The Blues aren’t the scrappy little underdog anymore. They’ll be counted on to get to the playoffs and win a series and that’s a big change from the past few years.

JEFF GORDON
There are a lot of good stories on the Note, but T.J. Oshie is a real catalyst. He scores, he passes, he hits, he stirs it up. Had the Blues had him all last season, they wouldn’t have been half-dead at the holidays. A lot of national experts overlooking the Blues don’t know how good this kid can be.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
I’m most curious about the big picture. Can this team advance in the playoffs facing the likes of San Jose, Detroit, Vancouver, Chicago, etc. in the 1st round? That’s what I’m focusing on. I’d be shocked if this team isn’t in the playoffs but once there, what will they do? A lot of that, of course, will depend on what they do throughout the course of the season. If they’re reasonably healthy all season long they will be a dangerous team regardless of the opponent and if the young guys continue their rapid improvement they could make a run in the playoffs. None of that will be known, however, until the end of the regular season.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
Can they continue where they left off last spring? Having expectations to win hockey games is new territory for the St. Louis Blues. This will be really interesting to follow this season. No longer can the Blues rest on the idea that they’re in rebuilding mode. People around the NHL are expecting the Blues to not only reach the playoffs but believe they have potential to make a little noise once they arrive. John Davidson recently told me the goal this season is to have home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. In order for this to happen the Blues need consistency in their game from day one. Are the Blues, as an organization, prepared to handle the pressure to win? It’s fair to say they’re slightly ahead of schedule from where they expected to be when Dave Checketts and company took over in 2006. There will be more attention on this hockey club to begin the season than we’ve seen in years. Thanks to the dismal performances football fans are growing accustomed to watching on Sundays, more and more eyes are focused on Andy Murray and his team this fall.

Managing adversity is critical for any team in any year and there will be times when things don’t go in the Blues favor. How they respond when things get tough will tell us whether or not this club is prepared to take a step forward. The Blues have a real chance to even more solidify themselves once again in the sports community and there is little reason to believe they won’t take advantage.

I’m also very intrigued to see if this will, in fact, be Keith Tkachuk’s last season in the NHL. The guy can still score goals and if he snipes 20-25 I can easily see the Blues extending “Big Walt” for another year. Will he accept? It’s never easy to walk away.

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QUESTION: Fans seemingly are always debating who’s the Blues better brawler — D.J. King or Cam Janssen? What are the differences in style and impact these guys bring to the ice for the Blues?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
D.J. King and Cam Janssen are both enforcers, but they’re completely different on the ice. King (6-3, 228) is considered a bigger heavyweight in the NHL, while Janssen (6-0, 210) is seen as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the league. Both can put an opponent on the ice with one punch. King might be able to land the haymaker, which could come from the left or right side, but Janssen can deliver a series of blows that can accumulate quickly.

But when they’re not brawling, that’s when they are even more different as players. King is the better puck protector, holding it in the corner and keeping it away from the opponent. He’s not an offensive threat by any means, but he can handle his own. Janssen, while not as good with the puck, is better than King at sizing up opponents on the boards and delivering bone-crushing hits. That’s a very key part to Janssen’s game. As feared a fighter as King is, the Blues wish he were as physical during the play as Janssen.

But that’s what makes the game entertaining. Every player brings something different.

JEFF GORDON
King is a true heavyweight, capable of taking on the biggest and toughest enforcers in the NHL. Janssen can fight almost anybody, but he isn’t a Tony Twist-like deterrent. But he skates well enough to make big hits and agitate the other side. Janssen has more game-to-game value on the fourth line, stirring things up. And he can certainly handle himself. He embraces his role with some flair and helps fuel the Blues’ home-ice advantage.

DAN O’NEILL
D.J. King is 20 pounds heavier and three inches taller than Cam Janssen, so that presents some obvious differences. In most of his fights, King is the physical equal of his opponent, if not superior. Janssen is often fighting someone bigger. His fights are usually marathons, not sprints. And he often overwhelms the opponenent with the number of punches he throws. It would be interesting to see both guys fight a common opponent — and I’m thinking Kanye West might be a wonderful study subject.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
What these guys do is give the Blues a “nuclear deterrent,” a form of protection for the skill players. You could also say they provide a shot of adrenaline at times when the team appears to be dragging a bit. Cam and D.J. also understand that what they do needs to fit into the structure of the game on any given night. As for the difference in style, it’s as different as their off-ice personalities. D.J. is soft spoken, a bit reserved and when he fights he works calmly to set up one or two big blows. Cam is outgoing, energetic and fights like his hair is on fire. What they’re both working on is improving the other aspects of their games, per Andy Murray’s wishes, so that they’re more than just brawlers and can serve as important physical forces outside of their fights.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
The immediate difference one sees between D.J. King and Cam Janssen is the size. King stands about 6-3, 230 while Janssen weighs in much smaller at about 6-foot and about 205. King is also a true NHL heavyweight, Janssen is not. Janssen may not be a heavy but he’s proven he’s willing to go the heavies anytime. Their styles are pretty different on the ice. Janssen is one of the more effective pests in the league. He irritates the opposition by getting under the skin of opposing players and more often than not can have an impact on a game without dropping the gloves. Players around the league know King is extremely tough and can throw with anybody but he doesn’t play the same physical, aggressive style you see Janssen bring to the ice.

You can argue King is better with the puck than Janssen and is pretty good at controlling the puck along the wall, especially below the goal line in the offensive zone. The Blues would like to see King have more of a presence on the ice and play a more tenacious, in-your-face style. There are ways to play tough without dropping the gloves and King could throw his body around a little more than what we’ve seen in his short time in the NHL.

Opposing D-men know when Janssen is on the ice. He’s a tremendous north and south skater and uses his speed to deliver some serious bone-crushing hits nearly every time he touches the ice. King may be considered the better fighter but Jannsen undoubtedly plays tougher. Janssen plays an even bigger role on home ice with his ability to get the crowd into the game. He’s also one of the more popular players among his teammates and the fans. I wrote last year the Blues record when Janssen dresses is incredibly impressive.

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QUESTION: As the Blues get set to hit the ice this weekend for the start of training camp, are there any particular players you are eager to see in terms of maturation, added size/muscle, return from injury, etc?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
There are obvious players that everyone is eager to see in training camp. Erik Johnson and Paul Kariya fit in that category. Johnson, who has a toned up physique, will finally have a chance to show folks how special he is.

But I’ll go in a different direction today. I can’t wait to see T.J. Oshie and Patrik Berglund. Both are now aware of the rigors of the NHL and both had an entire offseason to use that knowledge in their training. Oshie and Berglund are capable of scoring 25 goals each, and that production could take the Blues to the next level.

I also think David Perron is geared up for a big year. He was one of the Blues’ best players in the playoffs, and after a great summer of training, he looks the part of an NHL player.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Having seen Erik Johnson, Patrik Berglund and a few others out at some of our summer Blues broadcasts (Chris Mason joins us tonight from 6-7 at the Sheraton across from Scottrade) I’ll go with two guys I haven’t seen yet. To me, the most intriguing guy entering camp is Paul Kariya. He says he hasn’t felt this good in years, he’s in a contract year and he’ll be surrounded by some outstanding talent. Should be interesting. I’m also interested in seeing if there is a noticeable difference in the look and performance of Alex Pietrangelo. A little added strength could be the difference between Petro being a part of the team rather than just a part of the future.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
For good reasons the obvious person to watch come training camp/preseason is Erik Johnson, just to see where his game is at after missing an entire year. Same can be said for Paul Kariya, who missed almost all of last season. Is Kariya still worthy of playing on the top line? Can he make others around him better? This season will determine whether his three-year, $18 million contract was money well spent or not.

Besides those guys I want to see if former 4th overall pick Alex Pietrangelo is ready to be a full time NHL D-man? The Blues will have a tough decision to make on whether or not to ship him back to the OHL if this kid doesn’t show the necessary improvement the club expects.

Others to watch are D-man Tyson Strachan, who has shown the ability to dominate the AHL. He may not be a big name but he’s a big body who’s tough and moves the puck well. And last but not least is rookie Aaron Palushaj who may be the Blues most skilled prospect they have in the organization who’s yet to play an NHL game. He still needs to add strength but he isn’t far away from playing in the show. How will he fare against the big Boys? Lars Eller is right there as well.

DAN O’NEILL
I am anxious to see Alex Pietrangelo, to see if he has matured some physically and see if he is ready to play in the NHL this season. The Blues have a definite need on the blue line and Pietrangelo could have a significant impact if he has progressed from last fall. And, of course, everyone is anxious to see Erik Johnson and whether he is ready to pick up where he left off late in his rookie season.

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QUESTION: The Blackhawks acted quickly and agressively when NHL free agency opened Wednesday, most notably inking Marian Hossa to a 12-year, $64 million deal. This comes on the heels of signing top free agent defenseman Brian Campbell last year. Already stacked with players like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp, have the Blackhawks now supplanted the Red Wings as the team to beat in the Central division?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
Chicago began that process even before the Marian Hossa signing. The Blackhawks were 2-2-2 against the Red Wings during the 2009-10 regular season, and even though the Wings beat the Hawks 4-games-to-1 in the Western Conference finals, two of Chicago’s losses came in overtime. Now Hossa and his 40 goals are moving to Chicago, and he’s bringing with him Tomas Kopecky, a nice young player. The Red Wings also are losing Mikael Samuelsson, who scored 19 goals last season

Chicago lost forward Martin Havlat, a big loss, and goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, who had a terrific season, in free agency; but if Hossa can play as well as he has, he should top the numbers of the injury-prone Havlat. And goaltender Cristobal Huet should benefit from being the definite No. 1 netminder in Chicago. If Huet can match what the aging Khabibulin did last year, the Blackhawks should be the team to beat in the Central Division next year.

TOM TIMMERMANN
Well, the last two seasons, Marian Hossa has been a good indicator of who will come in second place. I think it’s too soon to say the Hawks have passed the Wings. The Hawks have a lot of parts, but it remains to be seen if they all fit together. And as Sidney Crosby can tell you, there’s a lot of pressure that comes from the high expectations put on young superstars. I do think that Chicago is clearly the No. 2 team in the West, which makes the Central Division that much tougher for the Blues since they’ll have to play two very, very good teams a lot. Hossa hasn’t shown himself to be a savior the past two seasons — though this year the gap between the Wings and Penguins was pretty small — so I don’t know if he gets the Hawks over the Red Wings hump.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Not a chance. Detroit has won the division 8 straight years and losing Hossa isn’t going to change that much with the depth of talent they still have on that roster.

Besides, Hossa (40 goals, 31 assists, 71 points) is merely replacing Chicago’s 2008-2009 leading scorer Martin Havlat (29 goals, 48 assists, 77 points), who left for Minnesota in free agency. Hossa had 11 more goals than Havlat but had fewer points, though it should be pointed out that Hossa played in 7 fewer games than Havlat.

Oh and the Hawks lost goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, the guy that carried the load late in the season and in the playoffs. A team led by Cristobal Huet doesn’t exactly inspire me. The Blackhawks and Blues are getting closer to Detroit’s level but there is still ground to make up.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
In my opinion, the Chicago Blackhawks won’t supplant Detroit until they start beating the Wings in seven-game series, winning Western Conference Championships and, ultimately, the Stanley Cup. Last time I checked they have yet to do any of the three.

Obviously they have made some considerable strides over the past few seasons, they’ve spent money in free agency and have collected some impressive names, but with that being said, Detroit isn’t going anywhere in the short-term. Last time I checked Detroit just went to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals and are bringing back a loaded roster once again.

Chicago better find a goaltender or it really won’t matter who they have on their roster. Anybody believe Cristobal Huet is the answer in net? Martin Havlat was their best player in Chicago for much of the second half of the season and they replaced him with Hossa, who will receive nearly all of his salary in the first eight seasons of his 12-year deal. Chicago still has some important players to sign this season and moving into next year, and oh, by the way, the cap is expected to go down after this coming season.

I don’t get caught up in hype created by monster free agent signings, but I do recognize they are very, very talented and have a great coach. We have seen plenty of teams make a splash in free agency only to fizzle. Ask the Rangers or Philadelphia where that has gotten them?

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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: Is there a specific area of need you think the Blues should address in the weekend’s draft, or do they just take the best available player at No. 17 overall?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
The Blues have the No. 17 pick, but they believe they’ll get a player on their Top 10 list. That’s not an uncommon feeling heading into a draft. When the Blues drafted Patrik Berglund No. 25 overall in 2006, they felt they could get a player who was in their Top 15. They had to move up from No. 30 to do so, but they did it. Every team has a different list, so players you don’t expect to be available sometimes are.

The Blues don’t have a No. 1 (Erik Johnson) or a No. 4 (Alex Pietrangelo) draft selection like they’ve had in recent years, but they’ll get a good player at No. 17 . . . assuming they stand pat. Remember, T.J. Oshie went No. 24, Berglund went No. 25, David Perron went No. 26 in their respective drafts. Those three make up the youthful core of the team.

As far as this year’s draft, I believe the Blues will take the best player available, but they’re probably hoping its a forward. At some point, the Blues are going to trade one of their young forwards (not saying Perron, Berglund or Oshie, but somebody), and they’re going to have to keep the cupboard filled. So listen for names like RW Jordan Schroeder, C Scott Glennie or C Louis Leblanc at No. 17.

JEFF GORDON
They need to draft a forward. Which one . . . well, that is a toss-up, since nobody can predict how the draft will unfold after the first three picks. I’ve seen at least a half-dozen forward prospects linked to the Blues. Scorers, power forwards, skilled two-way centers — every description has been mentioned as possibilities for this team. Adding talent in any of these categories would be nice.

TOM TIMMERMANN
It’s unlikely they’ll get anyone who can make an immediate impact that far down, so I think it’s wrong to draft for immediate need. That being said, if there’s someone out there who has any kind of potential as a goalscorer, I say grab him. While Larry Pleau has told me one million times you can never have too many defensemen, if you can develop your own goalscorers, you save a bunch of cash and a lot of headaches on the free agency market. I say: Go for the offense.

DAN O’NEILL
Drafting at 17th, the Blues can’t approach things committed to filling a specific need. They have young forwards, they have young defensemen and they have young goaltenders. At the same time, they are a team that was eliminated in four games in the playoffs, so they can use help everywhere. I would be thinking forward, but I would be looking for the best player available.