Jeremy Rutherford: Sorry I'm late. I was finishing my Morning Skate blog that is now posted. Let's get rolling.

john: Since Toivenen looks like a bust, what are the Blue's options for next year? Any pending free agents? They can't count on Manny playing so well, or staying so healthy next year and there's not much down on the farm.

Jeremy Rutherford: It's interesting that this is the first question of the day because I just wrote a Morning Skate blog about Toivonen getting the start tonight in Ottawa.

Andy Murray says that the team wants to know what its got in Toivonen. He obviously showed some talent early in the season, but the second half has been disappointing for him to say the least.

With nine games left, Toivonen will get a few more chances to show what he's got. That will go a long way in determining whether the Blues go looking for a better option in the offseason. He needs to produce or the Blues will check out the market for a No. 2 goalie.

David D: JR, Thanks for taking my question which involves draft position. The NHL currently has a lottery for the number one overall which I thought was a somewhat complicated formula involving a team's finish in the current year as well as their finish in the previous one or two seasons. Can you explain the lottery process and what the odds might be for the Blues to end up number one overall to select Stamkos?
Cheers!!

Jeremy Rutherford: If I'm not mistaken, you are referring to the draft coming out of the lockout. The NHL came up with some stipulations on the draft because there wasn't a season on which to base the selection order.

Beginning with the 2006 draft, the 14 teams that don't make the playoffs are thrown into the lottery. Those 14 teams are ranked in order of points, and the teams with the five fewest points have a chance to earn the No. 1 pick. That's because a team is only allowed to jump four spots or fall back one.

So if you have the fifth-fewest points in the league, you can jump to No. 1. If you have the seventh-fewest points, the best you can do is jump to No. 3.

Another thing to note is that the fewer points you have the better percentage chance you have to win the No. 1 pick. For example, the Blues had the lowest point total in 2006 and had a 25 percent chance of winning the No. 1 pick, which they did and took Erik Johnson.

The Blues look like they will finish in the bottom five and therefore will have a chance at the No. 1, which will be Stamkos.

woodstown@excite.com: Hiya JR-

What's up with EJ not being able to anticipate where a puck's going? Twice in Montreal he completely misread simple dump-ins and Montreal got the puck and created some offense. Was this a fluke or is this one of those rookie things he needs to work on?

Also, is it just me or do the Blues coaches play to not lose, instead of play to win? It seems the grinders are eating a lot more ice than they should, particularly in light of the way the skill players have been picking it up lately. There were a couple of guys who could've threatened to put the puck in the net in OT last night that didn't even see a shift...

Thanks!

Marty

Jeremy Rutherford: I don't remmeber those particular plays involving Johnson. I would say for the most part, though, that his mistakes have been decreasing over the last two months. I don't doubt what you witnessed Tuesday, but I would say that for the most part, his miscues haven't been nearly as glaring as early in the year.

As far as playing not to lose, the Blues don't have the skill level of a lot of their opponents. Therefore, you see a lot of McClement-Johnson-Mayers against the other team's top line. That line did a good job of limiting the Kovalev line Tuesday in Montreal. The Blues are almost crossing their fingers that they'll get some offense, and then their main goal is to shutdown the other team's top players.

Marcus: I don't want to be too much of a Murray-basher, but David Perron got about 5.50 mins of ice-time in Montreal. Think that's fair? That's really giving him his chance to shine? It was the game of his dream, he said so himself. At this point in the season, when there's nothing to play for but pride, why not just give Perron his chance?

Jeremy Rutherford: I can see both sides in this debate. Perron's ice time was severely decreased in Montreal and part of that was because the Blues were killing off six penalties in a tight game. Perron does not play on the penalty kill.

With that said, he could have had some more ice time. The Blues wanted to have McClement-Johnson-Mayers against the Kovalev line. Every time Murray put Perron on the ice, Montreal countered with the Kovalev line.

There was also a line of thinking that if David Perron failed in that setting (being home in Montreal), he would have been crucified by Canadian media. That's where I disagree. If I were the coach, I would put my players in pressure situations. They'll either succeed or they'll learn from the experience.

Granted the Blues won in Boston with Manny Legace in net, but I might have started Hannu Toivonen against his old team back in December. The Blues didn't want to put Toivonen in that environment, and they didn't want to put Perron in that environement Tuesday.

Perron, though, did get time on the power play and took the Blues' first shootout attempt.

Nick: Hey JR,

Where do you see the Blues picking in this upcoming draft, and who do you think,if anyone, will be able to make a relatively sudden impact?

Jeremy Rutherford: The Blues are tied for the fourth-lowest point total in the league as we speak. That means that if the season finished today, they would be eligible to get the No. 1 pick. If they somehow pull that off through the lottery, they would take the forward, Stamkos.

After Stamkos, they have a few options. I've heard that there are about four players in this years draft who could play in the league next year. JD was with the Blues in Montreal Tuesday, but he will miss tonight's game in Ottawa because he's out watching a few of the top-five picks. I'll know more after he returns from his trip.

Rob (Arnold): Hello JR, I realize that Perron has had a poor team attitude & that is the main reason that he hasn't played much this year. Is his attitude still that bad that coach Murray insists on limiting his ice time?
I'm not in the locker room everyday so I dont have a good pulse on the team but why do they not rest Walt? The past month & half hes either been sick or hurt but he still seems to be playing , since the beginning of February, like he's either too tired or he just doesnt care about this season anymore. Why not rest him & give someone like Perron or someone else from peoria a shot?
Thank You.
P. S. Walt has been one of my favorite players for the past 7yrs. so I know that he's better than they way he has been playing since February.

Jeremy Rutherford:
I realize that Perron's attitude has been heavily discussed during these chats and on Blues Talk. But it's really hard for me to guage the David Perron attitude-meter every week. Let's put it this way: I don't think Perron's attitude has been an issue at all in recent weeks. Murray gave a few reasons for not playing Perron much on Tuesday (I mentioned them in a previous answer), and that's all I can go by.

They Blues aren't going to sit Tkachuk. I don't remember him being sick. He was sidelined for two games with a shoulder injury, but he came back against San Jose. The Blues have benched Rucinsky in favor of Perron, but they're not going to bench Tkachuk. He's a big part of this team and he'll be back next season. No reason to sit him.

Jeff Q: Thanks as always JR, we love the info and insight.

With all the draft talk around the Blues Talk and other Blogs/Message Boards, do you feel the Blues are best served getting Stamkos or picking lower and getting Doughty or Pierterangelo? What is the impression the front office is putting out? Does the front office project this years pick to contribute w/in 2 seasons as EJ has?

Is there any news on Woywitka, McClement, and Stastny contract discussion if there is any at all? Or is the all contract focus on RJ at the moment?

Jeremy Rutherford: Like every team in the NHL, the Blues would love to get their hands on Stamkos. Wow that would be a young team next year. Could you imagine a roster with EJ, David Perron, TJ Oshie, maybe Patrick Berglund and maybe Stamkos.

I would assume that with a top-five pick, the Blues believe whoever they get would be ready in a year or two. Look at that 2006 draft with EJ going No. 1. I believe that with Kyle Okposo making his debut last week, the first 10 picks from that draft are all now in the NHL. It's happening a lot quicker these days.

The Blues are continuing to negotiate with Ryan Johnson. As far as the other players, those talks are on hold for the time-being.

Mike K: JR-Thanks for taking my questions:
1-Can you ask the Blues management to comment on Bernie M's column from this morning? I think he pretty much asks what lot of Blues fans want to know.....if this is a youth movement, why arent the "youth" getting more ice time?
2-Blues will have one of the top 4 picks. What prospect is at the top of their list in your best estimation?

Jeremy Rutherford:
Whenever Bernie writes anything, people around the Blues are talking about it. I talked to a few people in the organization today who understand where the frustration comes from, but they believe they are doing the right thing with David Perron.

Buzz: JR,
Bernie wrote today that David Perron needs more ice time in order to improve and be ready for an important role next year. He noted that Erik Johnson has thrived now that he is playing 20+ minutes per game. But I was wondering what came first? Did Johnson get better because he got more ice time? Or did Johnson show Murray improved play, which gave Murray the confidence to play Johnson more? I want more minutes for Perron, too. I just don't want to encourage bad habits by playing a guy no matter how he performs. Your thoughts? Thanks.

Jeremy Rutherford: That's a very legitimate question. Is Erik Johnson progressing rapidly because he was brought along slowly? Or would Erik Johnson be a man-child today if he had played more early in the season? It's a question that I don't think many of us can answer. Likewise, I don't think many of us can prove that David Perron would be light years ahead of where he's at now if was playing 18 minutes a game. It's possible, but we don't know.

Dennis Pishock: What do you think our chances are of making the playoffs next season? With little budget to work with and this current roster, I have serious doubts. Legace's knee will be another year older and we've had ZERO INJURIES this year. We were very lucky and I really don't see that holding up again. Thanks!

Dennis

Jeremy Rutherford:
As we sit here in March, I don't see how the Blues are a playoff team next year. They may even take a step back, as the team will get younger with Oshie and possibly Berglund on the roster.

That's not the main concern though. The Blues have to fix the power play and score more 5-on-5 goals before they can even dream of being a playoff team. They also have to figure out how to play better on the road. The difference in their numbers - home and away - is alarming.

You make a good point that the Blues didn't have to deal with many injuries this season. That's something that could be more of a factor next year.

Spec: Any chance that the way standings are figured will change to a 3-pt system (3 for a regulation win, 2 for an OT win, and 1 for an OT loss) instead of the current system where some games are worth 2 points and some are worth 3?

Jeremy Rutherford: I don't see it changing. The change that most people would like to see is not being awarded a point for an overtime loss. It would make teams run and gun up and down the ice, looking for the win as opposed to being happy with the point. I suppose you would have to give teams a point for a shootout loss, though. Pretty tough to make it that far and not be rewarded somehow.

DJ Axeom: JR,

First off, thanks again for all you do for the Blues asylum. All us nutjobs in the rubber cyber-rooms appreciate it greatly.

Anyone who's ever played any organized sports knows that the fastest way to get better at that sport is to play with (and against) people who are better than you are. With this season being a lost cause, this is the perfect time to expose players like Perron to playing with the best players on our team and against the best players on the other teams AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

JD's touting the future, but Murray won't give this kid the ice time he needs to acclimate to the NHL, so I'm having a hard time believing that Oshie, Berglund, and Eller will even get a sniff of NHL ice time next season.

Even others in the media are beginning to question Murray. Andy Strickland, Randy Karraker, and Bernie Miklasz all called out Murray on the radio yesterday. Bernie even questioned why we should believe what JD's selling.

My question to you is, do you sense a rift beginning to grow between the coach and management? JD's credibility is on the line here, (you can't tout the kids and then not play them) so what's the vibe like when you talk to JD about player development? Do you think management is beginning to question whether Murray is the right man for the job? I realize that they will say they completely support him, but what are you feeling behind their words? Thanks for your time.

Jeremy Rutherford:
DJ, you left the Current Affairs forum long enough to ask a Blues question. I'm just giving you the business!

I can say this with 100 percent certainty: JD is on board with Murray's handling of David Perron. He has told me so. In fact, I'll go one step further and tell you that JD told Murray at least once this season to make Perron a healthy scratch. That's not to insiuate that JD makes the lineup decisions. Murray makes the lineup . . . however, JD throws his 2 cents in.

Now, this isn't to say that JD and others in management didn't want to see Erik Johnson, David Perron, etc., on the ice as much as possible this season. I could also say with certainty that there were nights when JD wanted Perron in the lineup when he was a healthy scratch. But that's part of the business. JD and Murray both have their own jobs, and JD always says that Murray is the coach.

InStl: I know I am using the high end of the spectrum with these names, but here goes. If you were GM for the upcoming draft, what type of player would you choose out of these choices? Or, if you have some insight into JD's thought process, who do you think he would like? This is using the hypothetical scenario that all three of these classes of players would be available for the Blues 1st round choice.
A) A playmaker who can feed the puck and get you 50 or more assists along with 20-25 goals like an Adam Oates.
B) A power forward who can clog the net but also has the hands to score like a Brendan Shanahan or Jarome Iginla.
C) An offensive defenseman, someone who can shoot the puck from the point without hitting shin pads 12 feet in front of him (Eric Brewer) such as an Al Mcinnis.

Jeremy Rutherford:
If you can find a 25-goal, 50-assist guy . . . call the Blues. With 180 goals this season, they could use all the help they can get. They don't need a power forward. They've got Keith Tkachuk and David Backes already.

Regarding a puck-moving defensemen, the Blues could use one definitely, but I don't think they can spend any more money on the blue-line. They need to put any money they have toward offensive help this offseason.

Jack Ingisher: Andy Strickland, who also writes about the blues, wrote an article about 'shutting Legace down awhile ago.

What are your thoughts on that. Is his knee going to need surgery? Don't we want to see what Toivonen can do? Toivonen had a few great months in Boston, what has happened?

Obviously B2B games will be split up as they always have been, but is there any indication on a goalie rotation to end the season?

On a side note have you seen this site? www.goaliepost.com They reference you morning skate usually.

Strickland's article is here http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=14060

Jeremy Rutherford:
Here's the deal with Legace: There's really not anything he can do to damage his knee structurally. He has some swelling, but he's been dealing with it all season. There is really no benefit of shutting him down, other than saving some fatigue. But the season is almost over and that doesn't really matter.

Legace told me a few weeks ago that he's not so sure about surgery, but I believe once the season is over, he will have it done. He didn't convince me that he didn't need it.

If you want to make a case for shutting down Legace, it would be to give Toivonen a longer look. And that's exactly what the Blues said they do tonight by giving Toivonen the start in Ottawa.

Mark: JR, you said last week that you think the Blues have already lost hope in Toivonen and that you don't see him returning as the backup next season. With that in mind, who do you see as the Blues' backup next season? Schwarz and Bishop are both not likely ready yet either. Would the Blues bid farewell to Hannu by simply non-tendering him, making him a UFA or do you think they could get something in a trade for him?

Jeremy Rutherford: The Blues will have to qualify Toivonen. He's young and he's still got potential. But that doesn't guarantee he'll be the backup. They could still trade him or let him improve his game in Peoria.

If the Blues decide that Toivonen is not the right guy to be the backup next year, they will have to go out and find somebody in free agency or through a trade. Marek Schwarz is likely not the answer and Ben Bishop will not be ready.

Cliff: Hi JR, Thanks for answering my question.

How is Steve Wagner's recovery coming, and where does he fit in the organization next year with the depth the Blues already have on D.

Thanks

Jeremy Rutherford: Last time I checked, Steve Wagner was still not skating, as he recovered from a broken leg. I believe he's due back soon, but there's not much time left in the season.

Wagner will be in training camp next September with the Blues and has a very good chance of sticking with the club, especially if he plays like he did at the start of the year.

Andrew Sampson: Hello Jeremy

Thank you for the super job you do covering The Blues.

Let's say for the heck of it, that this offseason a stud center is signed or drafted, and that Tim Oshie signs a pro contract. Choosing a name at random along with these two, I'll go with Julian Talbot. If all three of these players head to training camp in September with realistic shots at making the club, who would they replace?

Jeremy Rutherford:

Oshie will sign with the Blues and they will find a spot on one of the top lines for him. Talbot will have a shot in camp, but at this point, I don't know enough about his chances. They did sign him re-sign him recently, but I don't think he's been impressive enough that the team is penciling him into the lineup next year. As far as the STUD center, I think that may be a pipe dream, therefore this hypothetical situation is hard to address.

The Blues only lose Martin Rucinsky's contract this offseason, so there is not a whole lot of wiggle room.

Mark: JR, in your article this morning you quoted Murray in reference to Oshie and Berglund as saying "...we hope to see them play at the end of the year in Peoria."

Do you think the Blues truly think this is likely for either player or are they just "hoping"? Oshie's team will still be playing for quite a while and Berglund's VIK team will be playing until at least April 10. Even if they wanted to, could they join the Rivermen after the AHL playoffs have started (assuming Peoria even makes the playoffs which is far from a sure thing)?

Jeremy Rutherford: That's a good observation. I think Murray was hoping there. As you mention, Oshie will be playing for a while with North Dakota, and with the playoffs looking like a longshot for Peoria, he may not have the opportunity to play at all there.

I don't see Berglund coming over at all, so I think the quote this morning was Murray imploring those guys to take advantage of Peoria if the option is available to them.

Chris: JR,

Do you agreement with this assessment of the Checketts/JD/Pleau era thus far?

Best trade: Dennis Wideman for Brad Boyes
Worst trade: Bryce Salvador for Janssen
Best signing: Manny Legace
Worst siging: Jay Mckee (has done absolutely nothing since coming to STL)
Worst resigning: Jackman/Brewer (this could be a tie because neither one plays like they're worth $4 million a year).

Thanks,
Chris

Jeremy Rutherford: They have only made a few trades, so yes with Boyes' production, that's got to be the best overall deal. Although for those not paying attention to Boston, take a look at what Wideman's been doing there. But yeah, for a team lacking goals, Boyes' 38 this season has been HUGE.

The Salvador-Janssen trade is still a tough one to figure out for the simple fact that Janssen isn't cracking the lineup. Let's see what happens. If Salvador re-signs here, then may we'll look at the trade differently. If Janssen gets a chance to show his stuff, maybe we'll look at it differently. For now, though, that has be one trade that few have understood.

Manny Legace is easily the best signing.

We don't need to go over the particulars of the McKee signing. Everyone knows the Blues overpaid because they had to. If you want to criticize the Jackman and Brewer re-signings, that's your prerogative. I'm not saying they're worth $4 million, but that's what the market is dictating.

Blues Fan: Can you please discuss some of the potential free agents available this off season that may be of interest for the Blues. Thanks.

Jeremy Rutherford: How about I just give you the list of the unrestricted free agents around the NHL:

anaheim
ufa: jean-sebastien aubin, joe callahan, joe dipenta, mike hoffman, dan lacouture, jay leach, mark mowers, geoff peters, teemu selanne

atlanta
ufa: milan bartovic, eric boulton, fred brathwaite, kevin doell, darren haydar, johan hedberg, bobby holik, jason krog, joel kwiatkowski, steve mccarthy, karel pilar, mark popovic, steve rucchin, jesse schultz

boston
ufa: bobby allen, sean curry, nate dicasmirro, jeff hoggan, glen metropolit, jordan sigalet, brett skinner, aaron ward

buffalo
ufa: dmitri kalinin, teppo numminen, nolan pratt, michael ryan, jocelyn thibault

calgary
ufa: craig conroy, eric godard, david hale, kristian huselius, brent krahn, daymond langkow, curtis mcelhinney, owen nolan, eric nystrom, mark smith, stephane yelle

carolina
ufa: keith aucoin, ryan bayda, wade brookbank, tim conboy, trevor gillies, david gove, john grahame, bret hedican, michael leighton, trevor letowski, joey mormina, sergei samsonov, glen wesley

chicago
ufa: kevyn adams, mike brodeur, jim fahey, wade flaherty, david koci, patrick lalime, yanic perreault, prestin ryan, jim vandermeer, jason williams, andrei zyuzin

colorado
ufa: andrew brunette, jeff finger, adam foote, eric healey, jaroslav hlinka, matt hussey, jeff jillson, john-michael liles, scott parker, dale purinton, mark rycroft, joe sakic, kurt sauer, wyatt smith, jose theodore

columbus
ufa: kris beech, ron hainsey, jan hejda, zenon konopka, derek mackenzie, michael peca, jody shelley, dan smith, dick tarnstrom, david vyborny

dallas
ufa: stu barnes, nolan baumgartner, trevor byrne, todd fedoruk, niklas hagman, johan holmqvist, junior lessard, antti miettinen, mattias norstrom, toby peterson, mike ribeiro, brad winchester

detroit
ufa: adam berkhoel, chris chelios, daniel cleary, carl corazzini, mark cullen, aaron downey, dallas drake, brad ference, mark hartigan, dominik hasek, nicklas lidstrom, andreas lilja, garrett stafford

edmonton
ufa: curtis glencross, marty reasoner, allan rourke, geoff sanderson

florida
ufa: wade belak, jassen cullimore, magnus johansson, branislav mezei, steve montador

los angeles
ufa: rob blake, brendan buckley, kevin dallman, jeff giuliano, raitis ivanans, jon klemm, jaroslav modry, ladislav nagy, richard petiot, brad stuart, scott thornton, brian willsie

minnesota
ufa: keith carney, pavol demitra, sean hill, steve kelly, andre lakos, dominic moore, petteri nummelin, serge payer, branko radivojevic, erik reitz, brian rolston, chris simon, aaron voros, joel ward

montreal
ufa: andrew archer, mathieu biron, patrice brisebois, jean-philippe cote, yann danis, brett engelhardt, jonathan ferland, duncan milroy, michael ryder, bryan smolinski, mark streit

nashville
ufa: david legwand, martin gelinas, darcy hordichuk, dan ellis, josh langfeld, alex henry, shane willis, nolan yonkman

new jersey
ufa: arron asham, sheldon brookbank, noah clarke, frank doyle, jean-luc grand-pierre, grant marshall, richard matvichuk, ian moran, mike mottau, jay pandolfo, karel rachunek, jason ryznar, barry tallackson, jari viuhkola

ny islanders
ufa: bryan berard, kip brennan, rob davison, wade dubielewicz, ruslan fedotenko, freddy meyer, michael morrison, miroslav satan, josef vasicek

ny rangers
ufa: sean avery, mitchell fritz, andrew hutchinson, darius kasparaitis, marek malik, paul mara, michal rozsival, brendan shanahan, martin straka, jason strudwick, stephen valiquette

ottawa
ufa: matt carkner, mike commodore, niko dimitrakos, shean donovan, chris kelly, matt kinch, martin lapointe, justin mapletoft, wade redden, luke richardson, randy robitaille, cory stilmman

philadelphia
ufa: jesse boulerice, riley cote, jim dowd, rory fitzpatrick, martin grenier, vaclav prospal, darren reid, jason smith, jim vandermeer

phoenix
ufa: david aebischer, alex auld, ryan caldwell, jon disalvatore, bryan helmer, niko kapanen, yannick lehoux, matt murley, travis roche, joey tenute, mathias tjarnqvist, radim vrbata, craig weller, michael york

pittsburgh
ufa: ty conklin, pascal dupuis, mark eaton, adam hall, connor james, ryan lannon, georges laraque, marian hossa, ryan malone, alain nasreddine, brooks orpik, gary roberts, jarkko ruutu, nathan smith, jeff taffe

san jose
ufa: curtis brown, brian campbell, tom cavanagh, brennan evans, j.d. forrest, mike iggulden, graham mink, brad norton, sandis ozolinsh, dmitri patzold, tomas plihal, patrick rissmiller, jeremy roenick, alexei semenov, craig valette

st. louis
ufa: alex brooks, petr cajanek, micki dupont, mike glumac, mike johnson, ryan johnson, juuso riksman, martin rucinsky, bryce salvador, yan stastny, jean-guy trudel, matt walker

tampa bay
ufa: mathieu darche, chris gratton, jan hlavac, dan jancevski, doug janik, andreas karlsson, bryce lampman, craig macdonald, norm milley, andre roy, david schneider, tim taylor, kyle wanvig

toronto
ufa: scott clemmensen, jay harrison, david ling, john pohl, tony salmelainen, mats sundin, andrew wozniewski

vancouver
ufa: greg classen, brad isbister, trevor linden, drew macintyre, aaron miller, brad moran, brendan morrison, markus naslund, byron ritchie, curtis sanford, mike weaver

washington
ufa: dean arsene, josef boumedienne, matt bradley, frederic cassivi, matt cooke, sergei fedorov, cristobal huet, olaf kolzig, jason morgan, jame pollock

Scott L: Whose absence was more critical in the Blues tail spin from mid Decmeber, Weight or Wagner. I ask this partially becasue I am recalling a comment about managing assets that Davidson used apparetly as a partial justification in Backman getting ice time with the Blues and Wagner with Peoria

Jeremy Rutherford: The Blues sent Wagner to Peoria in part because his play had somewhat slipped, but also because they wanted to play Christian Backman and find a team to take his contract. That eventually happened with Backman going to the Rangers at the deadline.

As good as Wagner was, I don't think there's any evidence to say the Blues would have a few more wins with him up here the entire year.

There is evidence to support Doug Weight's departure hurt the Blues. Some players have told me that it's not coincidence that the team's record slipped after he was traded. That's not an indictment on Andy McDonald whatsoever. The Blues had to make that deal. But the leadership los with Weight's absence was missed.

Steve Stamkos: Hey Jr,

Surely the Blues could trade up to the overall #1 pick to get me, shouldn't they?. They'll probably be able to spend a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, AND 4th rounder on me and still have picks in those rounds for themselves. Don't I fit exactly into what they need? How much interest are they showing towards aquiring me?

Steve "Future Hall of Famer" Stamkos

Jeremy Rutherford: If a team wins the No. 1 overall pick and can take Stamkos, they are not going to trade the pick. Not going to happen. If the Blues want Stamkos, they have to win the lottery.

With the CBA today, draft picks are paid a maximum salary, so it's not like you're saving yourself a lot of money if you trade the pick, or in this case the player, with Stamkos.

Mitch: JR -

Thanks as always for your dedication to covering the Blues. I see you've got Bernie and Gordo contributing today too...well done!

Questions:

1. Among this group of notable pending UFA's (R. Johnson, Stastny) and RFA's (Toivonen, Backes, McClement)...which do you predict will be wearing a Bluenote next season? Extra credit for calling an extension vs. a qualifying offer for any of the RFA's.

2. Does the recent signing of Talbot affect your answer to #1 above?

3. I believe you wrote today that the Blues would have "financial limitations" with respect to free-agent signings this offseason. How much (ballpark) do you think the management is willing to spend on upgrades to next season's roster?

Jeremy Rutherford:
All of the RFA's you mentioned will be qualified. Backes is the only one that may get an lengthy extension. McClement has helped himself with his play at LW, so he could get a one-year extension.

I think Ryan Johnson will be re-signed and Stastny is a good possibility.

Talbot's signing doesn't really effect those other situations, I don't think.

The Blues' payroll this season is around $45 million. They will lose Rucinsky's contract and remember they dealt Salvador; however, the extensions for Jackman and Boyes will raise that payroll figure.

I wrote "financial limitations" today because I don't believe the Blues have a lot of wiggle room. They surprised everyone with the signing of Paul Kariya last July, but I would be thoroughly surprised if the Blues were to make another splash like that.

I got a call this morning after the article ran in the paper saying that it was possible for the Blues to be a player in the free-agent market, but we'll have to wait and see.

Adam: Do you think the Blues will try to re-sign Jay McClement or is Oshie and/or Burgaland will take his spot? The roster will be pretty crowded next season.

Jeremy Rutherford:
The roster will be crowded next year. I think the Blues have a decision to make with McClement. With a few centers on their way in Oshie and Berglund, do the Blues have room for McClement? Can McClement play the left wing? I think there is room for McClement on this team. He's not the same player as Oshie or Berglund. They figure to be very skilled top-line centers. McClement is a great penalty killer who also plays a huge role on the checking line.

Buzzkill: Just how injured is Jay McKee? If we had something to play for, is this something he'd be playing through? Could this be more of an "injury" to give Polak a longer look, or should this be added to the long list of injuries McKee has suffered?

Obviously, this calls for some speculation on your part - but you're around these guys and talk to the staff; if there was something left to play for, or if we didn't have rookie defensemen to look at, would McKee be available and effective? Thanks!

Jeremy Rutherford: McKee told me in Montreal that he wants to play badly. In fact, he had to convince the coaches that he was ready to return Tuesday. They thought his experience playing in Montreal would help and it probably did. That said, his foot did not hold up and he might not play again this season.

I believe if McKee were healthy, he would be on the ice and Polak would be in Peoria. I realize Polak would have to be Peoria because he's here on under "emergency conditions" but I think the Blues are still trying to win games and they would feel that McKee gives them the best chance.

It's unfortunate for McKee, but this is a nice situation for the Blues and Polak to see what he's got.

Fyten: Since we're not focusing on this season anymore, when is the prospects camp (or is it development camp) for next year? I didn't get to it this year.

Jeremy Rutherford: I don't have the dates in front of me. I'll have to get those for you and post them on Blues Talk.

Blue in Colorado: Jeremy,
I love reading this forum every week. Great insight into everything concerning the Blues. I was wondering if you know Danny Hinote's progress with the oblique injury. Also what's his contract status and future with the Blues? It's a shame he has been a little injury prone with St. Louis, bc he was a huge fan favorite with Colorado. His hard work and energy on the ice earned a lot of respect with the fans and I don't think that has ever had a chance to develop in STL. I hope they keep him because he is a terrific role player, and plays his role.

Thanks,

NOT AN AV's FAN.

Jeremy Rutherford: Dan Hinote is on the road trip, but he has not been skating, so I wouldn't expect him to return this season.

Hinote was signed to a three-year, $3 million deal in 2006, so he has one more year remaining. You're right, Hinote is talented role player. I don't know what the plans are for him right now.

Pagan: JR, I'm puzzled by your assertation that the Blues don't need a power forward. Backes is a good physical guy, but I don't see him ever reaching the point production of a Shanahan or even a Tkachuk. Tkachuk seems to be on the downswing of his career and likely will be elsewhere or retired in a couple of years. Wouldn't it make sense to draft a guy like Kyle Beach?

Jeremy Rutherford: I'm saying that of all the Blues' needs, power forward is down on the list. Backes is only 23-24 years old. Let him develop.

Mingha: Good afternoon JR, thanks again for taking the time. Some of the posters on the forums were thinking of greeting the Blues when they come home. Is there any way to get flight/airport info to get this off the ground?
Thanks

Jeremy Rutherford: The team will be coming in late tonight, but I'm not sure when the plane will arrive. I'd help if I could, but I don't have any details.

mike: hi JR,

How many more games do you expect the Blues to win. Which ones?

Thanks,
Mike

Jeremy Rutherford: In their final nine games, the Blues face Ottawa, Chicago twice, Detroit twice, Nashville twice and Columbus twice.

I would say that Chicago at home and the two Columbus games are the ones that could be considered "at least" winnable. But that's probably what those teams are thinking too.

Jeremy Rutherford: I didn't get to all the questions today. I tried to answer a variety of them today. There was a lot of variety today, in fact. Good stuff. I'm going to head over to the Scotiabank for tonight's game. This is the only rink of the 30 in the NHL I haven't seen a game. Looking forward to it!