By Andrew Allsman| Posted: May 14th, 2012| Contact | Also posted on KMOV.com
The historic Blues season that included: a Central Division
title, a postseason appearance, and a quarterfinal victory reluctantly came to
an end with a second round sweep to the Los Angeles Kings. There is no time to dwell on the loss, the
Blues simply have to accept it, and look forward to next year. It will be some time before we see the Note
take the ice at Scottrade Center, and embark on their next journey, but it
helps knowing that what we saw them do this year is inferior compared to what
is to come.
This season was only the beginning of what’s ahead for the
St. Louis Blues. It is simply a stepping
stone, a disappointment that was necessary for the future Blues to have under
their belt. Moving forward the Blues
should find that disappointments are fewer and farther between as the pieces
are now in place for future success.
One of the last pieces of the puzzle was fitted into place
recently as former Blues minority owner Tom Stillman finalized a deal for the
purchase of the Blues. On shaky
financial ground for nearly two years, the Blues were in a dire situation
financially. Needless to say, Blues
general manager Doug Armstrong was handcuffed financially, and there were few
transactions he could pull the trigger on.
Yet, he was able to put together a team worthy of the second seed in the
Western Conference, and did it despite being nearly $12 million under the NHL’s
salary cap. Stillman stepping in comes
at exactly the right time. The NHL’s
free agent signing period begins in a few months, and the Blues have many
players they will look to sign on their own roster, as well as on the free
agent market. The Blues won’t be pushing
up against the cap next season, but GM Doug Armstrong will have some
flexibility this season, something he hasn’t had in many seasons. But the Blues will also look for some
youngsters to contribute next year.
Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko both may hold a roster
spot next year. If you want talent and
potential, search no further than these two players. Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz will
not require AHL seasoning before joining the NHL club. Schwartz left his college team late in the
season, to join the Blues. Many will
remember him scoring 2 goals on 2 shots, and showing his composure with the
puck. There is no question that Schwartz
is NHL ready, but will there be room for him?
This is a question that will be answered by the signings that take place
in the offseason, but there is another variable that could affect whether or
not he holds a roster spot next season: Vladimir Tarasenko.
Perhaps the most coveted Blues prospect, Tarasenko, is still
contemplating whether or not he wants to leave the KHL to come over to North
America next season. The hype that he
has built up by delaying his decision is not surprising considering he has all
the makings of a superstar. Tarasenko is
a pure goal scorer, with some size as well as some nifty hands. His decision to join the club will impact
some of Armstrong’s decisions in the offseason.
Should Tarasenko come to North America, he will have a roster spot as
Armstrong has said countless times. He
is ready to make the jump to the NHL; it’s now just a matter of waiting for his
decision which will come at the end of May.
The biggest plus for the Blues moving forward is their
growing fan base. NHL teams do not win
if they don’t have the support of the fans.
It is clear that this is not a problem for the Blues. They have sold out 65 regular season home
games the past two years, and have one of the loudest buildings in the
NHL. The passion of the fans was shown
throughout the year, and it has played a huge part in the Blues’ success this
season.
Last but certainly not least is the offseason. This offseason will be a bit different from
the last in many capacities. Chris
Stewart is taking a new approach to preparing, hiring his own trainer, and
preparing for the “the most important season of his career.” Blues forward David Perron will be able to
train this summer, which he was unable to do last year as he was still battling
concussion symptoms. And of course this
will be the first offseason for the Blues under Ken Hitchcock. This means the Blues will have adequate time
to address the areas of their game that were lacking this past season, and will
have time to perfect Hitchcock’s system.
There are many positives for the Blues heading into the
offseason, and the future. The Blues
have solidified their depth, used the draft to restock and improve their
talent, and have put themselves in a great position to be successful under the
guidance of Doug Armstrong and Ken Hitchcock.
The next key for the Blues is to get on stable ground financially, but
as of right now it appears that the Blues have the makings of a team that will
be dominant for many years to come. It
is a great time to be a Blues fan.