They shoot Blues, don't they?

Well, I am going to give a report card. Though the season was a disappointment, I was not soured by it and find that looking back is a cathartic exercise and important to know where the team is headed. Without further ado, my second half report card:

Paul Kariya
82 games, 16 goals, 49 assists, 65 points
Grade: D
This the worst output that Paul has had in a full season since 2001 and even then he scored 32 goals. This is also the second straight year he has had a decline in production. He is in his mid-thirties now and this is most likely a trend. He is still talented and has good speed but is easily managed by the opponent's defense. He is no longer a first line player but gets those minutes with the Blues.

Brad Boyes
82 games, 43 goals, 22 assists, 65 points
Grade: A
Brad's previous career high had been 26 goals and this is the first season he has more goals than assists. He is definitely playing above his level. He has raised everyone's expectations and I now see him as a 30+/- goal per year player. He can play on the first line but does not seem to have the talent to make those around him better. He seems to play below his size.

Keith Tkachuk
79 games, 27 goals, 31 assists, 58 points
Grade: B
With the three goals in the last two games, Walt notched his 500th career goal. With 27 goals for the second straight year, he exceeded expectations slightly. He is a natural winger forced to play center on the first line. At times it showed as a lack of passion. He has played on the first line but is better as a second line power forward on the wing.

Andy MacDonald
82 games, 18 goals, 34 assists, 52 points
Grade: C
Acquired for Doug Weight midseason. He was a point per game player in the two previous years with Anaheim. But that was with Teemu Selanne on his wing, and I think everyone recognizes that. Briefly played on the first line but is better suited to the second. He is a good skater and passer but can be pushed off the puck by average sized defensemen. Having said that, 18 goals and 52 points is not going to cut for a second line center. I would need 20 and 60 from that spot.

Lee Stempniak
80 games, 13 goals, 25 assists, 38 points
Grade: D
Lee barely avoided an F grade. This is a fourteen goal drop from his previous year when he saw time on the top line. He started out the season on a line with Backes and McClement and then the rotation began. At first I saw this as the reason of his lack of production but as the season wore on, his play become much more evident as the cause. He deserved to be demoted to the third line. Lee can skate well, pass well, and shoot well; but when he doesn't do even one of those things well, combined with his lack of size, he is a sub-par player. 20 goals and 50 points is the high end of my expectations for him next year, if he is still here.

Erik Johnson
69 games, 5 goals, 28 assists, 33 points
Grade: A
Erik played very well for an NHL defenseman, not to mention he is a rookie. His play has gotten better and better as the season wore on and it won't be long before he is an elite defender. That is what has impressed me the most, the amount of progress that is actually visible in his play.

David Backes
72 games, 13 goals, 18 assists, 31 points
Grade: B
Though he has played better recently, I am not sold on him as a power forward. He skates well and plays to his size (which the Blues lack, in general) but he doesn't create his own chances and he often misses the chances he is given. I do, however, want to see a little more of him but, really, how much development time does he need?

Jamal Mayers
80 games, 12 goals, 15 assists, 27 points
Grade: C
Jamal is great as a checking line forward and is stellar on the penalty kill. This is what I expect from him. The -19 rating is curious, however.

David Perron
62 games, 13 goals, 14 assists, 27 points
Grade: B
David cooled off after a terrific start on the ice. There were rumors of off-ice attitude problems but those, we are assured, were overblown. He improved his defensive play and continued his great play down low in the offensive zone. He should have secured a second line role for next year.

Eric Brewer
77 games, 1 goal, 21 assists, 22 points
Grade: C
I believe that my expectatons of Brewer have been lowered to the point he has met them. He hasn't played any better than in the first half of the year. He has thrown a couple of hits but hasn't really made that aspect a part of this game. One goal is embarassing.

Jay McClement
81 games, 9 goals, 13 assists, 22 points
Grade: D
Any offensive aspects of his game have disappeared. He could be a good defensive forward but doesn't really play physical enough to excel at that role. He has been playing more on the PK. Is he being groomed to replace Ryan Johnson?

Ryan Johnson
79 games, 5 goals, 13 assists, 18 points
Grade: C
Ryan is very good at what he does. He is very valuable to a team that was 6th in the league in penalty killing. He is an UFA, however, and there are too many forwards on this team. I don't think he will be back.

Barret Jackman
78 games, 2 goals, 14 assists, 16 points
Grade: C
He has played better than in the first half of the season but still makes mistakes. He is forced to play on the power play when he has no business being out there. Plays bigger than he is and can throw some big checks.

Dan Hinote
58 games, 5 goals, 5 assists, 10 points
Grade: C
I'm still not exactly sure why he was signed. He is a decent enough fourth line forward but did we need another one?

Jay McKee
66 games, 2 goals, 7 assists, 9 points
Grade: C
Signed to be a core defenseman. He plays well enough at that role. He seems like a good skater and passer which makes me think he should be more offensive. Has thrown some good body checks.

Jeff Woywitka
27 games, 2 goals, 6 assists, 8 points
Grade: C
The other part of the Pronger trade (we won't mention Doug Lynch), Jeff essentially replaced Steve Wagner in the second half. He is a very good skater and not afraid to rush up the ice. The Blues need that in a defenseman.

DJ King
61 games, 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points
Grade: C
The Blues' heavy. Fights very well.

Matt Walker
43 games, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 points
Grade: C
Didn't get much ice time in the first half of the season but ended up playing in more than half the games. His first goal, ever. A stay-at-home defenseman that uses his big body to punish forwards, Matt asked for a trade midseason because of the lack of ice time. He is not a liability defensively but cannot shutdown the opponent's top line.

Cam Janssen
12 games, 0 goals, 1 assist, 1 point
Grade: C
Acquired for Bryce Salvador at the trade deadline. Why? I don't know. He is a local kid who likes to hit and fight. Fits on the fourth line but DJ King is better at fighting and Jamal Mayers is better at everything else.

Other players who spent time with the Blues this year: Doug Weight, Bryce Salvador, Martin Rucinsky, Mike Johnson, Steve Wagner (prospect), Yan Stastny, Roman Polak (prospect), Micki Dupont (2 games, when was this?), and Mike Glumac. Of these Steve Wagner and Roman Polak are the only ones who should compete for ice time next year. Yan Stastny might get a call up as a third liner but other high end prospects will most likely take precedent.

Overall, this was a bad year for the Blues. They finished with 2 fewer points than they did last year. Their offense is anemic and their defense has holes that only great goaltending covered up at the begining of the year.