Tweet
Blues focus on prospects for growth
By Jeremy Rutherford
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/15/2008
May 14, 2008 -- Blues first-round draft picks T. J. Oshie (left) and Lars Eller are interviewed by the media at Scottrade Center.
(Chris Lee/P-D)
The Blues may have come up with a marketing slogan Wednesday without even trying.
"Come and grow with us," John Davidson said as the Blues introduced newly signed draft picks T.J. Oshie and Lars Eller.
When the club opens the 2008-09 season, perhaps one-third of the 23-man roster could be made up of players in their first or second years in the NHL.
RELATED LINK
Slideshow from today's press conference
Erik Johnson, David Perron, Steve Wagner and Roman Polak already are in the fold and are expected to be joined by Patrick Berglund, Oshie and maybe Eller. The Blues also have the fourth pick in the draft this summer and might find a player who could contribute right away.
None of this bodes well for the team's chances of ending a three-year playoff drought, but Davidson said he's not going to alter a strategy that emphasizes developing the club's youth.
"Our plan to go into every season is to make the playoffs and see what happens," Davidson said. "The reality of it is that we're going to have some young players, mixed in with veteran players. Our young people are going to play ... our young people are going to grow. (But) we still feel strong that we're going to compete."
As Oshie and Eller answered questions at Scottrade Center Wednesday, Blues veteran Keith Tkachuk stood off to the side. Tkachuk said he came to offer support, but he could have been there to offer shaving tips, too.
"They seem to get younger each year," said Tkachuk, 36.
What does the Blues assistant captain think of the team's chances with a locker room so young?
"It's going to be a lot of ups and downs, like it was for E.J. (Johnson)," Tkachuk said. "But E.J. turned out to be a heck of a player ... the same with Perron. Once you get everybody on the same page, things progress a lot faster."
The Blues were criticized last season for their handling of Johnson and Perron. The team feels today that it managed each player correctly, and that seems justified because of the success both Johnson and Perron enjoyed late last season.
"Erik had the most points of all of our defensemen (33)," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "He learned to be a pro and a consistent NHL guy. David Perron was a guy that I don't think anybody felt would be on our team last year. He stayed for the whole year and played 62 games ... was used on the power play, developed a lot physically. I think it was a success."
"I'll be frank," Davidson said. "The Perron thing got out of control for whatever reason. I'm still not 100 percent sure how and why. I don't think it was necessary and I thought it took a lot of energy to deal with it. Too much energy."
Both Davidson and Murray said they would not be affected by outside criticism next season.
"It could drive you crazy ... everything that you hear or you read or you see," Murray said. "The part you don't like is when people don't understand what you're trying to do. That's difficult sometimes."
The team's staff aren't the only ones who can learn a lesson from last year.
Oshie said that he plans to pick Johnson's brain.
"I haven't gotten to talk to E.J. yet, but when I do, I'll ask for some suggestions and just some things to help me along the way," he said.
But as Davidson says, "They're all individuals. David Perron was different than Erik Johnson. David Perron was different than David Backes. There's levels of maturity, there's levels of experience, there's age differences. We as an organization have to be responsible to filter that out and find out who is what."
And, in the meantime, try to make the playoffs.
"We'll give it a shot, but our priority is to develop a team in St. Louis that's going to win," Davidson said. "We can go trade some really good people that we have in our organization and bring in guys that would probably make the playoffs for sure. But what good is that going to do if you lose in the first round and you've lost your assets and you lost in the playoffs? It's not going to do anybody any good. Our plan is very plain and very clear. We're going to make the Blues a very good team for a long period of time. There's going to be ups and downs, but come grow with us. It's going to be fun to watch these kids grow."
By Jeremy Rutherford
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/15/2008
May 14, 2008 -- Blues first-round draft picks T. J. Oshie (left) and Lars Eller are interviewed by the media at Scottrade Center.
(Chris Lee/P-D)
The Blues may have come up with a marketing slogan Wednesday without even trying.
"Come and grow with us," John Davidson said as the Blues introduced newly signed draft picks T.J. Oshie and Lars Eller.
When the club opens the 2008-09 season, perhaps one-third of the 23-man roster could be made up of players in their first or second years in the NHL.
RELATED LINK
Slideshow from today's press conference
Erik Johnson, David Perron, Steve Wagner and Roman Polak already are in the fold and are expected to be joined by Patrick Berglund, Oshie and maybe Eller. The Blues also have the fourth pick in the draft this summer and might find a player who could contribute right away.
None of this bodes well for the team's chances of ending a three-year playoff drought, but Davidson said he's not going to alter a strategy that emphasizes developing the club's youth.
"Our plan to go into every season is to make the playoffs and see what happens," Davidson said. "The reality of it is that we're going to have some young players, mixed in with veteran players. Our young people are going to play ... our young people are going to grow. (But) we still feel strong that we're going to compete."
As Oshie and Eller answered questions at Scottrade Center Wednesday, Blues veteran Keith Tkachuk stood off to the side. Tkachuk said he came to offer support, but he could have been there to offer shaving tips, too.
"They seem to get younger each year," said Tkachuk, 36.
What does the Blues assistant captain think of the team's chances with a locker room so young?
"It's going to be a lot of ups and downs, like it was for E.J. (Johnson)," Tkachuk said. "But E.J. turned out to be a heck of a player ... the same with Perron. Once you get everybody on the same page, things progress a lot faster."
The Blues were criticized last season for their handling of Johnson and Perron. The team feels today that it managed each player correctly, and that seems justified because of the success both Johnson and Perron enjoyed late last season.
"Erik had the most points of all of our defensemen (33)," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "He learned to be a pro and a consistent NHL guy. David Perron was a guy that I don't think anybody felt would be on our team last year. He stayed for the whole year and played 62 games ... was used on the power play, developed a lot physically. I think it was a success."
"I'll be frank," Davidson said. "The Perron thing got out of control for whatever reason. I'm still not 100 percent sure how and why. I don't think it was necessary and I thought it took a lot of energy to deal with it. Too much energy."
Both Davidson and Murray said they would not be affected by outside criticism next season.
"It could drive you crazy ... everything that you hear or you read or you see," Murray said. "The part you don't like is when people don't understand what you're trying to do. That's difficult sometimes."
The team's staff aren't the only ones who can learn a lesson from last year.
Oshie said that he plans to pick Johnson's brain.
"I haven't gotten to talk to E.J. yet, but when I do, I'll ask for some suggestions and just some things to help me along the way," he said.
But as Davidson says, "They're all individuals. David Perron was different than Erik Johnson. David Perron was different than David Backes. There's levels of maturity, there's levels of experience, there's age differences. We as an organization have to be responsible to filter that out and find out who is what."
And, in the meantime, try to make the playoffs.
"We'll give it a shot, but our priority is to develop a team in St. Louis that's going to win," Davidson said. "We can go trade some really good people that we have in our organization and bring in guys that would probably make the playoffs for sure. But what good is that going to do if you lose in the first round and you've lost your assets and you lost in the playoffs? It's not going to do anybody any good. Our plan is very plain and very clear. We're going to make the Blues a very good team for a long period of time. There's going to be ups and downs, but come grow with us. It's going to be fun to watch these kids grow."
Comment