St Louis Blues

In 24 hours, the St. Louis Blues will be back.

Fans have waited four long months to see the puck drop because of the NHL lockout, and many fans are trying to do something to show the NHL that they are tired of being taken for granted. Some are refusing to buy NHL gear until a new Stanley Cup champion is crowned, some are refusing to watch hockey for the first few games, and some extreme fans are completely fed up, and won't return to the sport altogether. 

But for the Blues, the club needs its fans to come back.

Being in a mid-major market, the Blues have a hard time making a profit. The Blues were one of the 18 teams that was losing money before the lockout, even with sell out crowds year in and year out. New owner Tom Stillman comes from a hockey background, and is determined to bring the team into the black. The new CBA should help the team cut some of its losses, but with more teams being eligible for revenue sharing, the team may still need some extra help.

This is where the fans come in.

Blues fans should realize that boycotting the team for the NHL's lockout will hurt the team more than the fans will gain. Sure, you get to make a point by boycotting the games. But that money hurts the team down the line. If fans don't return to Scottrade Center, the Blues could end up being a bottom-of-the-barrel team once again.

This is exactly why the fans should come back to the Blues. For the first time since 2000—and possibly the first time in the history of the franchise—the Blues have a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup; and with homegrown talent. The Blues never offered players ridiculous contracts to try to aquire big name players to play for the Bluenote. Ownership was smart with their money, drafted well and developed the club over time.

Now, the Blues are in line to win the Stanley Cup. Fans need to come out and support this team. Instead of not watching the Blues or coming to the games, don't buy NHL Center Ice or Game Center Live. Refuse to by NHL gear.

But if fans really want to show the NHL they disapprove of the lockout, drown out Gary Bettman with boos when he tries to give the Cup to David Backes in June. 

Hockey fans are rejoicing everywhere; the lockout is over.

According to NHL.com, the NHL and NHLPA tentatively agreed to a new CBA early Sunday morning. The sides agreed to a 50-50 revenue split, a $64.3 million cap for Year 2, and seven-year contract limits for new free agents, among other things. The 10-year deal has yet to be formally written up, but the announcement means that there will be hockey this season. 

For the Blues, this could be their season.

One of the major points in the final days of negotiating was the cap for the second year of the CBA. The agreed upon number is $64.3 million, which shouldn't hurt the Blues at all. In fact, it may help them.

The Blues currently have a $53.65 cap, according to Cap Geek. The Blues will have the major offseason task of re-signing Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk, which will put a big hit on the cap. If the Blues want, they will also have to re-sign Chris Stewart, Matt D'Agostini and Patrik Berglund. The Blues will have to work hard to retain their young core, but the open cap space allows them to do so.

Or, the Blues can decide to just retain Pietrangelo (the best of those up for a new contract), and try to sign a big-name player to play for the Blues.

The Blues haven't actively chased a major piece in free agency in recent years, and with the cap space they have, they could grab a big-name player that hit the market because of a cap buyout. Devin Setoguchi or Dany Heatley could be targets if they are bought out in Minnesota. 

With the CBA being signed in early January, both sides are shooting for a 50-game season, all played against conference opponents. The Blues went 35-20-9 last year, which would give them 79 points over 64 games. The record also was the fourth-best in the conference, which would mean that the Blues should make the playoffs again. 

Last year, the Blues ran into the Los Angeles Kings in the second round of the playoffs and completely fizzled out. The Kings were firing on all cylinders while the Blues just couldn't seem to match their fire power. Scoring was a problem for the Blues, and critics don't believe the Blues can win the cup without scoring. 

Cue: Vladimir Tarasenko.

With the lockout over, the Blues will get to play in the shortened season and have one of their best prospects be a part of it. Tarasenko has been tearing up the KHL, scoring 31 points in 31 games. He's a part of SKA St. Petersburg, which is leading the KHL. He will provide the goal-scoring abilities that the Blues were lacking last season.

Ultimately, the shortened season will benefit the Blues because of the work they put in last season. The Blues made huge strides and looked like cup contenders off the amazing play of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott.

Even if they can't be as good as they were last season, the shortened season allows them to have more off games than other teams can afford. If Halak gets cold, Elliott steps in; if Elliott gets cold, Halak steps up.

Most teams don't have the luxury of having two starting goalies on their roster. 

Pair that with Ken Hitchcock's defensive style of play, and the Blues look to have one of the best defenses in the league again. In a season where every goal counts, the more the Blues keep out of the net, the better chance they have at staying near the top of the standings.

Finally, the offense will gain from having Tarasenko, but will also benefit from a full year of David Perron. Add T.J. Oshie, David Backes, Berglund, Andy McDonald and Stewart to the mix, and the Blues could be putting up some serious offensive numbers—some which the team hasn't seen since their 25-year playoff streak.

So, why is it the Blues' year?

They have everything in place to make a serious cup run. Don't be surprised if you see David Backes holding the cup come June.  

Hockey received a shot in the arm Friday, as the NHL sent the NHLPA a new CBA proposal to get a season started. The NHLPA is expected to counter Saturday, but hockey fans are once again optimistic that hockey will be seen in 2013. 

With fans turning to a future season, how will bubble players do in a shortened season. Specifically for the St. Louis Blues, Chris Stewart. 

Stewart came over to the Blues from the Colorado Avalanche in a blockbuster trade at the deadline in 2011. Stewart was seen as the major piece the Blues were receiving, while the Avalanche were getting former first pick Erik Johnson. Kevin Shattenkirk, Jay McClement and two first-round draft picks were also exchanged in the trade.

Fast forward to 2012, and the Blues have completely won the trade. Shattenkirk has become the biggest star of the trade, and Stewart has fallen into the limelight, mostly because of his plummet in production.

Stewart's 2010-2011 campaign was the best of his short career. Playing in 62 games, Stewart scored 28 goals and 53 points. During his time with the Blues, he put up 23 points in 26 games and was a major factor for the team down the stretch. His play in St. Louis showed that he could be a big-name player, and he could be another piece of the young core for the Blues to build around.

2011-2012 was not so kind to Stewart.

Stewart only managed to put up 30 points in 79 games, nearly half of what he put up in 2010. Some of that can be contributed to a "sophomore slump" if you will, or just teams paying a lot more attention to him than they used to. Some of it could also be the switch from an offensive-minded Davis Payne to defensive-minded Ken Hitchcock. But the majority of the blame lies with Stewart himself.

Whenever there is hockey played, Stewart should be able to put up better numbers than he did in 2011.

A year under Hitchcock's system allows him to modify his game in order to get the production the team gets out of him. Standing at 6'2", 232 lbs, Stewart is more than capable of getting into the gritty areas and digging out a puck, or getting garbage goals in front of the net. The offseason will allow him to modify his game and get comfortable with being a gritty, two-way forward. 

So will Stewart ever better his 2010-2011 stats? The logical answer is yes. Stewart still hasn't entered the prime of his career, and during his 2010-2011 season, he showed that he can be a big-name player.

The better question is if his best numbers will be with the Blues. During a shortened season, his numbers could be on pace to better his 2010-2011 numbers if there was a full season, but they will not match it. But if he does not contribute like the Blues want him to, he may be trade bait and have his best numbers in a different sweater. 

The NHL is at a brink of a major shift. With the newest legal battle between the NHL and the NHLPA, the NHL is threatening to void all contracts. If this happens, then every player will be an unrestricted free agent, and teams will be throwing money at both Alex Pietrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk. Will the Blues be able to keep them both?

If the NHL does void all contracts, then sadly for Blues fans, the answer will be no. 

With every player becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Blues will have to spend their money retaining the big name players. They may pursue Pietrangelo first, seeing as he is one of the best defensemen in the league, all while only being 22 years old.

The problem is that big market teams will be throwing money at him that the Blues can't match. Pietrangelo may take a pay cut to stay in St. Louis because of how young he is, but the more probable approach is he will go to some other team.

One team that could make a serious run is the Detroit Red Wings, which Blues fans would absolutely hate. 

If Pietrangelo goes, then the Blues would be able to still sign David Backes, T.J. Oshie, David Perron and Kevin Shattenkirk. They would be able to maintain the majority of their young core, despite the loss of Pietrangelo. It would be the best move for the Blues to stay competitive, while not overspending for a player that could be a superstar. 

But what happens if a deal gets done, and the contracts stay the same? Then the Blues will have a better chance at keeping both defensemen. But it still may not be enough.

Both Shattenkirk and Pietrangelo are up for new contracts in 2013, and will both be restricted free agents. Both earn $2.625 million in their three year contracts, and will be looking for longer and bigger deals. 

Pietrangelo will be looking to get the bigger deal, and will most likely get a deal that will take him to the first year of his unrestricted free agency, and will probably get a deal around five years and $20-$25 million, around the deals of Perron and Oshie.

Shattenkirk will get a deal between three and five years, with money around $15-$20 million. The Blues should be able to afford it, because the majority of their stars being restricted free agents and the absence of veterans pulling down the payroll, the team would be able to afford both stars.

The major problem comes into resigning all of the young core. If all contracts are signed as is, then Perron, Oshie and possibly Shattenkirk are up for new deals in 2016, and Pietrangelo possibly in 2017. When this happens, the Blues will not be able to afford every person on this list.

So can the Blues afford Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk?

If contracts are not voided, the Blues will be able to afford both in the short term, but not the long term. If contracts are voided, it will be a free-for-all for Pietrangelo, and the other parts of the Blues' core will be fighting for second place.  

Fear not Blues fans, there will be hockey in St. Louis this season. It may not be NHL-sanctioned, but it will feature NHL-level talent.

Cam Janssen, a former member of the St. Louis Blues and current New Jersey Devil, will be holding a charity game in St. Louis to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy. This game will take place at the Hardees IcePlex in Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.

Janssen has teamed up with other professional players to form "Cam Janssen Fights Sandy; Hockey Helps Rebuild" charity, which will be the organization hosting the event.

For St. Louis, this is great news. The city has been in a lull since the Cardinals were eliminated from the MLB playoffs. The Rams are a mediocre team at best, which caused many fans to turn to the Blues last season. With the current lockout, fans are not getting their fix of hockey, and this event would fulfill their desire to see NHL-level hockey, at a price that is lower than a normal regular-season ticket. 

Secondly, both Janssen and the city of St. Louis knows this will work. The Chicago Blackhawks did a similar charity game, and the money raised went to the McDonald House of Chicago land. The game saw cornerstone Blackhawks such as Patrick Kane, Andrew Ladd, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Sharp. The World team beat the Chicago team 16-15, while raising $323,000 for the McDonald House. 

The game was seen as essentially a city-specific All-Star game; an inter-squad scrimmage. The fans of St. Louis would love to see an identical game having witnessed cornerstone players like T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, David Backes, and David Perron grow up in the organization.

The fans have just as much of a connection to the team as the players do to each other, and it would be a great way to get the team back together. 

With the current CBA negotiations, fans are cautiously optimistic about a deal getting done. By having a charity game that would bring current and alumni Blues players together would be great, and if a deal gets don't before puck drop on November 17th, it could turn out to be the team's first practice of the 2012-2013 season.

With the roller coaster ride that is the NHL bargaining negotiations, fans have been dreaming about the NHL bringing back its entire 2012-2013 season. Fans are anxiously waiting for the announcement that their favorite players will be hitting the ice once again.

Blues fans are especially eager to see the team hit the ice for what could be their first legitimate chance to win a cup since their last trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, which was in 1969-1970. While David Backes will be leading the team, a new leader is stepping into the spotlight.

And his name is Alex Pietrangelo.

Pietrangelo was drafted fourth overall by the Blues in the 2008 draft. The Blues saw potential in the defenseman, who scored 53 points in 60 games for the Niagara Ice Dogs of the OHL in 2007-2008. Pietrangelo would spend time in Niagara, Peoria, and St. Louis for the 2008-2009 season, recording 30 points in 45 games between the three clubs.

He would also go on to play in the 2009 Under-20 World Championships. He would score three points in six games in the tournament, and would earn a gold medal with the team. 

Pietrangelo would play in the next World Championships, and vastly improved his game. He scored 12 points in six games, and would go on to score 29 points in 25 games in the OHL. He would play nine games in St. Louis, but only recorded two points.

While Pietrangelo did put up some good numbers in international play and in the minor leagues for the Blues, his sheer stats do not make him the future of the Blues' blue line. What makes him a great leader is what he learned from his time in the minors. 

The Blues may have been the smartest with Pietrangelo. Rather than rush him into the NHL and let him fend for himself, he was able to grow his talent in the minors. He was able to gain confidence in playing his position, and to learn from the mistakes he and his teammates and opponents made. It turned him into one of the best young defensemen in the league.

Pietrangelo stormed into the NHL for his "debut" season in 2010-2011, putting up 43 points in 79 games to lead all defensemen for the Blues. He was also first in plus/minus (+18), shots (161), and average ice time (22:00). He was on the first defensive line, and spent time on both th penalty kill and power play.

Again, his stats can speak for themselves, but Pietrangelo has other intangibles that cannot be seen in numbers. Peitrangelo has an innate sense of hockey IQ. It is something that cannot be seen in a stat sheet, but is vital for players, especially defensemen.

Peitrangelo has been compared to Niklas Lidstrom and Al MacInnis because of his ability to see how a play is developing, where the puck needs to go, what his opponents are about to do. It is something that was grown out of his time in the minors, and was showcased in the minors. 

Pietrangelo ignored a sophomore slump by experiencing better numbers than he had the previous year. He put up 51 points in 81 games, good enough for first among defensemen and third on the team. He was second behind Kevin Shattenkirk for plus/minus rating for defensemen, first in shots, and had the most game-winning goals for the entire team. 

Pietrangelo is already being considered one of the best defensemen in the league, all at the age of 22. He has the hockey sense of a seasoned veteran, while possessing the skill set of a player entering a prime, all doing so with only a few years of NHL experience. Pietrangelo is already in discussion for the Norris trophy.

The Blues have a very special player in Alex Pietrangelo. If not already, he will soon be the unquestioned leader of the blue line for the St. Louis Blues. It's just a matter of time before he gets his hardware.