When evaluating the St. Louis Blues this there are a number of individuals responsible for the season they’ve had.

Starting with Captain David Backes and D-man Alex Pietrangelo there are several players on the Blues roster you might consider underappreciated. Also throw in T.J. Oshie who is in the midst of putting together his best season as a pro. 

“The 60-game report has been positive now the next 20 games plus hopefully the playoffs is when you define yourself,” said GM Doug Armstrong.

Last summer Oshie signed a one-year extension as the Blues wanted more time to further evaluate the former first-round pick. I’ve heard a two-year deal was also on the table but both sides agreed to play out one more season and go from there. The Blues wanted Oshie to define who he is as a player and that picture is becoming clearer by the day. 

By the end of this year Oshie will likely set new highs in pretty much every offensive category. There’s little this guy can’t do on the ice but it might be his commitment away from the game that’s led to him enjoying a career year.

“All young players have to come to grips with what it takes to be a pro,” said Armstrong.

Few players take the same path during the course of their career. For Oshie there have been a few bumps but you can’t help but be impressed with how he’s handled it.

Some players tend to figure things out right away while for others it might take a few years. There are even some who never figure it out and these guys typically fizzle out of the league.

There’s no secret behind those who enjoy long NHL careers. In most cases it’s the commitment off the ice that separates one guy from the next. Many of you have heard the stories of Al Macinnis, Gary Roberts, Rod Brind’amour, Mark Messier or most recently Jason Arnott.

Armstrong went on to say the best way to ensure a long career is to be in the top 10% when it comes to conditioning.

Understanding the importance of rest, how to prepare, and proper diet are area’s Oshie has shown great strides. It’s pretty hard to compete at the highest level without making this commitment. You can probably get by with natural ability for the first few years but after that you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage.

 
Oshie has been hit with his share of injuries including last year when he missed 31 games following ankle surgery. The ankle injury was more circumstance than anything, pretty hard to avoid a player pulling you down from behind and getting your ankle caught under your body. To suggest he’s injury prone wouldn’t be fair or accurate.

The former North Dakota standout has always been a player described as having a high pain tolerance. Playing through pain is part of the business and Oshie is a good as anyone at dealing with the bruises that comes with an 82 game schedule. Considering his style of play, he needs to be able to handle pain. There’s no way he could continue to play the way he does and stay healthy without turning his training up a notch.

It’s Oshie’s game on the ice that’s expected to reward him this summer. He’s a diverse player who brings more value than can be measured through stats alone. Oshie finds a way to make an impact virtually every time he touches the ice. Whether it’s a hit, a play in the defensive end, or creating offense, he plays in every situation and gives Head Coach Ken Hitchcock close to 20 hard minutes every night. 

Playing with David Backes and David Perron is proving to be one of the better combinations Blues fans have seen in quite some time.

Sources say things remain very quiet on the negotiation front between Oshie and the Blues. Looking around the league there are some contracts you can look at in terms of finding comparables. One is Chicago forward Dave Bolland who’s in the third year of a five-year deal averaging $3.375 per season.  Oshie will certainly do better than the two-year $5 million deal Bruins forward Brad Marchand signed last summer. Both Bolland and Marchand have Stanley Cup championships on their resume.

Backes and his $4.5 million average likely caps Oshie out.  To suggest he can fetch a long-term contract in the $3-to-$4 million range is probably accurate.
 
More importantly Oshie needs to be recognized for how he’s taken care of his business away from the game. He’s done everything the Blues have asked him to do and that can’t be overlooked. 

How to read into Blues road issues? 

It’s hard to get a firm evaluation on the Blues play away from home considering they haven’t played that many road games. That’s about to change in the coming days. You can’t ignore their recent inability to win in cities like Detroit or Chicago but then again the Blues aren’t the only team to struggle in these buildings.

The real test is coming with 13 of their next 16 on the road. You know the Blues are aware of the nightmare Chicago recently went through and they’ll obviously want to avoid going through a similar situation. Teams like LA and now San Jose have also endured long stretches on the road.

You can’t ignore the fact the Blues have also beaten some good teams on the road this season including Philadelphia, Washington, Vancouver, San Jose, and most recently Ottawa and New Jersey.

It’s the games like Columbus that stick out and can’t happen.

The Blues will need to win a big game on the road if they expect to do anything in the playoffs. It starts with producing more offense, it’s going to take more than one goal on the road to win.

Berglund showing signs of life…

The sign of a good player is one that makes others better. Andy McDonald has certainly raised the level of Patrik Berglund’s play. Berglund may have been the Blues best player in Chicago.

Jaro Halak was back on the ice this morning after missing two games with the flu. Chris Porter, Alex Steen, and Carlo Colaiacovo joined Halak as the rest of the team was off.  

 Hall of Famer Bernie Federko joins me tonight on Blues Buzz live from Johnny Mac’s on Watson road. The show starts at 6:00 and can be heard on am 590 the Fan.

More to come,
Andy Strickland
Strickland.andy@gmail.com