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JR Live

Blues beat writer Jeremy Rutherford goes one-on-one with readers from 1-2 p.m. Thursday in a live chat.
Thursday, September 9, 2010 01:00 PM CDT

comments & answers

Hodo51: I saw that Kyle Wellwood just got a "tryout" with Phoenix. Im not saying that the Blues should have got him but why was he still out there? Seems like he has always been a pretty decent 2/3 line center with some offensive upside. Also still only 27. I mean, if D'Agostini and whatever random players we signed over the past few months are our other options for a center on a 3/4 line seems like he would have at least been something to look at...

I usually take the oppurtunity in these chats to rant about Brewer not having the C next year but IM sure you had plenty of that today so Ill zip it...
Jeremy Rutherford: 1. Wellwood was OK in Vancouver. I remember the media in Vancouver not being too enamoured with his play, and obviously they saw him pretty regularly. It's clear the Blues want to go with who they have, right or wrong. Armstrong told the St. Louis media a couple of days ago that they believe in D'Agostini. They think he never got in a rhythm after the trade from Montreal last year. They think a fresh start will help.

2. Thank you.
Jeremy Rutherford: I'm chatting today from Scottrade Center, where the Jaroslav Halak press conference just wrapped up. I finished a story a couple of minutes ago and it will be posted soon on STLtoday.com and on my twitter account: @jprutherford. Let's get chatting ...
Darryl: With King gone how many games will Janssen play? And who will he be fighting over a lineup stop with? The last couple years it was King and Dan Hinote.
Jeremy Rutherford: That's a good question. Obviously Janssen wants to play 82, but I don't think that'll happen. The most he's played in the NHL in one season was 56 two years ago with the Blues. That number sounds about right, maybe a few more.
clem: Hey, JR. I read where Davis Payne's going to experiment with various line combinations during training camp and preseason, but were there any duos that worked well last season? I thought McClement and Steen worked on the third line. Do you see any more duos that might stay together (or should stay together)?
Jeremy Rutherford: I read that, too. Oh yeah, I mean I wrote it. Just kiddding.

Backes and Oshie worked well, Perron and Berglund, McClement and Steen. Payne is going to mix up the lines in camp, but you will definitely see those groupings at some point early in the season.

I think you're going to see Payne stick with lines longer than Andy Murray did. I still believe Murray had a right to change them at times - they weren't working. But several players have said to Payne that they need more time to create chemistry.
clem: Hey, JR. In July, you wrote an article discussing the Blues improving from within. In that article, there was quote attributed to Brad Boyes -- "I need to get back to playing with an open mind and being the goal scorer that I know I can be." Can you elaborate on what he meant by "playing with an open mind?" I have my theories, but better to let you speak for him than me just speculate. The Blues really need him to regain his scoring touch, whether with an open, closed or cluttered mind.
Jeremy Rutherford: Boyes was basically saying that he can't clutter his brain, thinking about why he's not scoring. With 43 goals a few years ago, he knows that he can score in the NHL. But he's said numerous times that when a new season begins, he feels like he's never scored before. Everybody close to him says it's a confidence issue. He just wants to straighten out his confidence and keep a clear mind.