Blues 2010-2011 Grades

As with any team in any sport, the season eventually comes to an end. Sometimes with a solid playoff appearance, many times not even that far and most rarely of all with a championship victory. Then comes the lull for the fans. Fans of a championship team have the privilege to celebrate for weeks before beginning to think about the next year. But for the rest of us, reflection of the season that was sets in. Excitement, optimism, worry and panic for the next year are a few months away. In order to gain closure on the Blues 2010-2011 season lets look at each individual, grading their performance. For the NHL challenged, each player will also be compared to another athlete so you can get a feel for what type of player each Blue is.

Order: # of games played, least to most

Ben Bishop: 7gp, 2.76 GAA .899 SV% - B-
Chaminade grad Bishop gets a B- on the year. This is the type of B- where you're sitting on a 79.5% but the teacher mercifully bumps you up. He had 2 outstanding games, 2 good games, and 3 stinkers. The potential is there but the consistency isn't. He's a lot like Rick Porcello of the Detroit Tigers. Potential is there but how much? You wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a solid #2 pitcher, (solid NHL starter) or a decent #3/4 pitcher (good NHL backup). Only time will tell.




David Perron: 10gp, 5g 2a 7p - I
Perron obviously gets an I for incomplete but for those who don't know about David, our own Colby Rasmus may be a good comparison. Both entered the league with tons of potential, and as their teams possible future cornerstone. It took a few seasons to adjust and get rolling but now its their time to shine. Rasmus is already on fire early this year and most assume he'll play this way throughout his career. Perron's season unfortunately was cut short, but also is also ready to put up big numbers early in his career.

Adam Cracknell: 23gp, 3g 4a 7p - B
I had to skip a lot of Peoria guys that came up to fill in for injuries, but when I got to Cracknell I had to put him in. He's awesome. Keep in mind these grades are to each players ability, if Ovechkin put up these stats he'd have an F. Cracknell is kind of like Aaron Miles, only not a goateed midget. I had to use Miles because he's the only obvious borderline AAA/MLB player I know. He's great and all, but you cheer for him because he's the little guy that doesn't seem like he belongs. They're both hard workers, that's all that matters.

Ty Conklin: 25gp, 3.22 GAA .881 SV% - C
We never were expecting a lot out of Conk block, but he was never the fill in shut em down goalie that we needed to stop losing streaks. Hence the average C, although he still was a nice veteran presence for a super young team. Conks is the equivalent to Jon Kitna of the Cowboys. Second fiddle to an up and coming superstar, but is always ready to do an average to job when needed.

Chris Stewart: 26 gp, 15g 8a 23p - A
The stats speak for themselves, easy A. He's comparable to Evan Longoria but younger and more of a badass. However I will say if I must come up with a complaint, he seems to come and go at times like David Backes. But when he is hot, watch out.

Kevin Shattenkirk: 26gp, 2g 15a 17p - A
Also an easy A. As you can see I think that midseason trade was a bit of a steal in our favor. Captain Kirk had 17 points for the Blues in 26 games, while Erik Johnson had 19 in 55 games. Shattenkirks comp would be someone like Jeremy Hellickson. The potential is good not great, but almost a guarantee that it will be reached.

Ian Cole: 26gp, 1g 3a 4p +6 - B
Ian is a tough player to judge. Why? Because he's yet another young player with potential. He played well for the most part, and most people (as do I) believe he'll make the starting roster next year. He's solid but hopefully will continue to develop and add depth to the defense. Cole compares to Danario Alexander of the Rams. Adds good depth, has potential, but isn't gonna make or break the bank.

TJ Oshie: 49gp, 12g 22a 34p - B-
TJ had a tough break (literally) with the ankle this year which makes this tough to grade. He seems to be two faced with his play offensively which brings the grade down. It was his third year, and expectations should be surfacing. But ultimately how low of a grade can you give to the team's spark plug. Oshie provides energy on countless nights and always plays at 100%. He's like little yet energetic Nate Robinson of the Thunder.

Roman Polak: 55gp, 3g 9a 12p - B
Roman solidifies the defense well, and was fantastic last year. However this year wasn't overly impressive. Nonetheless he's a key component of our D and someone I fully trust to be great next year. He's comparable to the Bear's Pisa Tinoisamoa.

Jaroslav Halak: 57gp, 2.48 GAA .910 SV% - C+
Jaro had pretty large expectations coming in, but that didn't seem to phase him in his red hot month of October. Unfortunately the months of November and January weren't so great. Halak battled injury midway through, but overall didn't maintain enough focus throughout the season to impress me. He is certainly capable of being a top 5 goaltender however, making him comparable to Matt Ryan.

Andy McDonald: 58gp, 20g 30a 50p - A-
Andy was fantastic when he wasn't hurt. He was on pace to put up the 3rd most points in his career, and provided a great spark on offense. Andy is always reliable and nowadays is a mentor to the younger Blues. I think a younger Placido Polanco is a fair assessment.

Barret Jackman: 60gp, 0g 13a 13p - B-
Maybe this is a harsh grade, but when I think of Jackman I always think of how he won the Calder Trophy (rookie of the yr) in 02-03. (Ok, I also think of the goal he gave up in the 09 playoffs vs Vancouver, and how much he looks like a seal) But Jackman used to be a shut down D-man. He still could be/should be, and thats what the Blues need out of him and Polak. However he's fallen a bit short the last few years; I hope he channels his 21 yr old self again next year. He'd be comparable to Carlos Bocanegra, USA soccer defender and captain. He's got the leadership and decent D skills, but his better days are behind him.

Carlo Colaiacovo: 65gp, 6g 20a 26p - B+
Carlo did well this year, especially considering he took a frozen puck to the eye towards the end. However maybe the best thing about Carlo was the relationship he developed with Alex Pietrangelo. Lets hope he can mentor him along into the Pronger the organization has needed for years. Freddy Sanchez of the Giants is the best I can do with this one. Someone who's not great, but you want on your team.

Alex Steen: 72gp, 20g 31a 51p - A-
Who knew Steen could be this good when the Blues acquired him and Carlo for Stempniak. Steen has been what the Blues are all about. He's a great two way player that can do it all. He scores when need be and like Oshie always plays at 100%. Manu Ginobili is a good comparison.

Alex Pietrangelo: 79gp, 11g 32a 43p - A
Alex is obviously the new face of the organization, that was made clear by the fact that #1 overall pick Erik Johnson was traded. Pietrangelo is only 21 and is hopefully exactly what the franchise needs on the defensive end. He's solid defensively, skates well, and moves the puck well. He's pretty much a combination of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr. Or for a more realistic comparison, Buster Posey. Both are the young futures of their organization.

BJ Crombeen: 80gp, 7g 7a 14p - B+
Apparently BJ is at least a durable player, playing more games than almost anyone else. BJ is a rough and tough customer who's always got the teams back and is willing to do whatever the coach needs. Most sports don't have agitating role players such as Crombeen but Ron Artest with almost no offensive skills seems pretty fair.

Matt D'Agostini: 82gp, 21g 25a 46p - A+
Matt D'Agostini was the best surprise of the year, going bananas with 21 goals. He had 14 goals through 101 games previously in his career. Matt is only 24 years old and hopefully will continue to be a great two way player, much like Alex Steen. He only adds more depth and more youth to an already solid young team. Nick Swisher is a decent comparison, only unlike Nick, Matt doesn't have a funnel going toward the net every time he shoots.

David Backes: 82gp, 31g 31a 62p - A
David doesn't get an A+ because as well as he played, he's got more in the tank. He has potential to be a 40 goal scorer, and one of the best overall players in the league. David was snubbed of a nomination for the Selke Trophy (best two way forward) this year. Kesler, Datsyuk, and Toews all got the nod before David, which when you look at the stats is ridiculous. David not only is more physical than those three combined, making him a more complete player, but he had a +32 rating highest among all forwards and second only to possible Norris winner Zdeno Chara. David is one of the best players in the league and is only getting better. All-star snub Lamarcus Aldridge of the Trail Blazers is a good comparison.