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head coach: Joel Quenneville

season results: 36W-35L-11T, 83 points.
Fourth Central Division, Sixth Western Conference.

roster: C - Pierre Turgeon, Craig MacTavish, Harry York, Jim Campbell, Craig Conroy. LW - Geoff Courtnall, Tony Twist, Stephane Matteau, Scott Pellerin, Mike Peluso. RW - Brett Hull, Joe Murphy, Brian Noonan, Steve Leach, Robert Petrovicky, Pavol Demitra. D - Al MacInnis, Chris Pronger, Igor Kravchuk, Marc Bergevin, Trent Yawney, Ricard Persson, Chris McAlpine. G - Grant Fuhr, Jon Casey.

final rankings:

GOALS SCORED:      236 (14th)   
GOALS AGAINST:     239 (14th)
POWER PLAY:      15.3% (15th)
PENALTY KILLING: 83.4% (14th) 

team news: Jim Iovino, Blues Correspondent

Another season of hope turned into another season of frustration for the St. Louis Blues. With a 36-35-11 record the Bluenotes finished in the fourth spot in their division for the fourth time in the past five seasons. And for the second season in a row, the Blues were ousted from the playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings, this time in six games in the first round.

But despite all of the heartache, there was at least one positive St. Louis can take from this past season -- the team fired Mike Keenan. Keenan's tumultuous stay in St. Louis lasted just two and a half seasons, but oh what joy he brought the city in that short time span. That last sentence smelled a little bit like sarcasm...

To the ire of Blues fans everywhere, Keenan, the team's former head coach and GM, traded away some of the most popular players. By the time his tenure ended in December, Keenan shipped off Brendan Shanahan, who later won the Cup with Detroit, to Hartford, Curtis Joseph to Edmonton and Steve Duchesne to Ottawa. The constant shuffling of players did wonders for the team's chemistry and morale. No one was sure who would be in Keenan's doghouse or heading out the door next. Finally, after much deliberation, the Blues decided enough was enough. They chose to eat the rest of Keenan's huge contract, which was still valid for three and a half seasons, instead of letting him destroy their team anymore.

In Keenan's place behind the bench, the Blues hired Colorado assistant coach Joel Quenneville. Quenneville didn't have a lot of skill to work with, but he did have enough to get his team into the playoffs. The team was 15-17-1 when Quenneville took over.

Brett Hull, who often feuded with Keenan, was still around after Keenan's axing. Hull scored 42 goals (82 points) in 77 games, including the 500th of his career, to lead the team. Former Montreal Canadien captain Pierre Turgeon arrived late in the season and led the team in points with 85 in 78 games. Turgeon was acquired from the Habs along with Craig Conroy and Rory Fitzpatrick for Shayne Corson, Murray Baron and a fifth-round draft pick in 1997.

The defense was led by Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger. MacInnis was his usual steady self along the blue line. Daddy Mac blasted home 13 goals and added 30 assists this past season while logging a ton of ice time. Pronger also received more than his share of playing time, as well. Pronger's young legs helped him rack up the minutes on the ice and in the penalty box. The man who was acquired for Shanahan scored 11 goals, 35 assists and 143 penalty minutes.

While those four players mentioned above can compete with just about anyone in the league, the problem with the Blues was their lack of depth. Offensively, Hull and Turgeon were about the only constant threats to the opposition. Geoff Courtnall and Joe Murphy, who were being counted on to add scoring, didn't come through. Courtnall recorded just 17 goals and 57 points in 82 games. Murphy, who Keenan signed to a big contract in the off-season, scored just 20 goals and 45 points.

Defensively, the team relied on just four regulars: MacInnis, Pronger, Marc Bergevin and Igor Kravchuk. Keenan never addressed his thin blue line during his tenure, so Quenneville inherited the problem when he took over. This lack of depth really hurt the Blues against the Wings in the playoffs. A team can't win games with just four defensemen, no matter how good they are. The Blues attempted to patch the holes with players like Ricard Persson, Libor Zabransky, Trent Yawney and Jamie Rivers, but the talent just wasn't there.

Perhaps the only person that saved the Blues defense from total collapse was Grant Fuhr. The aging netminder was brilliant throughout the season, considering the serious knee injury he suffered in the playoffs last year. Fuhr was able to start out this season just as strong as he was before the injury. He appeared in 73 games, posted a 33-27-11 record, a 2.72 GAA, a .901 save percentage and three shutouts. Why did a 34-year-old goalie have to play in 73 games? Because Jon Casey was the backup. The ever-shaky Casey was 3-8 with a 3.39 GAA and a .866 save percentage. Ugh.

TEAM MVP: A strong case could be made for team MVP honors going to Fuhr, but our choice has to go to Pronger. There has been a great deal of pressure on Pronger ever since he came to the Blues in exchange for Shanahan in 1995. The 22-year-old defenseman has had to endure a lot of boos from Blues fans as he tried to play at the NHL level and improve his game at the same time. The fans weren't necessary against Pronger, but rather they were angry that Keenan traded away one of the most popular players in St. Louis history.

It looks as if Pronger is finally turning all of his potential into solid NHL skills. He looks comfortable at the blue line for the first time since he joined the league in 1993. Pronger's offensive rose significantly this season -- he set career highs in goals (11) and points (35). Pronger also set a career high in penalty minutes with 143. While he still has trouble at times with his temper, he was much more in control of himself this season. Pronger's improvement was also noticed in the plus/minus category. Despite playing more minutes than just about everyone else on the team, Pronger led the Blues with a +15 rating, a great improvement over the -18 he posted last season.

SURPRISES: The play of rookie Jim Campbell. The Blues signed Campbell, who was a free agent, away from the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the off-season because they needed some help with their depth at the center position. I doubt the Blues knew it at the time, but Campbell proved to be more valuable to the team than expected. Because of the lack of production from Courtnall and Murphy, Campbell's offense was greatly appreciated. In 68 games, Campbell scored 23 goals, 43 points and was a +3. Campbell probably would have done even better had he not needed surgery to repair a severed ligament in his right hand. The injury knocked him out of the lineup at a time when he was just starting to get comfortable with the team. After he returned to the lineup, he struggled to find his game.

Campbell's play impressed many. Surprisingly, he was nominated for the Calder Trophy for the rookie of the year. Bryan Berard won the award, but Campbell was still chosen for the all-rookie team. Campbell was originally drafted by the Canadiens in the second round of the 1991 draft, but didn't see any NHL action until last season, when he played in 16 games for the Ducks and scored five points. The Ducks acquired Campbell from the Habs in 1996 for Robert Dirk.

DISAPPOINTMENTS: Geoff Courtnall and Joe Murphy. Perhaps there was too much pressure on them to begin with, considering their lack of production last season, but the pair of costly wingers didn't do squat for the Blues this season. As said earlier, Courtnall scored just 17 goals and 57 points while Murphy tallied 20 goals and 45 points.

Because of their struggles, the Blues were able to introduce some younger players into the lineup like Harry York, who started the season out on fire but quickly cooled off, Craig Conroy, Scott Pellerin, Robert Petrovicky and Pavol Demitra. Considering that the Blues have one of the largest payrolls in the league, it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that some of these younger players will take over Courtnall and Murphy's jobs next season. Either one of them could be traded before training camp begins.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES: Small tinkering has already begun in St. Louis, but a major overhaul could be right around the corner. The Blues picked up defenseman Alexander Godynyuk from the Whale (Hurricanes) for Steve Leach and a draft pick. Godynyuk will add a name to the depth chart, but little else. Because of injuries, the pricey Leach played in just 17 games for the Blues last season. The Blues also sent Mike Peluso to the New York Rangers as compensation for the signing of Larry Pleau to fill the vacated general manager position.

What could happen? Courtnall and Murphy could be shipped out, there are always rumors of a Brett Hull trade, Turgeon is a free agent and MacInnis has just one year left on his current contract. Keep an eye on the Blues this summer. It could be a busy one.