Players come and players go, that is part of being a fan of any team in any sport. That being said, I was very sorry to see the Blues part ways with Jamal Mayers. While I understand the financial reasons involved in moving him, it is tough to see him go. Mayers played the game right and ALWAYS gave a great effort on every shift. He wasn't the most skilled Blue, but he made it up with effort and dedication. As Brian Sutter always said..."Hard work is a skill, too". With limited offensive output, it's difficult to justify keeping him on the team at the salary they'd be paying him, but Mayers will be missed in St Louis.
Kudos to the Blues for their pick of Alex Pietrangelo with the 4th pick in the draft. He's maybe as NHL ready as anyone they could have picked, and I think he'll be contributing in the next year or two. Offensive defensemen like him are difficult to come by, and I commend the Blues for picking him, even though Defense may not be the biggest need for the franchise. He's already been compared favorably to Chris Pronger at the same age....and what is not to like about that? The potential pairing of Pietrangelo and Erik Johnson could provide a later-day MacInnis/Pronger combo.....although I fully recognize that it is way too early to make that kind of comparison.
Also out of the draft: I don't know if he can play at the NHL level or not, but it is good to see them draft Basil McRae's kid, Phillip. McRae was a fan favorite in St Louis (as he was most places he played), and it just feels like Good karma to have his son in the organization.
Finally, and maybe most importantly: getting Chris Mason for a 4th round pick from Nashville is a HUGE move for the Blues. Manny Legace had to play way too many games last year, particularly down the stretch as the team faltered. Andy Murray lost more and more confidence in Toivenen as the year progressed, and the Blues had no choice but to over-use Legace. Mason gives them a solid backup, if not a co-#1 goalie, and certainly strengthens the position. The highly-touted Toivenen's future may have to be elsewhere.
In effect, the Blues swapped Mayers for Mason, and moved up one round in the draft, given the exchange of a 4th round pick for Mason and the 3rd round pick they got for Mayers. All in all, a good week's work for John Davidson.
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