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Here Come the Blues...

Given how far they fell last season, is any team more poised for improvement this fall than the St. Louis Blues? Yesterday, they added veteran winger Martin Rucinsky, who totalled 55 points in 52 games for the Rangers last season. Add in defenseman Jay McKee, forward Bill Guerin and the returning Doug Weight, and they're making progress in putting a competitive team on the ice each night, which wasn't the case last year when they finished at the bottom of the NHL standings.

So what else will new President John Davidson need to add to this mix? A veteran offensive defenseman would help lift that woeful power play out of the doldrums, and an experienced goaltender (Manny Legace?) could assist with the development of Curtis Sanford, who in 34 games last year put up some decent numbers, including a 7-1-1 stretch in his final 9 starts.

The best news for Davidson is that he has plenty of room left under the cap, and the fans in St. Louis will support a decent payroll once they see the front office showing signs of competitiveness once again. There's a long, solid hockey tradition in St. Louis, and we might just witness a rejuvenation of it this upcoming season. 

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