More surgery for Capt. Brewer…

With Blues Captain, Eric Brewer, still recovering from back surgery and that sciatic nerve issue, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on Thursday in Vancouver. According to Jeremy Rutherford of the Post-Dispatch, Brewer “tweaked” his knee whilst rehabbing.

Obviously, he won’t be available for the start of the season and there’s no return date set. Brewer had skated a few times since his previous surgery in April but there appeared to be little or no firm information on how well he had been progressing.

The Blues could be keeping things close to their chests – in case they need to delve into the trade market for another D-Man – but it seems unlikely. With the recent acquisition of Brendan Bell, not to mention the availability of Alex Pietrangelo, the Blues will head into the season with a young and relatively inexperienced D corps.

Jackman, Colaiacovo and Weaver are coming off good seasons. Polak had a good first season and will look to improve upon that this year after recently signing a 2 year contract extension. EJ’s return is highly anticipated but it will obviously take time for him to get back into his stride. Brendan Bell has 101 NHL games under his belt – he’s a left handed shot and is a good offensive d-man. Pietrangelo will look to solidify his position and not be sent back to juniors. The Blues also have Tyson Strachan, Jonas Junland and Steve Wagner currently on the outside looking in.

Of course, a bit more experience wouldn’t go amiss but the Blues shouldn’t be rushed into anything. Let’s see how things go with the youngsters.

Blues hire Ed Belfour

The Blues have hired ex-NHL goalie, Ed Belfour, as a goaltending consultant. It appears that he will be working primarily in Peoria and Alaska with the minor league goalies.

Rick Wamsley will continue in St Louis and recently signed a 2 year extension. John Davidson commented today in a news release:

“Ed is one of the winngest goaltenders in National Hockey League history and we’re thrilled to have him on our staff. His knowledge of the position will be invaluable for our goaltenders in Peoria and the young goalies in our organization.”

He’s back…

Who? Our very own six million dollar man, Paul Kariya. There’s a great article/interview with Kariya by Jeremy Rutherford in the STL Post-Dispatch which details how hard he’s been training to get back in shape.

The interview is continued in Rutherford’s Morning Skate. I’ve got to admit that it’s all extremely encouraging. I rate Kariya very highly – he’s not just a speedster, he has great vision, great hands and makes players around him better.