HOCKEY'S HERE: ST. LOUIS BLUES

It's time to air out your gear, sharpen your skates and tape your stick -- it's hockey season. Sure, your team flat-out ached last season, but there's hope, unless you're an Islanders fan. In that spirit, Out of Left Field is here with early looks at all 30 NHL teams. Presenting: The St. Louis Blues.

Last season: 57 points, last in Central Division; missed playoffs
Coach: Mike Kitchen
Young gun: Jay McClement
Store this name away: Magnus Kahnberg (acquired last season in the Doug Weight deal)
Hey, get a load of the new guys: Manny Legace, Jay McKee
Blogs (including but not limited to): Blue Note Blog, St. Louis Game Time
Pop culture moment: Um, uh ... has there been a TV movie of the week about Mike Danton yet?

Already have a title for the '06-07 Blues highlight film: St. Louis... Nowhere To Go But Up. The Blues are the only organization in the history of sports to fail to show up for the draft (amazingly, neither Ottawa CFL team ever did this, although the Rough Riders did draft a dead guy once), but last season was the franchise's absolute all-time nadir. With an unsettled ownership situation, free agents avoided the Blues like they were selling anthrax at the concession stand, and predictably, they fell hard. To add insult to injury, they had to watch their one-time No. 1 centre, Doug Weight, play against their top defenceman, Chris Pronger, in the Stanley Cup final. That had to hurt.

The cupboard was pretty bare, but new GM John Davidson has come out of the TV booth and has upgraded the team -- acquiring Weight, who won the Cup with Carolina as a rent-a-player, adding Amherstview's Jay McKee to anchor the defence and signing Manny Legace to fill the void in goal. The other newcomer, Bill Guerin, is on the wind-down portion of his career, but the one-time Stanley Cup winner can at least be a positive influence on the dressing-room culture.

The playoffs are a reach, but this Blues bunch will at least finish ahead of the Blackhawks in the Central.

Also in Central Division: Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Nashville Predators

Back with more later. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca