Blues players join canadian national team
 

Along with Andy Murray Blues player Barret Jackman, Eric Brewer, and Jamal Mayers will join the canadian national team.

Fully Story
http://www.stlouisblues.com/news/0607/070413a.html

Awesome for Mayers.

Petr Cajanek and Radek Dvorak will join Czech national team.

Can anybody tell me what Jamal Mayers will provide for Canada?

How about speed, forechecking, penalty killing, hitting, and right handed faceoff specialist?

So I should be pleased:)

Not really. He'll be okay as a fourth liner, but I find his defensive reads overrated and he has no hands to speak of. Good skater though, and he'll stick up for his teammates.

Stempniak has also just been named to the USA team. I heard something about Backes but cant confirm.

I can confirm that Backes will be playing for Team USA.

He is good on the PK.

and Jay McClement ?? What kind of a player is he?

Warm bench.

Realistically, it will depend on who else Canada can get after the first round. Mayers might be OK on the PK, but will probably be second line PK. Game-wise I'd put him at 3rd or 4th line. Probably 4th if they're going for a speedy, defensively-minded 4th line. (BTW, his +/- is disgusting.)

I'd probably put McClement on third.

Mayers had 2 goals in game 1 for Canada vs. Germany. Jax also had an assist. Way to go Jammer, the guy can play when he's motivated, but..........good luck with that.

Mayer's goal was also the game winner. Also Stempniak score a game winner for USA.

Good for Jamal. Maybe this is a preview of his becoming a scorer next season. I think he can score 15-17 goals and 30 points if his progress continues, and he gets a good amount of playing time. That would be pretty good for a 3rd/4th liner with no appreciable PP time. A couple of shorties on breakaways would be nice, too.

*** are you talking about? this has to be one of the most misguided posts I've ever read. You think Mayers lacks motivation? Are you out of your mind? The one thing this guy has going for his is he busts it on every shift. He's plenty motivated. If motivation were skills he'd be a madman. He works and skates as hard as any Blues player. I don't know what Jammer you're referring to but it isn't the one that plays for the Blues.
And no, he can't play. At all. He's got great wheels but no hands whatsoever. So you're totally wrong on both counts. He's constantly motivated and he basically can't play, except for his really good skating. He has no shot to speak of and he's an inept playmaker. His defensive reads are vastly overrated and he's not that great of a faceoff man, although that's what he does best, other than forecheck. He can't play. Either way you're wrong.

well, sorry to be a jerk but you're off base in your assesment of Mayers as well. To begin with Mayers has stopped "progressing." He's 32. What you see is what you get. No more. He will NEVER hit 17 goals a year unless goalies suddenly go both blind and deaf at midpoint of next year. Then he may have a shot at it. He's lucky to get 17 points a year, his skills are so weak.
C'mon folks...

Jackman Interview
 

Hey all,

Barret Jackman looked good in his game today with team Canada.

If you are interested one of the writers for my website had a chance to interview Barret on Thursday.

Don't get offended because I am listing a link to my site ... if you have a problem with it don't go there. I am not doing this for promotion ... just thought you'd like to hear one of your players talk about an exciting opportunity.

Listen

They'd also have to move the net about 5 feet to left. Heart and soul guy, but 4th liner.

I don't agree. I've watched him play for 10 years now. It's true that most 32 year olds aren't improving in their game. But Jamal was still improving in his offensive game when he had his bad injury. Before that, he was on a pace for goals in the high teens. True, he doesn't have the softest hands, or the best moves on breakaways, and his shot isn't very accurate. But his offensive game was improving every year up until the injury, and he seemed to be looking a little better again this season. Of course, at best, he's the muscle guy on line3, or a 4th liner/PK specialist. The Blues might be better off NOT having him score 15-17 goals. Because if he does that, it means that they played him a lot on line3, or even a little on line2 in emergencies, and he got a little PP time. All that would mean they had a really weak forward roster, and a lot of injuries to boot (a la 2005-06).

But he's been on his way to 15 goals a couple times when injuries popped up or changes in linemates or playing time cut that off. It could happen, even in a situation that isn't indicative of Blues' weak compliment of forwards.

Jammers main problem is OVERTHINKING his next move. Instead of powering the puck to/in the net, he will try a move that he is incapable of acheiving. He needs to think more like Drake, and less like Weight. Despite this MINOR problem, his heart is huge.

I agree. He tries to play above his skill level sometimes, and not stick to his main strengths as a player. Other then that he is a good player, and he always gives a max effort.

What I look for in Jamal Mayers is not regular season goal scoring. I simply don't care if he scores 8 goals on the season or 17. It is one of those things that does not matter. At all. I have never understood the point of the arguments that focus on this subject. What does either conclusion have to do with winning the Cup? Seriously, why does this matter? If getting into the playoffs depends on that tiny increment (averaged out to one goal every 9 games and assumes equal ice time), then the team is too fragile anyway.

I care that in a western Conference Final series against Colorado, the guy comes through in the clutch. His whole style of play screams "kind of role player a Cup winner needs to have." That's what I care about. And that is why teams wanted him at the deadline.

I never intended the post to mean that his scoring 50% more goals would bring The Stanley Cup to St. Louis. And I DID mention above that if he does so based on increased playing time it would be indicative of a weak Blues forward corps.

I was merely happy for him that he played well and got some recognition for it on the international stage. Sorry that I'm causing wasted space and time here.

My post was a general one – not aimed at anyone in particular. I was expressing my opinion on a subject that has come up on Blues boards for many years. The anti-Mayers people call him a 4th line slug who can’t score, the pro-Mayers people point out all his other attributes and argue back about his regular season production having an upside.

My point was just that the argument about regular season goal scoring is misplaced. I am strongly pro-Mayers and always have been. But it’s not because of anything regular-season related. Don’t take it personally.