No one could have expected this, but the St. Louis Blues have a shot at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they make it, they could get a huge boost to their offense.Veteran forward Paul Kariya, who hasn't played since November 5, is having his surgically-repaired hips checked out. If all goes well, he could be available for the playoffs ... if St. Louis makes it.
Kariya had surgery similar to that of guys like Marian Gaborik, Alex Rodriguez, and Kurt Warner -- repairing torn labrums in his hips.
Blues president John Davidson applauded Kariya's dedication and said he wants to play, but told the Belleville News-Democrat that he'll leave a final decision up to Blues head coach Andy Murray.
"When he gets cleared, it's a coach's decision," Davidson said. "We've got a team that's played well and Paul hasn't played for a long time, so it all has to make some sense."It's not as easy a decision as you would think. The Blues have been playing exceptionally well down the stretch, putting themselves in position to make the playoffs after a not-so-great first half of the season. It's not just a matter of throwing Kariya back in the lineup. Someone has to come out of that lineup.
Murray is on the same page, perhaps realizing the heavy lifting done by Kariya's teammates to get to this point.
"Paul is out in Colorado and I understand the testing has gone really well," Murray said. "He's anxious to get back on the ice, I'm sure."
A tough call for even a smart head coach like Murray. Does Kariya play? If so, who does he replace? If the Blues make the playoffs, this will be an interesting decision.
