Heading into this season expectations were high for the St. Louis Blues. 

Having missed the playoffs in the first three post-NHL lockout seasons the club overcame a slow first half to last season, finishing strong down the stretch to qualify for the 2009 playoffs. 

Despite being swept out of the post-season in the opening round by the Vancouver Canucks the feeling amongst Blues fans and some outside observers was the Blues long rebuilding post-lockout plan was finally bearing fruit. 

So it's not difficult to understand the disappointment felt by Blues fans as their team is stuck in the basement of the Central Division and sitting above only Anaheim and Minnesota in the Western Conference standings. 

So what's with the Blues faltering start to this season?

The most

One of the top power forwards in NHL history has called it a career as Brendan Shanahan today officially announced his retirement. 

This announcement has been expected for several weeks in the wake of the New Jersey Devils reaching an agreement with Shanahan releasing him from his contract with the club during pre-season. 

Shanahan retires with an impressive resume of statistics which will one day see him enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 

As per the NHL press release:

Shanahan finishes his career in 11th place on the NHL’s all-time goal scoring list with 656 goals. He stands 11th in games played with 1,524, 22nd in penalty minutes with 2,489, 23rd in points with 1,354 and 49th in assists with 698. He is the only player in NHL history to amass more than 2,000

- The St. Louis Blues this past week signed former Dallas Stars defenseman Darryl Sydor to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Sydor, 37, attended Blues training camp on a tryout basis and is seen as an affordable replacement for Jay McKee, whom the Blues bought out of his contract this summer. 

His considerable playoff experience (he played in five Stanley Cup finals, winning the Cup with Dallas and Tampa Bay) and leadership should make him a good addition to this young Blues team.

- The New Jersey Devils brought in some much-needed veteran depth at center last week, signing former Anaheim Duck Rob Niedermayer to a one-year contract worth $1 million. 

Niedermayer, 34, has considerable NHL experience especially in the post-season (playing on Cup finalists in Florida and