by BY JEREMY RUTHERFORD ¿ jrutherford@post-dispatch.com > 314-444-7135 , St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Kekalainen, the Blues' assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting, looked at each NHL draft and selected the players he felt would have the best pro careers. But as the draft picks piled up, Kekalainen created a roster of players who have a variety of skills, complementary strengths and weaknesses, and maybe most important, they play different positions.

The Blues could have as many as 11 of their own draft picks on the ice when the 2009-10 season begins in October: Barret Jackman, Jay McClement, D.J. King, T.J. Oshie, David Backes, David Perron, Patrik Berglund, Roman Polak, Erik Johnson, Ben Bishop and Alex Pietrangelo.

That's quite a transformation from the final playoff game of 2003-04, when the Blues had only five of their own drafted players on the roster: Jamal Mayers, Petr Cajanek, Jackman, Christian Backman and Reinhard Divis.

"This might sound stupid and na?ve, but it's not any more looking at the big picture than it is just trying to get good players," Kekalainen said Wednesday from Montreal, site of this week's NHL draft. "Perhaps a better way to define it is ... we're trying to draft impact players. We tried to go find the players with the upside. That's been our philosophy."

Of course, the more draft picks the team has - and the higher the picks - the easier it is to turn around a roster. Since the NHL lockout in 2004-05, the Blues have had 36 picks in four drafts, including seven first-round selections.

"Obviously the percentage is better when you're talking about a top-five pick every year ... especially these days when guys are more physically mature and you might get a guy that will make your team right off the bat," Kekalainen said. "But you can't get carried away. It shouldn't be a wild guess.

"You always have to look at putting a list together of who's going to have the best career. It's not about the first 100 games. It's not about the next two years. If it takes four years to get him to the NHL, but he plays 12 years in the league, I'd much rather take that guy than the guy that makes it in the league the next year, plays 100 games and then vanishes. I could give you 100 examples of that."

That was the Blues' reason for drafting Pietrangelo with the No. 4 overall pick last year. Even if the club had needed a forward, the Blues would have taken Pietrangelo because Kekalainen felt he had the best long-term upside of any player at their pick.

"I don't think you can (worry about positions)," Kekalainen said. "If the defenseman is the next guy on your list and is way better than the next forward, you've just got to take the defenseman. Then you've got to let the organization make the trade for a forward with the best player we've got. That's the way I see it."

It's the same logic Kekalainen used when he took Oshie No. 24 in 2005. "With his Hockey sense, we felt he was going to be a player," Kekalainen said.

And when he drafted Berglund No. 25 in 2006. "We felt that when he filled out, he would be a hell of a player," Kekalainen said.

And when they took Perron No. 26 overall in 2007.

"Everybody saw his skills, but we were impressed with his work ethic," Kekalainen said.

Slowly, the makings of a home-grown Blues roster have become evident. The team has grit and skill up front, toughness and puck-moving ability on the blue line and promising goaltending. Not necessarily by design, they have positional balance on their roster and in their system.

"I'm really happy with what Jarmo and the guys have done," Blues President John Davidson said. "We've had more picks than most teams, especially first-rounders, the last few years. We just want to do what's right ... do it patient, not impatient. It was a process to get to where we are today. I like what they've done, and I think one of the main things is, the character of the Blues is strong, and our city recognizes that."

Kekalainen, who recently signed a contract extension believed to be for two years, said he's comfortable with the freedom the club has given him. He said it's helped that Davidson has shared a similar philosophy with Blues general manager Larry Pleau regarding the types of players the Blues are seeking.

"They've always been on the same page," Kekalainen said. "JD has a lot of experience in Hockey. I think he tells us his opinion of the ultimate player, but he doesn't interfere in any way. I think they show us direction all the time of what our team might need in the future. But at the same time, they let us do our job."

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NHL DRAFT

ROUND 1

When: 6 p.m. Friday

TV: Versus

Blues pick: No. 17

ROUNDS 2-7

When: 9 a.m.

Saturday

TV: NHL Network

Blues picks: Rd. 2 (No. 48 overall), Rd. 3 (No. 78), Rd. 4 (No. 108), Rd. 6 (No. 167)

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