By: Ryan Dadoun

Paul Kariya is a player to watch closely over the next few games. He’s on a nine-game pointless streak, been taken off the Blues' top two scoring lines and off the power-play units. To add to the drama, yesterday the Blues owner Dave Checketts attacked the team over it’s slow start. It’s time to see how Kariya responds.

Personally, I don’t think his time has past, but he needs to prove he’s still the impact player we’ve come to know. The Blues are getting impatient with the team’s slow start, as evidence by them sticking Kariya on the third line. If he breaks out over the next few games than all will be forgiven and he might start getting ice time with the man advantage. If he continues to struggle, than this will become the new reality and fantasy owners will be forced to move on.

Like Checketts said on Friday in reference to his team, the wait is over. That applies to Kariya too. It’s time for him to show us what he can do, for better or worse.

On a different subject, if you're interested in the business side of the NHL, you may be interested to know that the Forbes' 2009 list of NHL's team value have been released. Not surprisingly, the Toronto Maple Leafs top the list despite their continued struggles on the ice. The average NHL franchise's net worth is now at $223 million, $3 million higher than it was a year ago.