Maybe it's both. There is definitely a need for a veteran leader for the Blues, who got much younger this offseason. There's an even bigger need for power-play scoring. The Blues need to land a big-name player to energize their ticket sales. And there's no bigger thirty-something name in St. Louis hockey circles than Shanahan.

Pal Jeremy Rutherford reports the Blues have made known their interest in Shanahan, an unrestricted free agent whose most likely destination remains the New York Rangers.

It's a win-win situation for the Blues. They look good by going after a fan favorite. If not, they can say they tried.

Shanahan was one man away from being captain when he was with the Blues between 1991 and 1995. That man was Mike Keenan. Shanahan had some standout seasons with the Blues, scoring 50-plus goals twice. But Keenan had no use for him.

When the Blues peddled Shanahan after the 1994-95 season, Keenan was under orders to trade one of three players -- Brett Hull, Al MacInnis or Shanahan. Trading Hull would have been franchise suicide. MacInnis was the most critical need of the three because he was the franchise defenseman. So, it was Shanahan who Keenan traded to the Hartford Whalers for Chris Pronger in a salary dump.

What's keeping Shanahan on the market now? The Rangers remain in a flirtatious relationship with Mats Sundin. Who isn't? Does Shanahan want to be a fall-back decision if the Rangers don't sign Sundin? Does he have a place with the Rangers if they do sign Sundin? Yes -- for the right price.

Well, Shanahan is still on the market, still wants to play for the Rangers and is willing to accept less than first-line salary and ice time. If he really wanted to play elsewhere, there would be no limit to the number of teams interested in him. He wants to play for the Rangers.

Shanahan has reasons to return to St. Louis. He knows Blues winger Paul Kariya from their time together on Canadian national teams. There's a friendship there, a deep one. He knows Blues president John Davidson from their time together in New York. Shanahan holds a fancy for St. Louis. And with Kariya he would be a top-line player flanking Andy McDonald.

Here's a likely scenario if the Blues to sign Shanahan: The Blues get into the mix to acquire Jay Bouwmeester from the Florida Panthers. They could build a package that would include Lee Stempniak, who is known to be expendable. They've been trying to peddle Stempniak since the draft. Obviously, it would take more, a lot more, to get Bouwmeester. But the Blues need another top-two defenseman with offensive upside. They have youngsters who will fill that role. They just don't have them NHL-ready yet.

By the way, there are also rumors the Blues would be interested in a deal to get Patrick O'Sullivan from the Los Angeles Kings. If the price is defenseman Jay McKee, the Blues should do that in a heartbeat.

Here is the downside: Would Shanahan create a problem in the Blues' locker room? Coach Andy Murray is dead set on having defenseman Eric Brewer as his captain. Shanahan could move into the room in a way similar to Bill Guerin, who the Blues signed on the cheap a couple years back. The Blues need another veteran presence, having lost Ryan Johnson and Jamal Mayers from their forward corps this offseason. But Shanahan could polarize the room, whether he wants to or not.

Other rumors floating around say Shanahan would stay on the East Coast, with a team close to New York. Would the Philadelphia Flyers be able to carve out salary cap room for him? Would Lou Lamoriello want him with the New Jersey Devils? Would he want to play for the New York Islanders?

Bottom line: If Shanahan wants to come back to St. Louis, the Blues will accommodate him. But don't buy that Shanahan Blues sweater until you hear the deal is done. The Rangers replicas look like they'll continue to be the choice.

Ray Slover is an associate editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at rslover@sportingnews.com.

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No, Rick Moranis won't be preparing any wacky machinery to turn the big guys into fly specks. Instead, a consensus of the panel seems to point to two pieces of equipment -- knee flaps atop goalie pads and clavicle protectors.

Writing in the Boston Globe, Bruins beat writer Fluto Shinzawa reports the NHL's Goalie Equipment Working Group has recommended reducing sizes for those two pieces of equipment for all goaltenders.

Knee flaps atop leg pads apparently will be reduced to 2.5 inches from the current allowable 6 inches. Clavicle protectors, which keep pucks from shattering collarbones, will be reduced from their current 11-inch size, but it's not clear yet just what size will be approved.

As reported in this space June 13, commissioner Gary Bettman wants smaller goalie gear. The goal? Allow more room for shooters without compromising goalie safety.

Cutting knee pad sizes would mean one of two things: less coverage of the five-hole, or less coverage beyond the skates.

Goalies now can draw their pads together, flaps extended, and protect not only their knees, but also a foot of space between their legs. The proposal would shrink that width to 5 inches.

So if goalies then must close their legs tighter to protect the five-hole, they would have less coverage between their feet and the posts. Depending, of course, on how long their legs are.

And less collarbone coverage would mean more space available top shelf.

This effort began at the NHL GMs' winter meetings, at which time Ken Holland of the Detroit Red Wings said: "Everybody is tired of the conversation. We've got to shrink the goalies."

Thus, the Moranis reference. But this isn't "Honey, I Shrank the Goalie." It's the pads that get the crash diet. Remember, goalie equipment limits were instituted after the 2004-05 lockout.

So with noted shooter Brett Hull, now Dallas Stars co-GM leading the charge as a member of the player and management panel, talks progressed to the working group stage.

Several articles last season took particular note of pads worn by the Vancouver Canucks' Roberto Luongo. During warmups before a Stars-Canucks game last winter, Marty Turco and Mike Smith, then with the Stars, wore outsized cardboard flaps on their pads to mock Luongo, according to Toronto's Globe & Mail.

The Canucks defended Luongo by saying his equipment was not illegal.

"The flaps are meant to protect the inside of a goaltender's legs but the league felt Luongo wrapped his pad straps around them in a manner that flared them out so they filled up the space between his legs. Nonis said the league told Luongo he could put them back on, but only if he kept them tight," David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail wrote.

Canadian Press scribe Pierre LeBrun gave his take last December for Sportsnet.ca. "I know from several conversations I've had with Turco over the past year or so that his biggest fear is that the NHL wakes up one day and decides bigger nets are the answer to the downward trend in scoring," LeBrun wrote. "So his point with Luongo this week was: If all the goalies in the NHL follow the equipment rules then the idea of bigger nets will go away."

And the last thing hockey fans want to see is the NHL making a stupid move to bigger nets.

LeBrun added this: "Turco re-ignited an important and passionate debate: Is goalie equipment still too big? [Former NHL goalie Kay] Whitmore, who works long hours and deserves credit for his dedication, reminded us that every single piece of goaltending equipment goes through him -- an NHL clearing house of sorts -- before it gets sent out to goalies. The netminders also get unannounced visits from Whitmore and his crew throughout the year to monitor their equipment. It's a two-game suspension if the goalie gets caught, a $1,000 fine for the equipment manager and a $25,000 fine to the team."

Two months later, the NHL singled out Luongo, and the flaps were removed. But Luongo charged other goalies still had the flaps on their pads.

Now, the NHL will take definitive action on pad sizes. It's likely the issue will be brought before the league at August meetings.

Shinzawa of the Boston Globe says goalies and equipment manufacturers have been alerted to the changes.

Which mean, we'll be seeing more net and less goalie next season.

Now, if only the NHL could make shooters more accurate.

Ray Slover is an associate editor for Sporting News. E-mail him at rslover@sportingnews.com.

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Tortorella, who's slated to talk with the team Sunday, follows three other veteran coaches in meeting with Isles GM Garth Snow. Paul Maurice, previously with the Toronto Maple Leafs, got the first interview. On Wednesday, former Atlanta Thrashers coach Bob Hartley took the stage. Former Columbus Blue Jackets coach Gerard Gallant also interviewed with the Isles.

Like the first two candidates, Tortorella was fired last season. Like Hartley, Tortorella has a Stanley Cup on his resume. Hartley's came in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche; Tortorella won his in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Islanders axed Ted Nolan over irreconcilable differences with Snow. That divorce came on July 14.

Tortorella has a year left on his Lightning contract, so Tampa Bay had to give permission to Snow & Co. to speak with him. After a contentious season, he was fired by the team's new management June 3 and replaced by Barry Melrose.

Greg Logan of Newsday reports former Tortorella aide Mike Sullivan and AHL coach Scott Gordon also are expected to meet with Snow. Sullivan has experience as an NHL head coach, with two years behind the Boston Bruins' bench; he has also met with the Los Angeles Kings. Gordon was named the AHL's top coach while leading Providence, the Bruins' AHL affiliate.

In assessing the situation between Tortorella and the Islanders, Lightning beat man Damian Cristodero of the St. Petersburg Times writes this:

"From the outside looking in, this just doesn't seem like a good fit for either side. Of course, that means he will be hired. Still, look at the circumstances. The Islanders have a bunch of young players and older players and not much in between. It also is known Snow wants to see the young guys develop, and the main criticism that emerged last season about [Tortorella] was that the Lightning's younger players did not respond to his finger-in-the-chest approach. It also will be interesting to see how much control Snow is willing to give [Tortorella]. One thing that would be a huge plus for Torts is how good he would be in the community."

Hartley has a history with Snow. He once coached Snow, and reports indicate they have maintained a friendly relationship.

In a Newsday blog, Logan writes:

"There's little doubt Hartley meets Snow's criteria for a coach in terms of discipline and providing structure and technical expertise. But the major question for Hartley is whether he has the patience for a long-term development project and the willingness to rely on young players in major roles."

Catch the theme? Snow wants someone who will work well with developing players.

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