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Blues have decision to make with Chris Mason

The St. Louis Blues have a tough decision to make this summer when it comes to the goaltending position, but in Chris Mason’s eyes he’s earned the right to keep his spot as the starting goaltender.

From Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

“I don’t think I had a point where I bottomed out, or stayed in a slump for a long time,” said Mason, who will turn 34 on April 20. “Other than December, which was my toughest month, I think I was pretty consistent all year.”

“Statistically, I’m almost exactly the same as I was last year,” Mason said. “I think the fact that last year was my biggest workload, and I exceeded that this year, that proved that I can definitely do it more than just one year, which is what (the Blues) wanted to see.”

The Blues and Mason entered into brief contract talks during the season, but the team decided to wait until this summer to go further into in any future contract considerations.

Ty Conklin is under contract for next season, but he’s yet to take on a full load this summer. His overall numbers weren’t bad this season, but he wasn’t exactly a winning machine. He shouldered a significant load last year with the Red Wings, so he’s proven he can at least be more than an “every now-and-then” goaltender. He’s also skilled at helping to get teams to the Stanley Cup finals; winning them....not so much.

That being said, quality goaltending is hard to find. Mason is 33 years old, which plays against him, and is was paid $3 million last season. He’ll likely want more per year, and he’s yet to prove himself a viable goaltender for the playoffs.

With goalies like Marty Turco hitting the open market this summer, expect the Blues to bide their time to see just what Mason thinks he’s worth.