"In 2001-02, Colorado's Peter Forsberg missed the entire regular season while recovering from spleen surgery. But when the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche qualified for the postseason that year, Forsberg was deemed healthy enough to rejoin the team.

He not only played, Forsberg also led the Avs to the Western Conference finals with a team-high 27 points before they were ousted by Detroit.

Now the Blues are facing a similar situation with Paul Kariya.

Out since November with a hip injury that eventually required surgery, which led to another surgery on the other hip, Kariya is in Colorado this week in an attempt to get cleared by doctors and return to the Blues' lineup. Like Forsberg in Colorado, Kariya is the Blues' highest-paid player at $6 million per season and arguably the team's best player, a five-time NHL all-star who has 946 points in 914 games. He had two goals and 15 points in 13 games before leaving the lineup earlier this season.

Normally, local fans would be clamoring for a player of Kariya's ilk to hurry back into the lineup. But on a team that has fought desperately to gain a spot in the playoffs, on a roster in which every player has proved his value at some point in the season, outsiders are wondering how Kariya's reappearance will affect the Blues.

"People will talk about, 'Is he going to be ready? Is he going to be up to speed? Is he going to ruin the team chemistry?'" Blues forward Dan Hinote said. "I think that's a joke. He's a world-class player, a phenomenal teammate and he's a big part of this team. Even when he's hurt, he's a big part of this team. It's not like a guy like that is going to come in and all of the sudden things are going to fall apart."

Hinote speaks from experience. He was on that Avalanche team that Forsberg rejoined for the playoffs.

"He made a big impact on us," Hinote said. "It motivated guys ... it was like, 'OK, we got another guy back.' As opposed to what we're used to on this team, which is losing guys, we're gaining a guy. That would be a big help, although at the cost of somebody that's playing well."

That's where Blues coach Andy Murray begins to have trouble with the situation - telling a player who has battled to put the team in a playoff position that he's not going to suit up.

"To be very honest with you, I don't know how we take anybody out of the lineup," Murray said. "You know, I don't like a lot of change unless it's necessary. I realize Paul is a great player ... it would be crazy probably not to get him in the lineup. But I also believe when guys are doing the job, I've always said you've got to have a reason to take people out as well as a reason to put people in."