Pick Your Fighter:
Janssen or King

No, I’m not asking who you think would win in a fight between Cam Janssen and D.J. King – I think the vast majority would choose King and rightfully so. No, instead I am posing the question as to which enforcer/grinder you’d rather have on your Blues team moving forward. With King returning to the active roster, the Blues now have two options of who they can send out to create a physical presence on the ice, but with roster space limited, it almost seems unnecessary to have both moving forward.

So who do you take? While both skaters are fighters and very good ones at that, each bring something different to the table.

Offense
King carries a better presence on the offensive side of things with nine points in 91 career games compared to Janssen’s mark of six points through 198 games. King does hold an edge but let’s be honest with ourselves – any offense from these guys is just a huge bonus. They aren’t on the team to score goals. Since offense is the last think you should expect from these guys, on to the next category.

Fighting
Janssen, the smaller of the two, can certainly hold his own in fights but isn’t in the same weight class as King whom most would deem as a heavyweight. However, Cam has still gotten into many scraps where he is at a size disadvantage and not only held his own but came out the winner in the bout. King can be dominant in fights, but Janssen’s ability to strengthen the longer the scrap lasts is an intangible that the numbers really can never reflect.

Energy
Who is better at pumping up the crowd with a big hit or making all the fans stand during a rousing fight? King’s dominance in fights is certainly a crowd booster, but Cam’s energy and hits on the ice in addition to his thrilling style of fighting give him the edge for my money. Strictly in terms of creating energy in the crowd when not discussing fighting, the edge here must go to Cam.

Fan Favorite
This one is pretty divided. King’s ability to dominate in a fight make him a favorite from the die hard fans while Cam’s non-stop motor and presence the past two seasons has really made his stock rise in St. Louis. Cam also is from the St. Louis area which automatically gives him a leg up on the St. Louis faithful that love to see local talent.

Durability/Health
Considering these two are fighters, health and durability is possibly the number one needed attribute. Janssen has had no issue staying fit the past two season and has been ready to answer the call whenever needed. King on the other hand has been a big disappointment in terms of health. With a fractured hand this season following a 2008-09 that saw him skate in just one game, King is quickly starting to develop an injury prone label. For a fighter, that’s a kiss of death.

My final say moving forward goes to Cam Janssen. He may not be in the same weight class as other fighters around the NHL, but honestly what use is there keeping King if he continues to get injured on a regular basis? Janssen’s injury on the ice and the way the crowd responds to him is hard to replace. Sound off your opinion in the comments.