Jay McKee skated smoothly and without pain Monday at the Blues' practice facility, a good sign following a season in which he played in just 23 games in the first year of a four-year, $16 million contract. A knee sprain in the preseason, a broken hand in his regular-season debut and a pelvic injury that lingered until mid-summer have kept fans from getting familiar with McKee, who was signed as much for his leadership as his rugged style of play. With Blues training camp opening Sept. 12, McKee is as eager as any player on the roster to start the season. The defenseman called 2006-07 "the year from hell" before going on the ice Monday in his new No. 77 jersey. "I'm certainly up there on the chart'' of players who can't wait to get the season underway, said McKee, who believes that his old number, 74, might have brought him bad luck last season. "Summer, as always, went by fast. But I'm glad it did this year. I just want to get out playing."