There is still room for axed spearhead Fraser Gehrig in the St Kilda side, coach Ross Lyon said on Friday night.

Lyon said the Saints would consider recalling Gehrig, who did not feature in the Saints' 36-point win over Essendon on Friday night, once it had addressed its defensive deficiencies around the ground.

"There's a spot for Fraser in our team. It's about team defence and then once we get all the other mechanics right and they're a given - defensive pursuit skills all over the ground - then it's going to allow the three tall forwards," Lyon said.

"That's going to take a bit of time. I don't think it's mutually exclusive but when you're starting from 16th for forward pressure, something's got to give and it's got to give quick."

"Clearly it's an indicator of success, pressure in your front half and in your midfield. And I thought we did that well tonight."

The Saints' ruck stocks will be put to the test next Saturday night against Port Adelaide if Steven King does not overcome the back-related hamstring injury he suffered against the Bombers.

Lyon said King would have scans and could miss a week but stressed the injury was 'nothing dramatic'.

Should King be sidelined, the Saints may be forced to rush back former Eagle Michael Gardiner, who has not played since Round Two due to a calf injury.

"We're reasonably confident he'll play. It's whether we play him in the seniors or in the seconds," said Lyon, who stressed the injury was not related to the foot complaint which ruined Gardiner's 2007 campaign.

Lyon said there was nothing wrong with Nick Dal Santo, who hurt his shoulder in a marking contest in the third term but returned for the final quarter.

Meanwhile, the club has announced Jason Blake and David Armitage have signed new deals.