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St. Louis Blues Sign Jordan Binnington To Two-Year Deal

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The St. Louis Blues continue to lock up their players. A day after signing Robby Fabbri and Mitch Reinke Friday, St. Louis has come to terms with one of the stars of their Stanley Cup run as the Blues announced they have signed goaltender Jordan Binnington to a two-year deal with a $4.4MM AAV, avoiding arbitration with him. That deal gives him a slightly higher AAV than backup Jake Allen, who has a 4.35MM AAV.

“We are pleased to have Jordan signed for two more years,” added Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong. “His play was outstanding and we look forward to seeing him continue to be a major contributor for our team.”

Binnington may have been the difference for a team that was in 31st place on Jan. 2 and then finished one of the most remarkable runs in NHL history by winning the Stanley Cup. The team recalled Binnington from the AHL on Jan. 7 and the then-25-year-old posted an immediate shutout in his first start. The rookie then went 24-5-1 over the remainder of the season, putting up a 1.89 GAA and a .927 save percentage, seizing the No. 1 goalie job from Allen. Binnington continued that success throughout the playoffs, putting up a 16-10 playoff record, including a 2.46 GAA and a .914 save percentage, including one shutout.

While he’s been with the Blues organization for years, up until this year, he has been sitting in the AHL with no clear-cut shot at a job with the Blues. In fact, St. Louis didn’t have an AHL affiliate last year after the Vegas Golden Knights took their affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, and the Blues were forced to loan out their prospects to a pair of different affiliates. St. Louis actually loaned Binnington out to the Providence Bruins as they couldn’t find a place to put him. Regardless, he put up good numbers that year and was dominant in the first half of the season this year with their new affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, putting up a .927 save percentage in 16 starts.

Considering that he had made one NHL appearanIce in his career until now, many wondered what kind of contract that Binnington would receive as many people felt that he would have to prove he could repeat that string of success before he could earn a long-term contract. That proved to be true as Binnington will be betting on himself this year. The two years will take him to unrestricted free agency, which likely means that if Binnington can produce similar success next season, the Blues would likely want to sign the goaltender to an extension on July 1 next season so that Binnington wouldn’t end up on the open market in 2021.

With the signing, the Blues now have $7.12MM in projected cap space with a roster of 22 players. The team still has a number of restricted free agents, including Ivan Barbashev, Oskar Sundqvist, Joel Edmundson and Ville Husso.

 

 

Free Agent Focus: St. Louis Blues

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Free agency opens in five days and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market, as well as restricted free agents that still need to be re-signed. St. Louis is still enjoying their Stanley Cup victory, but they’ll soon have to get to work, with more than a few key players in the title run in need of extensions. Here’s a closer look at their free agent situation:

Key Restricted Free Agents: G Jordan Binnington – In an off-season highlighted by so many high-profile restricted free agents, perhaps no case is more intriguing that Binnington’s. Both sides (and potentially an arbitrator) face the very difficult task of trying to quantify the value of a 26-year-old rookie who has accomplished so much in so short a time. Binnington is one of the stranger cases in recent memory; a player who toiled in the minors through much of a standard NHL career only to emerge as one of the best goalies in the league in the second half and lead his team to a Stanley Cup. Binnington may want a short-term deal to further cement his value prior to a longer extension, but he may also want a long-term deal to maximize the value established this season. Similarly, the Blues may want to lock Binnington up long-term before his value can rise over a full NHL season, but they know there’s risk involved there. However, a short-term deal that could see Binnington soon leave as UFA is equally as treacherous. There’s really no way to know what will happen here, but it bears watching.

D Joel Edmundson – Edmundson is a tricky case as he’s played four full seasons with the Blues, without ever playing in 70 or more games in a season. Offense is also not the hallmark of his game, as he consistently finishes in the 10-20 point range despite considerable ice time. Edmundson’s job is simply to play defense, and he plays the role well with physicality and awareness. Edmundson has been one of the Blues’ leaders in hits and blocked shots each of the past three years, even as he missed double-digit games, and that is where his value lies. However, shutdown defensemen can be hard to quantify and St. Louis may have concerns about a long-term commitment to an injury-prone player who lacks offensive upside.

Other RFAs: F Ivan Barbashev, F Sammy Blais, F Robby Fabbri, G Ville Husso, D Mitch Reinke, F Zach Sanford, F Oskar Sundqvist

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Patrick Maroon – Maroon took a hometown discount last summer, signing in St. Louis for one year and $1.75MM following back-to-back 40+ point seasons. At first it looked like Maroon was actually a mistake rather than a bargain after a very quiet first half of the season. However, as Maroon went, so did the Blues. His play improved in the second half to the tune of 28 points by the end of the year and then his gritty, physical style came up clutch in the postseason and was a key piece of the Stanley Cup run. Maroon single-handedly has reignited interest in veteran crash-the-net forwards, but he himself likely won’t cash in on the market demand. There was likely a handshake agreement between both sides when Maroon took a deal well below market value last summer and after coming up big and establishing himself as a leader and fan favorite, it would be a major surprise if the Blues didn’t hold up their end of the bargain with a raise and multi-year extension.

D Carl Gunnarsson – Gunnarsson was little more than a part-time player for the Blues this season, skating in a career-low 25 games. He also recorded just seven points and saw his ice time cut back. However, when injuries struck in the postseason and Gunnarsson was called upon, he played very well in 19 games. Gunnarsson may not be an exciting player, but he’s a sound depth piece with experience. He’s the type of No. 7 defenseman that contenders like to have. Signs point to the Blues being that contender again, but with little wiggle room against the cap, if the market for Gunnarsson gets to high, St. Louis will have to say goodbye.

Other UFAs: F Conner Bleackley, D Chris Butler, G Jared Coreau, D Michael Del Zotto, F Nikita Soshnikov, F Chris Thorburn, D Tyler Wotherspoon

Projected Cap Space: The Blues have approximately $17.2MM in cap space. Looking at the players they need to re-sign the sheer number of contracts is a bigger problem than any individual salary. With seven to ten of the listed free agents likely to be back in St. Louis and on the NHL roster next year, the team likely has just enough space to re-sign each to a smart deal and that’s it. Don’t expect the defending champs to be active on the free agent market this summer.

Robert Thomas To Return To Blues’ Lineup For Game Six

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Standout rookie Robert Thomas last suited up for the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final, as an injury has forced him to watch from the sidelines as his team bounced back from a loss to start the series to go up 3-2 heading back home for Game Six. Now, it seems Thomas will finally get to return to action tonight as the team tries to take home the franchises’s first Cup title. Thomas told the media, including Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland, after the team’s morning skate that he will play for the Blues in Game Six against the Boston Bruins. Head coach Craig Berube then confirmed his return tonight.

Strickland had noted that Thomas was a full participant on the ice this morning, albeit in a limited session, which was a positive step toward a potential return. But Thomas stated that it was actually at practice yesterday that he passed the final hurdles needed to be cleared for a return to the lineup. Although Thomas was the recipient of a highly publicized heavy hit from the Bruins’ Torey Krug in Game One, this injury was unrelated and is speculated to have originated in the Western Conference Final. For what it’s worth, Thomas told the media that he had no issue with Krug’s hit and is not focused on it in his return.

Thomas, 19, played in 70 games for the Blues in the regular season and finished ninth on the team in scoring with 33 points. The 2017 first-round pick will certainly provide an offensive boost for St. Louis tonight. The one concern though is that he will actually be filling the roster spot of suspended fourth-liner Ivan Barbashev, whose physicality Thomas won’t be able to replicate. The Stanley Cup Final has been more of a war of attrition than a shootout and the Blues have succeeded based on their physicality rather than their offense, so it will be interesting to see if they can get the win playing with more skill and less grit in Game Six. For their part, the Bruins are also looking to boost speed rather than physicality, returning to the standard six defenseman and adding Karson Kuhlman to the lineup up front rather than David Backes, per head coach Bruce Cassidy. 

Playoff Notes: Thomas, Tarasenko, Chara, Wagner, Grzelcyk

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The St. Louis Blues will be without forward Ivan Barbashev on Sunday for Game 6 after being suspended one game for an illegal check to the head against Boston’s Marcus Johansson in Game 5. However, the St. Louis Blues may get a break, as there is a solid chance that rookie Robert Thomas may be ready to replace Barbashev in the lineup.

Thomas, who hasn’t played since Game 1 due to a wrist injury, was on the ice for a full practice Saturday with no limitations and St. Louis Blues interim coach Craig Berube later declared Thomas as a game-time decision for Sunday, according to NHL.com’s Lou Korac. The 19-year-old forward did participate in practices between Games 3 and 4, but was only a partial participant and spent most of his time on the ice working separately from the rest of the team. However, that wasn’t the case Saturday, according to teammate Pat Maroon: “He’s been working hard to get back in the lineup, so we’ll see tomorrow if he plays. Obviously, it’s always good to see the kid out there skating around. He’s been just itching to get back out there with the guys, so it’s good to see him out there.”

  • NHL.com’s Tracey Myers adds that the St. Louis Blues expect star forward Vladimir Tarasenko to play on Sunday despite missing practice on Saturday after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child on Friday. It was unlikely that Tarasenko would have missed a critical Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final; he has been a key to the team’s offensive success with 16 points in 24 playoff games.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara spoke to the press for the first being hit in the jaw with the puck in Game 4. Although he looked uncomfortable speaking, Chara said he was fine and has no limitations when it comes to playing in Game 6 on Sunday. Chara did play in Game 5, although he only skated 16:42 and the Bruins felt the need to dress seven defensemen. Chara refused to answer when asked whether his jaw was broken.
  • Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy also revealed that the team is expecting to be without Chris Wagner and Matt Grzelcyk for Game 6. Wagner, who hasn’t played since May 14 with an upper-body injury, is doubtful to play on Sunday, but is a possibility if Boston can force a Game 7. Grzelcyk has not yet been medically cleared to play after sustaining a concussion during Game 2.

Ivan Barbashev Suspended For Game Six Of The Stanley Cup Final

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It may have been just one of a number of egregious missed calls in Game Five, but the NHL Department of Player Safety has decided a high hit that was not called a penalty on the ice is deserving of a one-game suspension. After a hearing with St. Louis Blues forward Ivan Barbashev this morning, Player Safety has announced that he will be suspended for Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final for an illegal check to the head of Boston Bruins counterpart Marcus Johansson. The league explained the decision as such:

As Johansson releases a shot on goal, Barbashev deliver a high, forceful hit that makes Johansson’s head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head… The brunt of the impact of this hit is delivered by Barbashev’s shoulder into the head of Johansson… If Barbashev wishes to deliver this check, he must take an angle of approach that hits through Johansson’s near shoulder or core rather than an angle that picks Johansson’s head with his shoulder.

This is was just one of two missed high hits on Bruins players in the game, as defenseman Torey Krug also took a shot from forward Zach Sanford. That’s also not even including an obvious hold, again on Krug, and a blatant slew foot on Noel Acciari that lead to the Blues’ game-winning goal. Boston would likely trade this Barbashev suspension for a correct call in any of those situations.

This is also now the second suspension for the Blues in this series, as Barbashev’s fellow fourth-liner Oskar Sundqvist was suspended for Game Three after boarding Matt Grzelcyk, an incident that has since left the defenseman sidelined. While St. Louis has undoubtedly played a physical game in the city, one that has won them the war of attrition thus far against the Bruins, it’s not unfair that some fans feel they have been headhunting. However, the two suspensions are really more of an indictment on the officiating. Two suspendable offenses in this series have totaled just two minutes of on-ice penalties. Player Safety has had to step in to make the proper calls for them, even if just for the optics of appeasing frustrated fans – and the Bruins. There have certainly been missed calls against the Blues in the series as well, as their have for many teams throughout a postseason that has been difficult for NHL officials.

Ivan Barbashev To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The St. Louis Blues won game five of the Stanley Cup Final, but might lose a forward in the process. The Department of Player Safety has announced that Ivan Barbashev will have a hearing regarding an illegal check to the head of Boston Bruins forward Marcus Johansson.

Barbashev came at Johansson as he was trying to take a shot and made clear high contact, spinning the Boston player into the ice. There was no penalty on the play, but fans were immediately up in arms about the hit that seemed to snap Johansson’s head backwards. That sight is not a good one for a player that has dealt with concussion issues in the past, including one caused by Brad Marchand, now a teammate.

The Blues have been increasing the physicality of the series in each game, and there were several other incidents in last night’s affair that could have been considered by the league. Boston, who often find themselves playing the aggressor, will have to overcome this latest challenge and win on the road if they want to have a chance in the series. They’ll at least be able to avoid Barbashev, as the play will likely cause a suspension of at least one game.

Ivan Barbashev Will Not Receive Supplementary Discipline

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In a bit of insult added to injury, the San Jose Sharks will have to accept that Ivan Barbashev will be in the lineup again tomorrow night. The St. Louis Blues forward will not receive any supplementary discipline for his hit on Tomas Hertl. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN tweets that the Department of Player Safety could not determine if the head was a main point of contract, or whether the force of the hit was enough to warrant suspension. Barbashev came across the middle and made contact with Hertl, who ended up missing the third period after being removed from the game.

The Sharks were embarrassed on home ice last night in a 5-0 loss that saw Hertl, Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi all leave due to injury for large chunks of the game. Micheal Haley and Evander Kane both also received misconduct penalties, leaving the Sharks’ bench extremely short to end the game. The team now faces a do-or-die situation in St. Louis tomorrow night and could be without several top players.

Still, the Sharks have shown in these playoffs that they’re not easy to defeat even when things look dire. The team scored four times on a five minute major against the Vegas Golden Knights in game seven of the first round and managed to hold on to an early lead in game seven of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche. Those long series may be taking their toll on the group physically, but also may have prepared them for this elimination game tomorrow night.

Deadline Primer: St. Louis Blues

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Central Division, here is a look at the St. Louis Blues.

Alex Pietrangelo? Vladimir Tarasenko? Colton Parayko? Sorry, but they aren’t going anywhere. The St. Louis Blues have quietly climbed within three points of a playoff spot and the early-season panic is over. Granted, the team is still in the middle of a cluster of teams fighting for just a few postseason berths, but the Blues have games in hand on the whole bunch and have been playing some of their best hockey lately. St. Louis is now a legitimate threat to slip into the playoffs and, once there, could do some damage. In fact, the potential on paper of this team is yet another reason why a fire sale is unlikely. There is no excuse for their first half failures, but many, including their own GM Doug Armstrong, have expressed optimism about what this core can do next season. They may have considered tearing it all down at one point, but that’s no longer a realistic possibility.

With that said, the Blues have fallen short of expectations all year long and no one would be surprised if they do in fact miss the playoffs this year. As such, they need to hedge their bets and continue to take offers as a seller. The team has a handful of impending unrestricted free agents they can trade, as well as others that they may entertain moving. The bulk of the St. Louis lineup isn’t going anywhere and will continue their playoff push, but Armstrong and company are likely to move out some extraneous pieces and play both sides of the market as the trade deadline approaches.

Record

22-22-5, sixth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$7.2MM of full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: STL 2nd, STL 3rd, STL 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
2020: STL 1st*, STL 2nd, STL 3rd, STL 4th, STL 5th, STL 7th
* – Blues owe their 2019 first-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade, but have option to keep that pick if it is top-ten and send 2020 first-round pick instead

Trade Chips

Brayden Schenn is a name that just won’t go away. Even as the Blues’ play has improved of late, Schenn’s name continues to bounce around the rumor mill. The 27-year-old center broke out for 70 points last season, but is back to his regular 50-point pace, if that, this year and has been an underwhelming presence this season for an underachieving team. Logic would dictate that if the Blues want to keep their core intact for another try next season, they’ll refrain from moving Schenn. However, if the market interest forces his hand, Armstrong will move the talented forward, who has one year remaining on his contract, for the right price.

The same goes for winger Jaden Schwartz. Once the epitome of consistency and clutch in the Blues’ lineup, Schwartz, 27, has been streaky and largely ineffective on offense this season. His 21 points thus far is one of the biggest disappointments of St. Louis’ season. Schwartz has quietly continued to be a solid two-way force for the Blues though, even if it doesn’t show up on the score sheet. Schwartz has shown immense talent previously and his trade value is at an all-time low. Maybe he does just need a change of scenery, but Armstrong is unlikely to sell low on the two-way forward this season.

Not every trade decision will be as difficult as Schenn and Schwartz. For example, veteran forward Patrick Maroon has been an utter failure this year for St. Louis and is all but gone before the deadline. Earlier this month, it was rumored that Maroon was likely to be dealt when his full no-trade clause expired at the end of January. In the nine games since the report, Maroon has one lone goal. Hometown product or not, the Blues are likely to move Maroon – who has proven before to be a deadline commodity – for the best offer. Veteran grinders Jordan Nolan and, to a lesser extent, Chris Thorburn could also have value on the market and their absences would mean little to the Blues.

Defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson have not struggled like Maroon, but are also likely goners as impending UFA’s. Bouwmeester, 35, is a respected veteran around the league but has undoubtedly slowed down over the past couple of seasons. He’s currently fourth among St. Louis defenders in time on ice and has the worst plus/minus of the group. Bouwmeester isn’t going to be extended by the Blues, but he’s also still a serviceable and experienced blue liner who could help a true contender. He’s worth more elsewhere than he is for this fringe St. Louis team. The same goes for depth defender Gunnarsson, who has actually been a quite effective possession defenseman in limited opportunity this year, but has a higher value as an added option to a contender than to a team that may not make the playoffs. Jakub Jerabek and Chris Butler are also impending UFA defensemen who may have some slight value on the market. Don’t be surprised if 25-year-old Jordan Schmaltz has his name thrown around too; the Blues have made no effort to get him NHL minutes and he could use a new opportunity.

One of the major issues of this St. Louis team is underachieving forwards and it’s not just the veterans. Sure, the Blues might like to move Alex Steen or Tyler Bozak, but no-trade clauses alone will limit that possibility. The team would be far more likely to find takers for some of their disappointing young forwards, of which there are many. Robby Fabbri, Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, Nikita Soshnikov, and Sammy Blais are all getting too old to be called prospects, but have yet to prove themselves as difference-makers in the NHL. Each one is an impending restricted free agent this summer and the Blues likely don’t plan to bring the whole group back. St. Louis could benefit from swapping out a young forward or two of their own for other teams’ disappointing forwards in hopes that a new system can turn their game around.

Five Players To Watch For: F Brayden Schenn, F Patrick Maroon, D Jay Bouwmeester, D Carl Gunnarsson, F Sammy Blais

Team Needs

1) Scoring Depth: Obviously, goaltending is the biggest long-term concern of the Blues, but that isn’t going to be addressed at the deadline this year. Next in line then is scoring. As previously mentioned multiple times, one of the fatal flaws of the Blues this season has been a lack of scoring and disappointing efforts from too many regular forwards. St. Louis is 22nd in goals for this season and, even if the veteran core returns to form this season, the fringe pieces lack some upside in the production department. As the team moves out forwards from the roster, old or young, the Blues could benefit from taking a waiver on other teams’ frustrated young forwards to test this season for whether there is a there is a fit moving forward. The Washington Capitals’ Andre Burakovsky, the Vancouver Canucks’ Nikolay Goldobin, or the Montreal Canadiens’ Charles Hudon could all be intriguing options. Finding another name to add to the blossoming next wave of Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Klim Kostin, and Dominik Bokk should be a priority.

2) Top Prospect Defenseman: In the course of making possible trades of Schenn or Bouwmeester or a young forward, Armstrong would be smart to target a top young defender in the return. The Blues have some nice 25-and-under pieces on the NHL blue line right now, but the AHL unit lacks much upside and the organization does not really have a blue chip defenseman in the pipeline other than collegiate rearguard Scott Perunovich, who will already be 21 next season when he begins his junior year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. St. Louis has many exciting, talented forwards waiting to take over a role in the NHL; the team desperately needs to add a defenseman into that group. If they can’t find one via trade, they should focus on the draft and adding picks to make up for their first- and fourth-rounders this year.

Snapshots: Schwartz, Wilson, Doughty, Scarlett

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The St. Louis Blues were rolling along just fine a year ago, but when winger Jaden Schwartz went down with an injury on Dec. 9th and missed six weeks with a lower-body injury, the team fell apart and had trouble finding its offense even after he came back as they found themselves outside a playoff spot.

Now, the team is in the exact same situation as Schwartz took a puck off the same leg he injured last year from his own teammate, Vladimir Tarasenko. While this injury is not considered to be as serious, the team feels more confident that they can survive without the winger this season with their improved depth, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford.

The scribe points out that the team used Dmitrij Jaskin and Vladimir Sobotka in their top-six after last year’s Schwartz injury and the team’s third line featured Ivan Barbashev, Magnus Paajarvi and Patrik Berglund, which wasn’t a very deep team. Four of those players aren’t even with the team anymore.

This year, the team moves Sammy Blais into the top-six and still boast several key players on the third line, including Jordan Kyrou, Alex Steen and Tyler Bozak and that’s not including 19-year-old Robert Thomas. With the depth much deeper, the Schwartz injury shouldn’t have as significant effect as it did a year ago.

  • Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson, currently sitting out 20 games for a preseason hit against St. Louis Blues’ Oskar Sundqvist pending appeal, was asked Sunday whether he intends to change the way he plays. “Yeah, for sure,” Wilson told The Athletic’s Chris Kuk. “The hitting aspect of the game is definitely changing a little bit and I have to be smart out there and I have to play within the rules.”
  • Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty took much of the blame as he said he “failed” in making a difference during the team’s 5-1 embarrassing loss to the Ottawa Senators Saturday as well as their 2-2-1 start. However, Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen writes that Doughty has hardly failed the team as no goals have been scored when Doughty has been on the ice this season and had a plus-1 rating in their loss to the Senators.
  • The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that the Texas Stars, the AHL affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced that defenseman Reece Scarlett will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL. The 25-year-old had a strong camp with Dallas and was expected to have a big season with the Texas Stars.

Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou Make St. Louis Opening Night Roster

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The St. Louis Blues have been one of the most interesting teams to follow this offseason, given the huge overhaul they performed on their forward group. Out are names like Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson, while the team has brought in veteran names like Tyler Bozak, David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly. Outside of those veteran additions though, fans were watching closely the development of several young players and hoping they’d get a chance to play in the NHL this season. Thanks to some injuries to start the year—including ones to Oskar Sundqvist, Robby Fabbri and Nikita Soshnikov, who will all start the season on injured reserve of one form or another—Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Samuel Blais and Ivan Barbashev have all earned spots on the opening night roster.

The early performance of each of these young forwards was enough to make the Blues place Dmitrij Jaskin on waivers, risking and eventually losing him to a claim by the Washington Capitals. While losing Jaskin for nothing isn’t an optimal scenario, opening up opportunities for talented youngsters is an important step towards contending for the Stanley Cup, something the Blues truly believe they can do in the near future.

They are real opportunities too, as the Blues will open the season with just 12 forwards on the roster meaning all the kids will be in the lineup Thursday night (provided nothing else happens over the next couple of days). Thomas and Kyrou especially will be under the microscope as they make their NHL debuts, both star prospects that could make an impact right away.

Thomas, an impressive two-way center that showed last season with the London Knights and Hamilton Bulldogs that he could play nearly any role needed (including defense during penalty kills on occasion), is a prized prospect for the Blues whose development could make or break the team’s fortunes over the next few seasons. Though he may not be able to step into an top offensive role immediately, the fact that St. Louis believes he’s ready to contribute should excite fans to no end.

Kyrou, the dynamic forward who put up 109 points in 56 games for the Sarnia Sting last season, can disrupt games using his incredible skating ability and nose for the net. There’s little reason to doubt that he can put up points at the NHL level too, but there is still work to be done with his physicality and overall game. Blais and Barbashev shouldn’t be overlooked, given their contributions to the club last season and strong preseasons to date.

There’s obviously changes to be made when the team starts to get healthier, but the Blues will have an intriguing forward group all season as they try to bounce back and make the playoffs in 2018-19. Though the goaltending situation with Jake Allen and Chad Johnson may be the biggest factor, all the pieces are there for contention this season in St. Louis.

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