ST. LOUIS, MO – Before last season began, the Blues were coming off three consecutive years of being dispatched in the first round of the playoffs, far earlier than anyone expected after promising regular seasons.
While they concluded substantive results in 2015-16 with 107 points and a respectable second place finish behind Dallas (109 points) and good for 2nd in the Western Conference, the real test was the first playoff round and the test against mighty defending champion Chicago.
In a grueling series, the Blues dispatched the Blackhawks in 7 games before facing the Dallas Stars. A six-game tilt resulted in another series victory for St. Louis, launching them into just their sixth visit to the Conference Final in their 49-year history. Their opponent; the physically, dominating San Jose Sharks were put to the test, before St. Louis succumbed in six games. While the better team won, it served the NHL notice the Blues were finally true contenders.
In the offseason, those rival teams in the Western Conference have at least maintained, if not improved their personnel, while the Blues have lost key fixtures in a team which had some size and physical play at the forefront of their attack. St. Louis has shifted to a younger, faster group, still reliant on team defense, but with a lot less beef up front. It is a shift from a previously entrenched style of play.
Gone are goaltender Brian Elliott, who played a prominent role since 2011, supplanted by Jake Allen, the future of the franchise in net for several years. Elliott was moved to Calgary before he became a free agent.
As free agents, longtime captain David Backes left for Boston, Troy Brouwer left for Calgary and Steve Ott headed to Detroit. The first two represented two of the top three players in the team “hits” department. Neither was replaced in the way of physical presence and the remaining of the three, Ryan Reaves, rarely plays after game 82. Steve Ott was chief agitator and now someone else will have to get under the skin of opponents.
New and arriving on the scene are goaltender Carter Hutton, acquired as a free agent from Nashville. The 6’1”, 195 lbs. has been a contributor to the Predators last line of defense when starter Pekka Rinne went down with injury.
On the attack and back for a second tour of duty with the Note, David Perron returns, taking his place on St. Louis’ second line.
Also new on the scene is associate coach Mike Yeo, who will succeed Ken Hitchcock after this season, a part of a plan to secure a top notch coach knowing the current is a lame duck.
The St. Louis Blues have a tough act to follow this season. With veteran departures in the off season, the Blues lost 2,458 games of NHL experience. Still, they are confident they can keep pace in the Western Conference. But they will be relying on a much younger group to do it. Dmitrij Jaskin and Ty Rattie will have an advanced role in this process.
Along with them, goaltender Jake Allen, 26, will be the starter. The young netminder had NHL career bests in games played (47), wins (26), save percentage (.920) and shutouts (six) last season before signing a four-year, $17.4 million contract extension July 1.
In securing their back line presence long-term, Jaden Schwartz, 24, signed a long-term contract at five years and $26.75 million. His back-to-back seasons of 25 or more goals helped pace the team before a fractured ankle limited him to eight goals in 33 games last season. And an injury will delay his start this season as he will open play watching his teammates, this due to an elbow injury suffered Sept. 29.
Also in the mix, forward Robby Fabbri, the 21st pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, will seek to grow his game on the scoresheet, just a season after his rookie campaign brought 18 goals and 19 assists in 72 regular-season games. He also contributed in the post-season with 15 points in 20 playoff games.
Perron joins a veteran group up front that includes left wing Alexander Steen, who signed a four-year, $23 million contract extension Sept. 23, center Paul Stastny, who had 49 points in 64 games, and Vladimir Tarasenko, whose 40 goals and 76 points led the Blues.
Alex Pietrangelo replaces the departing Backes as captain, and Kevin Shattenkirk, a continual subject in trade discussions, anchors a defense that will be among the league’s strongest.
There is reason to expect the Blues to make the playoffs this season. Fabbri and defenseman Colton Parayko are part of the younger wave of players on the team who believe they can build off the success they had last season. In net, Jake Allen is the #1 goaltender and is expected to continue the stellar play he displayed last season.
But there are some potential pitfalls ahead. There is a lack of depth at forward which will be exposed if injuries develop at a similar rate to last season. The experience of veteran players is less since the departures of Backes, Brouwer and Elliott. If the transition to leadership from the younger players does not take hold and they fall short of expectations, it will leave the team struggling to make the post season.
Of the players who are primed to make an impact after some level of mediocrity in recent season, Jori Lehtera is ready. At 28, this is the centerman’s third NHL season. He had 14 goals and 30 assists in 75 games in his rookie season, but his numbers slid to 9 goals and 25 assists in 79 games last season.
As it seems to be every season, Patrik Berglund has a lot to prove. He enters the season with the final year of his three-year contract. Like Lehtera, Berglund is 28 and will be given a chance to play center, his natural spot on the ice after alternating between center and left wing the past two seasons. He is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery which limited him to 42 games last season. He tallied 10 goals and 15 points. The Blues will need a level of production of at least double what he had in the 2010-11 season, 22 goals and 55 points.
As for those Blues players who stand to have trophy-worthy season, Vladimir Tarasenko is a contender for the Hart and Richard trophies, while Alex Steen could capture the Selke for defensive forward and Alex Pietrangelo securing the Norris for best defenseman.
The Blues open the 2016-17 season in Chicago on Wednesday night. Their opening night line-up is expected to look like this:
Forwards
Alexander Steen — Paul Stastny — Vladimir Tarasenko
David Perron — Jori Lehtera — Robby Fabbri
Dmitrij Jaskin — Patrik Berglund — Ty Rattie
Scottie Upshall — Kyle Brodziak — Ryan Reaves
Magnus Paajarvi
Defensemen
Jay Bouwmeester — Alex Pietrangelo
Joel Edmundson — Kevin Shattenkirk
Carl Gunnarsson — Colton Parayko
Robert Bortuzzo
Goalies
Jake Allen
Carter Hutton
Follow me on Twitter at DMMORRELL and you can contact me at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
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