St. Louis finished the six-game pre-season with a 4-2 record against Columbus, Dallas and Chicago, but the results of those contests mean little as training camp winds down. Being able to give young prospects a taste of NHL speed and getting looks at line combinations and defensive pairings are what coaches look for as the real season approaches.
The Blues, whose next game will mean something when opening night arrives at home against Edmonton, on Thursday, October 8th, seek to get their roster down to a final number of 23. It is expected by Tuesday, the Blues will have the roster set. For the next five days, the club is skating at Yost Arena on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. There are some hearty battles going on for those final spots up for grabs.
At the forward position, there are four players fighting for two spots. Magnus Paajarvi and Ty Rattie, currently under contract for $700K and $772K respectively this season are joined by Scott Gomez and Scottie Upshall, both on professional tryouts with the club. Robby Fabbri has earned a spot with the club heading into opening night. Gomez and Upshall might have the edge to make the club for different reasons.
Gomez, a center, brings a grizzled, veteran, something the team needs as it seeks to change their post-season fortunes. Gomez contributed to Stanley Cup victories with the New Jersey Devils in 2000 and 2003. Gomez, 35, has not scored double-digit goals since 2009-10 when he was with Montreal. His ability to win face-offs is valuable and the impact he can have on the third or fourth lines with the younger players might outweigh the value of others competing for this spot. He has played in 1,045 regular season games and has seen it all.
Upshall, at 31, is a little younger, and perhaps a little hungrier to stick with a team viewed with such promise. The right winger has enjoyed the post-season just once since 2008, a seven-game series loss in which the Florida Panthers lost to New Jersey in 2012. Having played in 553 regular season games, Upshall has experience which would be of value on the Blues’ third or fourth line.
A former first-round draft pick (10th overall in 2009), Magnus Paajarvi has not shown much promise since his arrival from Edmonton for David Perron in July 2013. He is more likely to be a waiver pick-up if anything. Ty Rattie, having scored 31 and 21 goals the last two years in Chicago (AHL), simply has not been good enough to make the club. He’ll be the first call-up from the Wolves once the first injury occurs.
On defense, there are three players going after one spot. Chris Butler, Joel Edmundson and Colton Parayko are battling and it may come down to a financial decision more than anything for what is the seventh defensive spot on the roster.
Chris Butler, 28, is in the final year of a one-way contract which pays him $675K. Joel Edmundson and Colton Parayko, both 22, would make a higher salary than Butler if either stayed up with the Blues ($742,500K and $700K respectively). In the AHL, they will each make $70K. Given the marginal difference in talent, it doesn’t make financial sense to have Butler patrol the backline for the Wolves.
The goaltending positions are set, but there is no clear number one heading into the season. With a slightly better performance in the pre-season, Brian Elliott, 30, will likely start opening night. His 0.86 goals against average with 2 wins and a 0.965 save percentage has set himself apart, at least for the starting position on opening night.
But with a six-game, thirteen-day road trip coming after opening night, Jake Allen, 25, will get plenty of starts as the season begins. It is also likely Allen will get more starts than the 32 he earned last season.
Many pick the Blues to win the Central Division, but the real question will come in game 83, where the Blues have only won one-playoff series in the last four years, in 2012 when they defeated San Jose in five games before bowing to eventual Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles in a four-game sweep.
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