INTERNAL COMBUSTION
St. Louis has some high-end prospects pushing hard for roster spots up front
DON’T SLEEP ON the St. Louis Blues, who have a fearsome quartet of forwards – Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Klim Kostin and Tage Thompson – knocking on the door, with Thompson already having played a good chunk of the 2017-18 season. With so much help coming up front, GM Doug Armstrong can start searching for his next Alex Pietrangelo on ‘D.’ IMMEDIATE NEEDS: St. Louis hit big by converting Brayden Schenn to center, but they could use another veteran puck distributor to replace the traded Paul Stastny. And can the Blues afford to part with Carter Hutton after his spectacular season? With supposed starter Jake Allen so maddeningly inconsistent, St. Louis needs a high-end backup goalie on hand at all times.
LONG-TERM NEEDS:
Thomas is the only center among the high-end prospects, so the Blues could use another with big offensive upside. With Jay Bouwmeester in his twilight years, might they search for another big-minute blueliner at the draft? They have a few solid ‘D’ prospects, but none that would qualify as a can’t-miss stud, like Pietrangelo was as the fourth overall pick in 2008. CAP SITUATION: The Blues have some depth RFAs to sign, but since Robby Fabbri blew out his knee, he’s regressed to bridge-deal territory, which could be a blessing. Armstrong has almost $12 million to spend and could have something left over even after he’s signed his RFAs, the most expensive of whom should be sturdy D-man Joel Edmundson.
IN THE SYSTEM 2018-19:
Take your pick from the aforementioned forward group. Kostin’s a sniper with NHL size and got AHL experience this season, while Thomas and Kyrou toiled in major junior, so Kostin has the slight edge entering training camp. DID YOU KNOW: The Blues had no official AHL affiliate this season with the Vegas Golden Knights taking over the Chicago Wolves. It was an awkward year for Blues prospects, who shared roster space on the Wolves but also got shuttled to other teams. Top blueline prospect Jake Walman played for Chicago as well as the Binghamton Devils.