St. Louis Blues List Of Pro Tryout Contracts Is Growing
By Todd Panula
The St. Louis Blues roster is likely full. Even so, the team is smart to be taking a look at players with no risk.
The St. Louis Blues made good use of their professional tryout deals last season. The players they brought in ended up being key contributors in the playoffs.
We’ve already discussed how it is quite unlikely that this current group of PTO’s is not likely to make the team. That doesn’t mean it is a bad idea to give these guys a look.
For teams like the Blues and others who utilize the option, there is no risk and nothing but reward if one of the players has a great spring. The Blues are going to have quite a few people to look at this fall as the list is growing.
Mike Weber and T.J. Galiardi were already known to be given a look. Now, you can add the names of Yan Stastny and Eric Nystrom to the list.
Stastny was announced earlier in the week. Nystrom’s name was just dropped as receiving a look during camp.
Stastny, like many players receiving tryouts, isn’t a spring chicken anymore. The former Blues player is now 33.
He spent the last six seasons playing in various European leagues including Germany and the KHL. Stastny was with the Blues for three seasons, but never played in more than 34 games in any NHL season.
It seems quite unlikely Stastny will be able to latch onto the NHL club if he hadn’t already in his career. There are plenty suggesting he used his family connection to current Blues player, Paul Stastny, to get the tryout.
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Maybe that’s true and maybe it’s not. It doesn’t matter at this point. If he can either translate the tryout into a chance with spot on another team or even with the Chicago Wolves, then props to him.
Nystrom is the interesting name. If he would be comfortable being a scratch for much of the season, he could be an interesting insurance player.
Nystrom spent the last three seasons with the Nashville Predators. His number of games and points diminished every season and the Predators bought out the final year of his four-year deal.
Still, Nystrom is much more in the vein of guys like Kyle Brodziak or Scottie Upshall. He’s never put up big points, but he’s got a decent enough game to fit very well on the fourth line or even the third if the injury bug bites again.
If nothing else, these tryouts force the players trying to make the jump from juniors or the minors to earn their spot. They can’t take things for granted because they’re going up against guys with NHL experience who are trying to hold on to their livelihood.
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Training camp should be quite interesting this year. These players aren’t likely to take spots. If they do, they’ll have earned it.
The Blues are going to have plenty of options to look at. Whether they want to go young or add some veteran leadership, there’ll be plenty to look at come the start of camp.