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St. Louis Blues: Young Guns Get A Chance In Preseason Opener

By Tyler Andrus

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 16: Oskar Sundqvist #70 of the St. Louis Blues celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring a second-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during their game at T-Mobile Arena on November 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 16: Oskar Sundqvist #70 of the St. Louis Blues celebrates with teammates on the bench after scoring a second-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during their game at T-Mobile Arena on November 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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In a Western Conference Semi-Finals rematch, the St. Louis Blues send the prospect team out onto the ice to play the Dallas Stars tonight.

Robby Fabbri, Oskar Sundqvist, and Sammy Blais will lead the St. Louis Blues onto the ice this evening. Normally third or fourth line guys, these three will get their chance to shine with the first line minutes they are about to receive.

The most intriguing of the three is the newly resigned Sundqvist. After putting up 31 points last season as a 24-year-old, it will be interesting to see if the young center can continue to develop into a top-six role with more time on ice (TOI).

Personally, the number I am most interested in seeing after the game is his faceoff percentage. Last season he only won 42 percent of his faceoffs. Hopefully, he can use the extra time tonight to continue to develop his all-around game as a center.

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On the third line, you will find Michigan native Mackenzie MacEachern. The rarely talked about 25-year-old is poised to continue his development as a gritty third-line player. His traditional scoring numbers were not there (five points), but some of his possession metrics were.

The Blues had an On-Ice Save Percentage (oiSV%) of 93.9 in the 29 games he played in. Additionally, he laid 49 hits and played a clean game with just 10 penalty minutes (PIM).

Mathias Laferriere is also an interesting name. The 19-year-old posted 74 points in 68 games last season with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL). He also came in clutch with 10 points in 11 playoff games. This may not be a name showing up on the NHL roster for a couple of years but keep an eye out for him.

Familiar faces Joel Edmundson and Robert Bortuzzo take the reins on the defensive side of the ice. The storyline on this line is the battle for a starting role between the two players.

Both guys received significant time last season, and it might be their preseason performance that determines who starts alongside the core five (Jay Bouwmeester, Alex Pietrangelo, Carl Gunnarsson, Vince Dunn, and Colton Parayko).

Jake Dotchin will be on the second line with Niko Mikkola. The 25-year-old defenseman is coming off of a pair of 11-point seasons with Tampa Bay and will look to insert his name into a seventh defender discussion.

On the final line, we have former Penguin and Canuck Derrick Pouliot and Andreas Borgman. Pouliot is looking to rebound in his sixth season after posting just 12 points in 62 games last year. Borgman, the former Toronto Maple Leaf, was received in a trade for Jordan Schmaltz. In 45 games with the Toronto Marlies last season he posted 17 points (4 G, 13 A).

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Ville Husso will be between the pipes tonight for the Blue Notes. Once deemed the goalie of the future, Husso struggled with an injury and with his numbers last season. Adam Wilcox will back him up on the bench.

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