Making the playoffs is the St. Louis Blues’ first step towards a successful Cup run next year. They’ve routinely performed well in the regular season under Armstrong and Hitchcock, but with very few moves being made this summer, it’s unknown how St. Louis will stack up the rest of the teams in the central division, some of whom have made big moves this summer.
In this part of our series, we take on the Nashville Predators and their top two forward lines. Who should the Blues send out against the Preds? Will it be a struggle to take down the boys from Music City, or will St. Louis prevail over a team that gives new meaning to the word “depth”?
True, the Predators recently re-signed a bag of dog muck to their 1C position, but terrible person or not, he’s still a huge threat on the ice that St. Louis needs to be ready for.
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Sean Tierney from Today’s Slap Shot took a look at the Predators’ projected top lines.
Forsberg – Ribeiro – Neal
Filip Forsberg – Boasting good height and a slight frame (6’2, 182 lbs.) Forsberg is growing into a physicality that will cause defenders problems when he bears down on the rush. He’s known for a quick release and a sneaky shot. After firing 237 shots on net last season as a rookie, opposing goalies can expect to be challenged often by Forsberg in 2015-16.
Mike Ribeiro – At 35 years old, most players can’t stick in the NHL. Ribeiro has become a somewhat unexpected exception to this rule. Fueled by excellent creativity and vision, Ribeiro is patient with the puck and continues to pile up assists feeding his sharpshooting linemates. His on-ice attitude irritates opponents and seems to drive Ribeiro to continue defying the odds.
James Neal – A pure sniper, Neal features a quick release and a willingness to park himself in front of the net to score. He’s potted more than 20 goals in each of his seven NHL seasons and is an intimidating presence when he’s focused and engaged. The focus is the key – Neal is prone to bouts of inconsistent, indifferent play. When he’s on, Neal is a goal-scoring force and a tough cover for any defender.
The St. Louis Blues would ice…
Causeway Crowd
Alexander Steen – Paul Stastny – Vladimir Tarasenko
While I’m tempted to put together a line that would simply crush these three (think Ott and Reaves with Backes centering them) for the sheer joy of it, I’d actually be more curious to see what a Tarasenko line could do against them.
Steen’s two-way play and creativity with the puck would give the Blues a match-up for Nashville’s 1C. Taking Steen’s long reach and ability to get physical when pressed into account, he’d be a smart pick for this line, especially given Tarasenko’s position on the second line last season, and Stastny’s on the third.
Stastny was not the Blues’ best center last season, but he wasn’t far from it. The jam-up at the center position meant he was often stuck on the third line. With Stastny’s determination to make the top-six this upcoming season, he’ll come into the season ready and raring to go, and, frankly, it’s his for the taking. Backes has been the 1C during this iteration of the Blues, but with some AHLers ready to break into the big leagues who occupy the center position, as well as a number of centers still rostered, he’ll more than likely take some time at RW. Stastny’s two-way play will mesh well with Steen’s defensive abilities while his playmaking abilities will provide plenty of scoring chances for his RW, Tarasenko.
Tarasenko, of course, is Tarasenko. Unnaturally gifted at scoring, with a tenacity in one-on-one battles that means he almost always comes out ahead, he’s still working on the defensive aspect of his game. As such, partnering him with defensively responsible players like Steen and Stastny will help him develop that much quicker. And while he’s doing that, it won’t hurt him to score a goal or two – he doesn’t suffer from the same inconsistencies as Neal.
Wilson – Fisher – Smith
Colin Wilson – a solid, if unexciting, all-around player. Wilson is a prototypical second-line forward. He can play all positions, has good size, tends to skate hard to the net and backcheck, and has some offensive instincts. Wilson lacks consistency and doesn’t possess an elite skill set. Instead, Wilson relies on relentlessness. He managed 172 shots in just 16:12 minutes of average time-on-ice last season. He’s learning to create his own opportunities.
Mike Fisher – Now 35 years old, Fisher is another greybeard playing a key role for the Predators. He remains speedy and tenacious on the forecheck and continues to feature a heavy shot. However, Fisher is miscast as a playmaker and has always battled injuries due to his playing style. Fisher wears down opponents with unbending tenacity, even if his scoring prowess does little to instill fear in opposing netminders.
Craig Smith – Like Neal, Smith is a goal-scorer with good offensive instincts and a willingness to pepper the net with shots (252 last season) to create offense. Game-to-game consistency is an issue for the 25-year-old but Smith has shown an ability to score despite limited ice time (about 15 minutes average time-on-ice last year). If Smith can bring a consistent nightly effort, an increase in ice time may lead to a 30-goal campaign.
The St. Louis Blues would ice…
Jaden Schwartz – Robby Fabbri – David Backes
Causeway Crowd
While Robby Fabbri is currently on the roster of the Blues’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, reports from prospect camp in July have him as one of the top contenders to break into the Blues lineup this fall. Fabbri’s best chance at a center spot is with Backes moved to wing, and Backes’s years in the NHL, physicality and net-front presence, Fabbri has a better chance of keeping up with the change in game.
Schwartz’s speed would be a good match for Fabbri’s skating, and his playmaking abilities are strong. The only thing that might hold him back against Nashville’s second projected line is his lack of physicality. However, that’s why we added Backes into the mix: to take apart players who might try and target Schwartz or Fabbri.
Overall, the first lines will be fascinating to watch in a match to the death (or to 60 minutes, whichever comes first), and the second might not be a perfect match-up, but it would be a great learning experience for Fabbri, who will look to break into the top six this coming season.
What say you, Blues fans?
Next: Blues Contracts: The Good, Bad and Ugly
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