Bleedin' Blue
Fansided

St. Louis Blues: The Ultimate Franchise Forward Lines

By Tyler Andrus

Canadian hockey player Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues fires off a shot as the New York Rangers' Kevin Lowe tries to stop him during a game at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, early 1990s. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
Canadian hockey player Brett Hull of the St. Louis Blues fires off a shot as the New York Rangers' Kevin Lowe tries to stop him during a game at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, early 1990s. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images) /
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St. Louis Blues
TORONTO, ON – FEBRUARY 18: Brendan Shanahan #19 of the St. Louis Blues skates agains Doug Gilmour #93 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during NHL game action on February 18, 1995 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /

LW: 1993-94 Brendan Shanahan

The second line kicks off with fan-favorite Brendan Shanahan playing the wing. Shanahan had multiple good seasons in the Blue Note, but his 1993-94 season is the one that got him in this lineup.

The then 25-year-old put up 102 points (52 G, 50 A) in 81 games. He also ripped a career-high 397 shots on goal and put up SEVEN shorthanded goals.

Overall, Shanahan’s goal-scoring ability was sensational no matter what the situation. It did not matter if he was a man up, a man down, or at even strength. His offense thrived no matter what.

The only thing that might be an issue is his defensive play. He took a minus-9 on the year with a mere 0.8 DPS (defensive point shares). While this may make a few people out there upset, Shanahan made this squad because of his offense. The second line is a place for scoring goals and he fits the bill.

MONTREAL, CANADA- CIRCA 1982: Rick Wamsley #1 of the Montreal Canadiens saves a shot by Bernie Federko #24 of the St. Louis Blues Circa 1982 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, CANADA- CIRCA 1982: Rick Wamsley #1 of the Montreal Canadiens saves a shot by Bernie Federko #24 of the St. Louis Blues Circa 1982 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images) /

C: 1983-84 Bernie Federko

Bernie Federko in 1983-84 is the perfect player to center a second scoring line with some of the top Blues goal scorers in franchise history. The man was an assists machine.

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In this one particular season, Federko dished out 66 assists, a third of them coming on the powerplay, and totaled 107 points. He had a few 100-point seasons to choose from but this one was all-around his best.

The then 27-year-old paired 107 points with a 20.9 shooting percentage, 7.1 OPS, and a total of 8.1 PS. He was able to do it all offensively in 1983-84 and helped lead the Blues to the second round of the playoffs where they lost a heartbreaking Game 7 to the Minnesota North Stars.

Federko would be the heart and soul of this second line by both setting up goals or finishing off the play. If Federko could get it going with Shanahan, it would be all over for the opposition.

22 Mar 2001: Keith Tkachuk #7 of the St. Louis Blues clears the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/ALLSPORT
22 Mar 2001: Keith Tkachuk #7 of the St. Louis Blues clears the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Elsa/ALLSPORT /

RW: 01-02 Keith Tkachuk

Keith Tkachuk might be a hard sell on the second line of the all-time Blues lineup, but just let it sink in a moment. Tkachuk in 2001-02 was a proven scorer and someone who would not back from a challenge, collecting 117 penalty minutes.

He put up 75 points (38 G, 37 A) in his age-29 season and was a workhorse, averaging 19:38 minutes per night. Tkachuk did not get a ton of work on the powerplay but he was incredibly effective during 5-on-5 hockey, putting up 25 goals and 29 assists.

Analytically speaking, Tkachuk contributed roughly 8.2 points to his team with his offense.  He added 2.5 points to his team defensively.

While 2001-02 Keith Tkachuk may not be a guy who stands out as a no doubt second liner, his well-rounded game would put the finishing touches on this star-studded second line.

He would finish off the plays set up by Federko, set plays up for Shanahan and get back to play solid defense.  He would stand up for his line when necessary too.

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