St. Louis Blues: Don’t Be Fooled, September Hockey Is Significant
It’s officially September, which means the new season is here and the St. Louis Blues will finally start the process of defending their Stanley Cup title.
Whoever said that preseason doesn’t matter, or that Septemeber hockey has no meaning or does not matter, that person is wrong. For the St. Louis Blues, September is where the roster takes shape, and where preparation for a title defense begins.
No, there aren’t any games that are going to count towards the Blues’ win/loss record that will be played in September. However, that doesn’t mean that you can look past the importance of the preseason.
There have been countless players who have made an impact either at the Traverse City Tournament or during training camp itself, but even if they didn’t do enough to make the team, they still laid the groundwork for a promising career.
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Sammy Blais might be the perfect example of this scenario. For two consecutive seasons, Blais had been on the outside looking in on a roster spot to begin the season.
He knew he needed to have a stellar preseason to have a chance at making the team, even if it meant being a healthy scratch and watching the action from the press box for the first two weeks.
Blais, then went on to earn a spot on the Blues’ opening night roster in back-to-back years and had a significant impact on the team winning its first-ever Stanley Cup in 2019.
There are so many players who are in the same boat as Blais when you consider the 2020 Blues team. The most prominent and recognizable name is Jordan Kyrou.
Kyrou made the team out of training camp last season after leading the team in points during the 2018 preseason. Even though he could not find his game at the NHL level consistently, Kyrou still has a lot to prove again this preseason.
St. Louis has a number of young players, especially young forwards, who are looking to make the team this fall and Kyrou’s name might be on the top of the list for Craig Berube and Doug Armstrong.
When you look at longshots to make the Blues’ roster, the best thing to do is turn your attention to the Traverse City Tournament that begins on Sept. 6.
Klim Kostin and Mitch Reinke were tabbed to lead the Blues into this Michigan based tournament, and both of these players could eventually see time in St. Louis at some point during the year.
Fans have pleaded and begged for a callup for Kostin, especially when the young forward put on a show at the World Junior Championships. He has the unique combo of skill and strength that could fit well on the Blues’ third line.
Reinke, meanwhile, has some NHL experience under his belt already. The Blues signed him as a college free agent out of Michigan Tech two seasons ago and played one game for the Blues.
Last year with the Rampage, Reinke finished second on the team in points with 45. With St. Louis resigning Joel Edmundson, it looks like Reinke will have to have a Blais-like preseason to make the team, but that doesn’t mean he won’t see time in the NHL this year.
Next. Traverse City Loaded With Intriguing Blues Prospects. dark
It’s important to understand that the development of a lot of young players reaches new levels during the month of September, and although there are no “meaningful” games being played, every practice, and every practice game, means something.