Cracking St. Louis Blues Roster In 2020-21 Will Be Tough

The St. Louis Blues are always looking for roster depth and cost certainty. Having young, talented players definitely helps, but it also makes cracking the roster even harder for up-and-coming prospects.

St. Louis Blues fans, and presumably the organization, are high on at least a couple forwards that are either currently in the minors or on the roster but getting sparse time. Looking at the roster, it will be tough for them to find spots in 2020-21 though.

The Blues solidified their depth recently. They signed Sammy Blais to an extension one day. Mackenzie MacEachern got an extension the day after.

Blais has the talent to be anywhere other than the top three. MacEachern is still growing as a player, but provides the Blues some physicality and energy.

However, their extensions solidified something we already suspected. Roster spots are not going to be easy to come by.

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Jim Thomas, the Blues beat writer for the Post-Dispatch, released his projected lineup should the Blues finish the 2019-20 season. If you look at it, all those players are under contract, so barring a trade, they would all return in 2020-21.

Schwartz-Schenn-Tarasenko

Sanford-O’Reilly-Perron

Blais-Thomas-Bozak

Steen-Sundqvist-Barbashev

There is a possibility that Bozak or Steen might not be back. However, those moves are somewhat difficult, so, for now, it is better to assume they won’t happen.

With that in mind, where do Jordan Kyrou and Klim Kostin fit in? The answer would seem to be that they don’t.

Of course, if they both had a good training camp, the Blues would figure out a way to make the 2020-21 squad including those two. The sticking point is they are both at a point in their careers where they need to play, but likely cannot gain any more from the AHL.

If that entire lineup returns for next season, who do Kyrou or Kostin replace? It would be highly unlikely they take the spot of Steen or Bozak in the final years of their contracts.

I would be perfectly fine with either taking Zach Sanford’s spot. The Blues seem quite high on him, however, and he was having a career year until an injury in 2019-20 and, when motivated, he does fit in with Ryan O’Reilly and David Perron quite well.

Who else could you take out? Ivan Barbashev is often the team’s human missile, along with Sammy Blais. Speaking of Blais, you don’t re-sign him and give him a raise only to sit him in the press box.

Oskar Sundqvist used to be a name that fans would gladly have out of the lineup. Now, he’s earned his spot and most would feel it a disservice to take it away.

This is all assuming either of those two make the NHL roster. It also assumes no other prospects force their way in or the Blues add/retain other pieces.

One would assume that MacEachern takes up one of the rotation spots on the roster. That would leave two spots open.

What if the Blues bring back Jacob de La Rose? Anything is possible, but if a deal can be worked out, it would seem the Blues would not trade Robby Fabbri and then let the asset they gained leave after half a season.

That leaves one spot open. Pundits seem to think Kostin has the higher upside, but Kyrou seems to have more a foothold in the league already.

Would Kostin accept another year in the AHL? How much good would it do him?

Technically, you could start the season with MacEachern in the minors if the other forwards earned a spot. The only trouble is MacEachern would have to clear waivers if you brought him up and needed to send him back down.

The Blues are at an odd spot. They know they can win now and know the chemistry with the players they currently have has won and can win again.

However, eventually, you have to find spots for these guys. They don’t play the same game as some of the names they might replace, but you don’t fully know what they’re capable of until they get a long look.

dark. Next. Can you build a Blues starting lineup for $15?

I can’t imagine either Kyrou or Kostin getting anything further from the AHL. I also cannot see them cracking the starting lineup consistently yet either. It will be an interesting choice for sure.

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