The St. Louis Blues, who could not handle the Dallas Stars in a shootout and lost their first preseason game, 2-1, have a quick turnaround for game number two. Visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets, it is time to observe some other pieces of this team.
With it being a back-to-back, there is a sense that a completely new roster will be rolled out for this one. Neither the media nor any official word from the Blues has announced anything about lineup sheets. However, there can be an argument made as to who might need a little more playing time to iron out some wrinkles.
Dalibor Dvorsky, who was very sluggish in the first rendition of the Blues preseason, needs to play in this second game. There are high hopes for him making the roster for opening night, but last night's performance might sway that projection.
On the other side of the coin, the goaltending situation will be a tricky one. Jordan Binnington was stellar, but should not get another go until after this game is over. Especially since the third game of the preseason is not until September 27. Colton Ellis earned some serious brownie points with his third-period heroics against Dallas, and might have earned himself at least the first two periods against Columbus. Joel Hofer, who is designated to be the backup for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, also needs to see the ice at some point.
The Blues might have lost the first preseason game, but it was a good observation of the future of this franchise. Logan Mailloux showed some serious upside, and Justin Carbonneau looked like an everyday NHLer out there.
What are we possibly going to witness in the second game of a back-to-back to open the preseason?