The St. Louis Blues' Opening Night roster has been finalized ahead of the October 9 opener against the Minnesota Wild.
The Blues roster, while devoid of any mind-shocking moves, does reveal some interesting decisions. These decisions could have a significant impact early in the season for St. Louis, but may shift as the season progresses.
So, here’s a look at three interesting decisions ahead of the St. Louis Blues' October 9 opener.
St. Louis Blues Opening Night roster decisions
Carbonneau did not make team
Blues top prospect Justin Carbonneau didn’t make the team. This decision isn’t precisely a shocker. But given his play during the preseason, there was a shot the Blues could give him a nine-game trial before sending him back down.
Ultimately, the club chose to keep him in the QMJHL this season. At 18, he’ll likely dominate the league, potentially earning him a move to the AHL at some point down the line.
Perhaps fans might still see Carbonneau this season. Other rookies have jumped from the NCAA or Junior Hockey into the NHL in the spring and heading into the postseason.
The club did not pick up a waiver goalie
Several goalies hit waivers over the final day or so of training camp. As such, some clubs bolstered their depth by picking up third-string netminder to complement their NHL tandems.
But the Blues did not dip their toes into the waiver wire. While the Blues are set with Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer, the club could have used a third-string goalie as insurance. That situation will prove key, especially with the condensed schedule for this season.
For instance, Cal Petersen, Nico Daws, and Cayden Primeau could have added to the Blues’ organizational depth. In the end, Petersen and Daws cleared. So, there might have been a missed opportunity, especially after Colten Ellis was claimed by the Buffalo Sabres.
It remains to be seen if the Blues are waiting for another goalie to hit the wire at some point. For now, the plan will be for Binnington and Hofer to share duties and pray that neither of them gets hurt.
No place for Texier, Joseph
According to PuckPedia, Alexandre Texier figures to sit in the press box. That’s not necessarily a surprise. However, keeping a forward with a $2.1 million cap hit in the press box is rather expensive.
The same goes for Mathieu Joseph. His $2.95 million cap hit could also ride the press box for some time. So, the question lies in what the club will do about those two players. Perhaps they keep them as depth, particularly if Nathan Walker or Alexey Toropchenko don’t really work out.
It’s intriguing to see if the Blues may explore the trade market for either Joseph or Texier. Perhaps there might not be much demand for these veteran forwards now. But as injuries pile up around the league, they could become interesting trade targets.