One of the most exciting parts of last season was the emergence of the Blues fourth line, endearingly nicknamed the "WTF" line for the initials of its skaters: Nathan Walker, Alexey Toropchenko, and Radek Faksa.
With the departure of Faksa this offseason, the fourth-line needs a new center and a new identity. Oskar Sundqvist and Nick Bjugstad are set to fill in on the fourh line as a potential center duo, but can they lead the line to the success they saw last year?
The 4C battle
The first question to resolve on the fourth line is who will be centering Walker and Torpo? Doug Armstrong and the Blues brought in depth C/W Nick Bjugstad in free agency to help fill in the bottom six and replace the loss of Faksa, but that's not the only option the Blues have.
The next most likely candidate would be Oskar Sundqvist, who has played in a 4C role for the Blues in the past and is very familiar with the front office and the team.
Between the two, Bjugstad has the more realistic shot at the 4C role. Sunny is a fan favorite but is in the twilight of his NHL career as a 31-year old, and is probably the 13th skater on this team. Sunny has more experience on the wing and doesn't score at a very high level given his deployment, meaning he is probably on the outside looking in of this roster.
I find Bjugstad to be the more compelling option between the two centers, and I think Armstrong, Montgomery, and the Blues do as well. First, Bjugstad is signed for two more seasons as compared to Sundqvist's one, and is earning more money.
This is a clear indication that he is more highly considered. Furthermore, it wouldn't make much sense for Armstrong to go out and acquire Bjugstad just to sit him on the bench for $1.75 million a year. Finally, Bjugstad has more experience at center and is better in the faceoff dot, making him the choice that makes the most sense.
BTW: A new look for a fourth line
Bjugstad, Torpo, and Walker should make up a similar fourth line as compared to last year, but with some notable differences that will make the overall style of play feel different.
When comparing Faksa to Bjugstad, the main comparison between the two skaters boils down to offense vs. defense. Bjugstad is the better offensive threat whereas Faksa was an excellent defensive skater who controlled the pace of play much better. Faksa's role on the team was to slow down the pace of play and control the puck, letting his wingers thrive in the offensive and neutral zones.
Bjugstad, on the other hand, will embolden and galvanize his wingers much more than Faksa did. Bjugstad will be much more active in the offensive and neutral zones serving as a puck carrier, and with his 6'6" frame he should be able to box out opposing skaters and draw more defenders to him, tipping the numbers advantage in favor of his wingers.
Furthermore, Bjugstad is a decent scorer in his own right. Last season, Bjugstad put up nine goals and 16 points in 66 games played, a much higher total of scoring than Faksa's five goals and 15 points in 70 games played. This means the offensive potential for the fourth line is much higher, and we could see one or even two of the three skaters putting up double digit goal totals.
Faksa's greatest strength with his defense was his ability in the faceoff dot. While Bjugstad is a step down from Faksa, he is only a slight step back as Faksa was one of the best faceoff winners in the league.
Bjugstad is an above average faceoff taker for his career and finished with a 47.4% mark last season, which is below his career average by over a full percentage. This means that with some positive regression, Bjugstad should be able to get back to his career norms of being an above average faceoff winner and help the Blues continue to dictate the pace of play at the puck drop.
While the fourth line may not be the exact same as it was last season, there is still a lot of upside and reason to believe this unit can be an overall positive for the team. I don't believe they will be starting shifts on the ice like last season, but I think their ice time numbers will end up similar and could even prove to be more effective with some crucial goals in key moments.
The Blues may not have the consistency and fun playstyle of "WTF" anymore, but with "BTW" they are increasing their offensive upside and ability to close out games late with capable scorers.
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