The St. Louis Blues are going to have a lot of position battles throughout the lineup in training camp. Head coach Jim Montgomery spoke that into existence in his exit interview, and the moves made by ex-General Manager Doug Armstrong and new head man Alexander Steen confirmed that notion.
One of the biggest position battles is going to be for that second-line center spot, and there are a number of players jumping at the chance. The top two are the newcomers, Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael, and each carries their own initial pros and cons with training camp coming up in a couple of weeks.
Let's talk about who has more of an edge at this point, and if it is that player's job to lose?
McTavish wins right now?
Looking at both McTavish and McMichael, both are reputable centermen. Both have similar goal totals last season but McTavish seriously outshines at the faceoff dot, by a whole six percent.
That alone is a competitive edge, as the Blues have been known for having excellent prowess at the faceoff dot. And couple that with the idea of having both of them on the same line gives McTavish the win.
But things can change in a heartbeat when training camp starts in a few weeks. McMichael could have been spending the entire summer working on that specific skill, much like McTavish has been in the gym developing himself to be the best net-front presence the Blues have ever had on the power play.
Can McMichael gain any ground?
The 2026-27 season is still a long way away, and there are a bunch of moving parts at the moment. Looking for a definitive answer for the second-line center spot is the smallest issue right now when looking at how the rest of the bottom six might look. Veterans and prospects will be fighting for their jobs or a chance at making it to the big leagues, and that competition will fuel a bloodthirsty Blues team when the season starts.
McMichael is going to have to have a stellar camp, and however much time he can get inside the four preseason games. McTavish is nearly a lock for the season opener as the 2C, but that might not stay, with Dalibor Dvorsky also in the hunt for that spot.
Montgomery is going to have his hands full prior to the season, but keeping McTavish as the second-line center is the right call.
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