After a busy offseason for adding forwards by the St. Louis Blues this summer, the 2025-26 roster seems to be all but set heading into training camp in late September, and Nikita Alexandrov is on the outside looking in for a spot on the opening night roster.
Alexandrov, a second-round pick by the Blues in the 2019 NHL Draft, has appeared sparingly through two NHL seasons so far in his career. The forward has 51 career NHL games under his belt and has recorded just three goals and six assists.
He hasn't seen ice time in St. Louis since the 2023-24 season, where he appeared in 23 games in St. Louis and just seven games in the American Hockey League, as his year was cut short due to injury.
Reinforcements in the Blues' bottom-6 forward group last year kept Alexandrov in Springfield for the 2024-25 season. The consistency that Alexandrov showed in the minors last season warrants a look for a bench spot on the opening night roster.
Still dealing with injuries to begin the season, Alexandrov appeared in 48 games for the Thunderbirds last year, netting 21 goals and 28 assists, averaging more than a point per game last season in the AHL.
Alexandrov needs to blow the roof off the Blues' coaches and managers in order to earn a roster selection. Even with the subtraction of Zach Bolduc this summer, the forward group is spoken for, even on the fourth line.
An opening-night fourth line of Alexei Toropchenko, Nick Bjgustad, and any combination of Nathan Walker, Oskar Sundqvist, and Alexandre Texier is all in front of Alexandrov on the depth chart.
The thing that Alexandrov has going for him is his age. At just 24 years old, there is still room for growth and potential. There is solidified NHL veteran talent in the Blues bottom-6, but Alexandrov could be slotted in to make a difference in the lineup.