Tyler Tucker will have a year to prove he can stick with the Blues full-time
Tyler Tucker earned a spot with the Blues out of camp, but injuries have predominantly kept the defenseman out of the lineup for a good portion of the season. Tucker returned to Springfield to condition, and recently found himself back in the lineup for a few games, and has played in 18 total this season.
He has just two points in 18 contests, but physical play is what makes Tucker such a strong candidate to once again win a spot with the Blues and stay healthy enough to play in most and, ideally, every game next year. Tucker is also the only player on this list with NHL experience dating back to last season when he appeared in 26 games.
During that stretch, Tucker logged 50 hits and blocked 26 shots, a trend that continued this season, but at an even higher rate. In his limited number of games, Tucker has had 20 blocks and 41 hits, and if he keeps playing this physical brand of hockey, he will remain an effective player for St. Louis, and it would be a foregone conclusion that he will sign an extension.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)