The St. Louis Blues preseason is about 50 percent complete, with only two more games remaining. There are still a fair amount of questions, particularly on the defensive side, but this opening night roster is getting very close to complete.
Speaking of that blue line, following the second loss against the Dallas Stars, 2-1, it looks like there is a pretty good assumption about what it will look like on October 2. Let's talk about how it is all coming together.
Broberg-Mailloux look they will be a steady top-pair
It all starts at the top. Philip Broberg and Logan Mailloux got their first chance to be defensive partners this preseason in an actual game setting, and it did not turn out as badly as the box score suggests. Although they were both slapped with a -2, the eye test reveals that it was not that bad for the pairing.
The Blues desperately need them to be a steady top pair, as the rest of this defensive core is still a bit questionable in terms of effectiveness. If they cannot continue to be a cohesive tandem, this franchise cannot afford to go back to the drawing board.
Jiricek is almost there, but not yet
The arrival of Adam Jiricek is here, and he looks to be as advertised. In one game of play, he fit in nicely with the Blue Note on his chest. There are still two more chances for him this preseason to earn a spot on the blue line, but there are still obstacles in his way.
There are some question marks in front of him on the defensive end, particularly with Colton Parayko and Brandon Carlo, regarding their effectiveness. If either of those two cannot keep up, Montgomery might have to call up Jiricek early to create a spark.
Tucker’s fate is sealed
This has been a bad couple of weeks for Tyler Tucker. He was anticipated to contend for a spot on the blue line as an 84-game regular, but a poor showing, an injury, and other talent showing more worth have pushed No. 75 into no man’s land.
For the next two games, it is uncertain whether he will be a part of them, as his timetable for return has not been established. When the regular season starts, the veteran will get a chance to get back into the lineup, but it will be interesting to see how the bottom half of the defensive unit looks at that time.
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