After defeating the Chicago Blackhawks,1-0, earlier in the week, it is now time to play the final preseason game. The St. Louis Blues have had an eventful training camp, and the preseason thus far has shown a lot about this team’s future.
With one more to go before it’s real, there are a bunch of things that you should expect to see. Let’s go over them.
Final roster battles
After more roster cuts were made yesterday, there are only one or two more position battles left to iron out. This isn’t bad considering what we had to figure out at the beginning of camp.
Zach Dean is likely going to be on the NHL roster at the start of the season, with Pius Suter starting as the fourth-line center. Expect this to change quite often between the two of them, as Montgomery can ride the hot hand.
Another position battle is basically all figured out, but worth mentioning. Adam Jiricek was sent down to Springfield, and Calle Rosen is the seventh defenseman on this roster. At least for now. Jiricek could get called up before the season starts, as head coach Jim Montgomery might have wanted to see one more showing out of Rosen before preseason ends.
Chemistry must be built
The biggest question mark this preseason was whether the Blues were going to find chemistry. This will be the game that proves it.
Up until now, the team has been a mixed bag of players. Some NHL veterans, with a couple of fringe NHLers alongside prospects who were destined to be in Springfield from the start.
This last game will show what the opening night roster will look like, and that is extremely important. The Blackhawks are likely to follow the same path with a ready-to-go opening night roster, so this preseason game is going to feel and look like the real thing.
One more until it is for real
This is it, folks. The last game that doesnt matter at all. The Blues are going to be going on a little bit of a break before the regular season starts on October 2 in Dallas against the Stars.
This offseason was a long one, but it sure was exciting. There were a lot of moves made, personnel changes, and a new era was ushered in with a new captain.
All that is behind us now, as one more drop of the puck in the preseason is set to begin.
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