The St. Louis Blues will be heading into training camp later this fall with a pretty set defense group. The addition of Brandon Carlo seems to have solidified the entire group by adding a veteran blueliner who can add depth and chew up minutes.
Along the way, there’s one Blues defenseman who will likely become the odd man out. And that’s Tyler Tucker. The 26-year-old had a bit of a regular role last season. He appeared in 69 games, chipping in 14 points along the way. But it’s Carlo’s addition that will likely push Tucker to the seventh defenseman role.
That makes more sense. Tucker is a left-shot whereas Carlo is a right-shot. The Blues needed another right shot, so end of story, right?
Well, not so fast. It’s the emergence of Theo Lindstein that makes the left side a little crowded for the Blues.
Without Lindstein, Tucker could have patrolled the bottom pairing on the left side with Carlo on the right. The calculus changes with Lindstein. The crowded left side means Tucker goes down a rung, leaving him on the bubble.
But there might just be one reason why Tucker might not lose his role in the lineup after all.
Tucker could remain in top six if Lindstein isn’t ready
Last season, Lindstein impressed enough in the 17 games he played that he’s got the inside track on a full-time job.
But what happens if Lindstein just isn’t ready for the rigors a full-time NHL role? No worries, he’s waivers-exempt. Because of that, the Blues can confidently send him back down to Springfield.
In contrast, Tucker has to go through waivers. And if the Blues are forced to put him on there, there’s not much of a chance he’ll clear. Tucker is a solid NHL defenseman, and could be the sort of blueliner contenders would want to scoop up, especially because of his very team-friendly $925K cap hit.
If Lindstein proves he can handle the responsibility becoming of a full-time NHL blueliner, Tucker will be riding the pressbox more often than not. Unfortunately, injuries should become a part of the equation at some point during the season. That’s where Tucker should get back into the lineup.
In the meantime, if there’s one training camp battle to watch, it will be that sixth and seventh defenseman spots. Lindstein should give Tucker a run for his money. But it might be Tucker’s experience that just saves his regular spot in the lineup. We shall see.
Add us as a preferred source on Google