Down to one practice group, Blues provide potential preview of opening day lineup (2024)

With eight days before the Blues open the season in Seattle, the club might have finally gotten a look at their day one lineup during practice on Monday morning.

For the first time this preseason, the Blues had just one practice group instead of two or three, which they had when the training camp roster was more expansive. In the practice session, the Blues were able to unveil forward lines and defense pairings that looked more applicable to the NHL season.

They were as follows, with notes below:

The Blues had one practice last week when they broke their NHL group apart from the AHLers, but now that the training camp roster has been cut by about half since the start of the preseason, the expectation is that these lines and pairs will see more and more time together.

“Having one skate, getting lines together, getting D-pairs together, start to work on our game and really dial in the habits and the details that we’re looking for,” Blues coach Drew Bannister said. “That was nice to get to work today.”

Saad could miss the opening three-game road trip due to the birth of his third child, and the Blues have decided to practice with him not on the four NHL lines in order to prepare for his absence. But the larger question is: What happens when Saad does return to the lineup?

Zack Bolduc is currently occupying a top-six spot in his quest to make the NHL roster out of training camp for the first time. The Blues could bump him down to make room for Saad.

Or the Blues could move Brayden Schenn down to become the third-line center, forcing Radek Faksa back to a fourth-line role he played in Dallas.

Perhaps Saad himself is destined to play on the third line. The Blues will have some time before that decision has to be made.

“I don’t think we’re at that point yet,” Bannister said. “I think we’re still a couple games away. Obviously with Sunny being out and Saader probably not going on the trip, that’ll factor into the decision.”

With Saad’s potential absence and Oskar Sundqvist’s recovery from knee surgery, the Blues could be left without a spare forward if they chose to only carry 13 forwards (with Saad as the scratch). If St. Louis wanted an extra body up front for the opening trip of the season, it would come at the expense of a job on the back end.

“I’ve been really impressed by P.O’s played, his length, his ability to skate and close and (have) a great stick, can get up in the play,” Bannister said. “Perun has been good with the puck. The things that we’re looking for away from the puck, I see a concerted effort from him. I thought Tucks, in both games, has been really good. He’s been physical, what we would expect from Tucks.

“All three are fighting for their jobs. It’s going to be tough. They’re going to make decisions tough for the staff here. I see three guys that want to be on this hockey team, that want to help be a part of what we’re trying to do here and that are trying to impose their games the best they can.”

All three players would have to go through waivers in order to be sent to the minors.