St. Louis Blues forward Brandon Saad said Friday he could miss the season-opening road trip because his wife is expected to deliver their third child at that time. If Saad does miss the trip, the Blues depth will be tested early. This will give someone an opportunity to step up for the Blue Note.
Blues Prepare For Saad’s Absence
The Blues used Friday’s practice to experiment with other forwards in Saad’s place among the regular forward lines. Saad revealed his wife’s approaching due date as the reason for his absence from the regular forward group. Furthermore, head coach Drew Bannister stated he is looking to have a plan in place in case Saad misses time.
“Depending on how things go obviously, he might not be available for us for the first three games of the road trip,” Bannister said. “We’ll go in a different direction (now in training camp) with our lines as if he wasn’t able to play for us.”
Saad is projected to be in the Blues top-six forward lines. On Friday, Zachary Bolduc skated in Saad’s place on the top-six.
Blues Depth May Be Tested
The Blues open the regular season in Seattle on October 8 before continuing on to San Jose and Vegas. If Saad missed the road trip, the Blues depth will be tested from the start of the season.
However, the Blues appear prepared. Not only is Bannister using practice to address the situation, but the Blues brought in many forwards in the summer who could fill the void. The team also has multiple youngsters who could crack the lineup in Saad’s absence. The Blues have plenty of options, but finding the player or players who step up is the question.
There is a big opportunity for someone to impress and fill Saad’s spot, if needed. While the Blues have multiple forward options, not all of them can play at the same time. As a result, some will be on the outside looking in when the regular season starts. Now, there may be opening for someone to sneak into the lineup, even if just temporarily.
What Friday Told Us
At Friday’s practice, this was the forward group who skated with the regulars.
The Blues are split in two groups today. The first group is NHL heavy.
Here’s a look at the forward lines.
Neighbours-Thomas-Kyrou
Bolduc-Buchnevich-Schenn
Holloway-Faksa-Joseph
Texier-Walker-Toropchenko— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) September 27, 2024
Of this group, Bolduc, Dylan Holloway, Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier, and Nathan Walker are the ones who are possibly not guaranteed starting spots when the season starts. However, skating with the first group suggests they are certainly in the running. Does this mean they are the only ones? It does not. Veteran Kasperi Kapanen is someone who comes to mind who did not skate with the first group but could be in the running still. Again, the Blues have many forwards but only 12 can be in a lineup.
Friday gives us an idea who the Blues are looking at the fill the remainder of the lineup and any voids. Remember, the Blues may need someone to fill in for centre Oskar Sundqvist if he is unable to go. However, Saad is the only player who could miss time who is on the top six. Friday’s practice tells us it is Bolduc who the Blues are looking at to fill the void if needed.
Why Bolduc?
Bolduc has had a great start to the preseason and has impressed. The youngster needed to impress and he has. However, forget that from a second.
Why Bolduc and not a veteran like Kapanen? Why not bump up Radek Faksa and slide in someone else into the third line centre spot. Again, forget about Bolduc’s success so far this preseason. Why Bolduc in the top six?
The Blues will likely contend for a wild card spot this season, but no more than that. This is not a Stanley Cup contender. The retool is still in effect. With that in mind, this is actually a great opportunity to see what Bolduc can do in a larger role. If the Blues were thinking Stanley Cup this year, it would be too risky to put in a youngster in a big role like that. However, with the team the Blues are, why not see what the former first-round pick can do playing alongside regulars?
If Bolduc struggles, then the team knows he still needs to develop. If he has success, then the team knows he might be ready for more opportunities. As a result, this has the potential to speed up the retool some. Regardless, the Blues will know what the next step is regardless. For a team in a retool, knowing the next steps is important. Nothing derails a rebuild or a retool faster than no vision. The Blues have vision, and how they are handling Saad’s possible absence is an under-the-radar example of that.
Before We Part, An Expression of Congratulations
Whether it is not during the road trip, sooner, or later, the Saad family will be welcoming a new member of the family. Let us take a moment to congratulate the Saad family on their blessing. When the little one is born, the next goal Saad scores will have extra significance.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
