The St. Louis Blues fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Tuesday night in St. Louis, Missouri. With the preseason winding down, head coach Drew Bannister elected to play many regulars in the game. In the process, Bannister gave a sneak peek to what the Blues lineup could look like when the season starts next week.
Preseason Sneak Peek
The Blues sent out these line combinations for Tuesday’s game.
Forwards
Jake Neighbours – Robert Thomas – Jordan Kyrou
Zachary Bolduc – Pavel Buchnevich – Brayden Schenn
Alexandre Texier – Nathan Walker – Alexey Toropchenko
Brandon Saad – Zach Dean – Kasperi Kapanen
Defence
Ryan Suter – Pierre-Olivier Joseph
Tyler Tucker – Scott Perunovich
Starting Goalie
The Odd-Man Out
The first thing to observe is the absence of defenceman Colton Parayko. While Tuesday may have been a sneak peek at the line combinations, there will also be some obvious changes when the season starts. Moreover, Parayko will be in the lineup when the season starts.
The story from Tuesday is actually who played in place of Parayko. Scott Perunovich is clearly the odd-man out right now on the Blues defence. While he has not played poorly this preseason, he has not stood out. Perunovich went into this preseason needing to stand out in some way. Furthermore, Bannister even acknowledged they were looking for something specific from Perunovich Tuesday.
Goes without saying, big game for Perunovich.
Bannister: "It's a good opportunity for him. Every game he's played in, he's been running one of the PP units. It's one of his things he does really well. We want to continue to put him in those situations where he can succeed."
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) October 1, 2024
While the Blues did score a power play goal, Perunovich did not play any part in it. He was not even on the ice. It seems Perunovich got the start tonight for one final audition before final decisions were made. Based on Bannister’s comment before the game, one has to wonder if it would benefit Perunovich to start the season in the American Hockey League to get regular playing time on the top power play unit. The defenceman could then be called up if the situation called for it later. It has been a crazy few months for Perunovich. He went from seemingly guaranteed a starting spot this season to possibly on his way to the AHL to start the season.
Blues Prepare for Forward’s Absence
When the regular season begins, Brandon Saad will not be playing on the fourth line. However, he may not be playing at all. The veteran forward could miss the opening road trip due to him and his wife expecting another child. This would test the Blues depth if Saad missed the road trip.
However, the Blues have been preparing for that possibility. We may have gotten a sneak peek of their plan. On Tuesday, Zachary Bolduc took Saad’s place on the second line. Bolduc has been having a great preseason and is the clear choice to take Saad’s place on the road trip. The former first-round pick played alongside Pavel Buchnevich and Brayden Schenn on Tuesday. Bolduc showed strong chemistry with Buchnevich in the Blues preseason opener. This continued Tuesday. If Saad misses the road trip, Bolduc is the clear choice to replace him and Tuesday shows Bannister agrees.
Offer Sheet Recipient Looking At Top-Four Role
Defenceman Philip Broberg played on the top defensive pairing alongside Justin Faulk. While it is unclear which of the top two pairs Broberg plays on and who is partner is, it is looking like he will be a top-pair defenceman for the Blues. This makes a great deal of sense for the Blues, and it is something that should not shock anyone. Broberg, Faulk, Colton Parayko, and Ryan Suter will likely be the top four with Pierre-Olivier Joseph and someone else taking the third pairing. This top-four will have offensive upside while also strong on the defensive side of the ice.
Who Else Is In the Running?
Dylan Holloway had an impressive game last weekend. Nathan Walker has continued to show his value this preseason. It is likely one or both of them will make the roster. However, whether they make the team as a starter or as a healthy scratch will be the big question.
Speaking of health, we cannot forget about Oskar Sundqvist. While we knew he would not play any preseason games as he continues to recover from an injury, his status as we approach the start of the regular season is remains unknown at this time. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion has hoped to be able to be play the first game. Time will tell if that does happen.
Regarding the last opening on defence, Tyler Tucker and Matthew Kessel appear to be the last men standing for the job. Furthermore, whoever does not get the starting job will likely remain on the roster as a healthy scratch. At this time, Tucker may have the advantage over Kessel.
Two Preseason Games Remain
If the Blues are needing to see anything else, they have two preseason games left before the season begins. Roster decisions are coming soon. We are just days away from finding out who will take the ice for the 2024-25 St. Louis Blues.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
