With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the St. Louis Blues, knocking on the door as they try to catch the best in the West. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Button's analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSN's Scott Cullen.

Division: Central GM: Doug Armstrong Head Coach: Ken Hitchcock

2013-14: 52-23-7 (2nd in Central) Playoffs: Lost in first round (4-2 to CHI)

Goals For: 239 (7th) Goals Against: 188 (3rd) Powerplay: 19.8% (7th) Penalty Kill: 85.7% (2nd)

That Was Then: 

Alex SteenSimilar to the past couple of seasons, the Blues stormed out of the gates to start the 2013-2014 campaign, sitting with a respectable 39-12-6 record at the Olympic break, good for a tie for second place in the league.

Nine players representing five different countries from St. Louis' roster went to Sochi, so with big game experience gained, and a Presidents’ Trophy in sight, general manager Doug Armstrong recognized that some tweaking needed to be done in order for the Blues to take the next step.

The Blues went all-in leading up to the trade deadline, acquiring perennial all-star goaltender Ryan Miller and gritty forward Steve Ott from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Jaroslav Halak and Chris Stewart. The move seemed to push St. Louis forward as Miller won eight of his first nine games as a Blue, vaulting his club to the top of the NHL standings. As the saying goes however, what goes up, must come down.

The Blues suffered a litany of injuries to key players as the regular season entered the final stretch. Captain David Backes, Alex Pietrangelo, T.J. Oshie, Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrik Berglund, Brenden Morrow, Vladimir Sobotka, and Derek Roy all missed significant time as St. Louis dropped their last six games of the season.

Not only did the Blues surrender the Presidents’ Trophy to the Boston Bruins, but they also gave up a seven-point lead to the Colorado Avalanche, who claimed top seed in the Central Division. To make matters worse, the Blues now had to play their bitter rival, and defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the playoffs.

For the second year in a row, St. Louis had to open up the NHL's second season with a date with the reigning Cup champs. As bodies slowly began to return from the infirmary, the Blues surprised the Hawks and took the first two games on home ice. Following the two victories, however, St. Louis held the lead for a total of three minutes and 42 seconds in the final four games of the series in what ultimately was a six-game series win for the Blackhawks. It was the second consecutive postseason the Blues let a 2-0 lead in a first round best-of-seven series slip away.

Scott Cullen's Analytics

Blues 2013-14 Stats by Quarter

 
Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS%
1-20 3.35 2.30 9.5% .926 56.8% .775
21-41 3.71 2.24 11.5% .921 53.5% .762
42-62 2.48 2.19 6.4% .919 51.9% .643
63-82 2.00 2.45 5.3% .920 54.0% .525
NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8% .922 50.0% .562
 

Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points.

Analysis:

Games 1-20:  Tremendous start, with dominant possession and above average percentages.

Games 21-41: Continued strong, but relied on sensational shooting.

Games 42-62: Still winning, but shooting percentage crashed hard.

Games 63-82: Even with strong possession, offence dried up; addition of Miller didn't materially change goaltending.

Key Additions:  D Chris Butler, D Carl Gunnarsson , C Paul Stastny, C Jori Lehtera, RW Joakim Lindstrom, C Peter Mueller.

Key Subtractions:  RW Adam Cracknell, G Ryan Miller, LW Brenden Morrow, D Roman Polak, C Derek Roy, C Vladimir Sobotka

This Is Now: 

After failing to take a step forward, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong had some tough decisions to make. Right off the bat, Armstrong showed faith in his bench boss and the system he implemented, extending Ken Hitchcock through this season and then brought in some help with former Hurricanes' coach Kirk Muller to act as an assistant.

St. Louis Blues sign centre Paul Stastny to four-year deal Article Image 0His attention was then turned to the ice and what should be done with impending unrestricted free-agent Ryan Miller. With Brian Elliott signing a new three year extension and highly-touted youngster Jake Allen ready to make a fulltime leap to the NHL, the Blues decided not to bring back Miller's services after what many perceived to be a mediocre post-season. While he has never played more than 55 games in a season, Elliott is expected start as St. Louis' number one goaltender and Allen as his backup with the hopes that the 23-year-old can eventually take over the lead role.

Needing depth down the middle and more of a dynamic offensive flare, the Blues made a splash, signing the top unrestricted free agent centre on the market in Paul Stastny. The St. Louis native immediately fills the top centre role to take the pressure off Backes and gives the team a much needed one-two punch. With the loss of two way centre Sobotka to the KHL, the Blues responded by adding 2008 third-round pick and Finnish Olympian Jori Lehtera, as well bringing back forwards Joakim Lindstrom and Peter Mueller from playing in Europe.

On the back end, the Blues kept their core intact with their top four defencemen all staying put. Looking for more mobility, St. Louis did decide to trade the hard-nosed Roman Polak to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Carl Gunnarsson with hopes that it could give more playing time for Ian Cole. The Blues also added defensive depth signing St. Louis native Chris Butler.

As usual, expectations are high for the Blues this season, and they haven't really had trouble delivering in the regular season. So, will these moves finally be able to translate into the post-season success?

DEPTH CHART

Forwards

Left Wing Centre Right Wing
Alexander Steen Paul Stastny Joakim Lindstrom
Jaden Schwartz Jori Lehtera Vladimir Tarasenko
Patrik Berglund David Backes T.J. Oshie
Steve Ott Maxim Lapierre Dmitrij Jaskin
Magnus Paajarvi Peter Mueller Ryan Reaves
Chris Porter Colin Fraser Ty Rattie

Defence

     Left Right     
  Jay Bouwmeester Alex Pietrangelo  
  Barret Jackman Kevin Shattenkirk  
  Carl Gunnarsson Jordan Leopold  
  Ian Cole Chris Butler  
  Petteri Lindbohm Jani Hakanpaa  

Goaltenders

 
                                                                     Brian Elliott
                                                                     Jake Allen
                                                                     Jordan Binnington

Craig's List

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button's Top Prospect: Robby Fabbri

Robby Fabbri

Robby has a ‘big motor’ that drives his game. He’s both fast and quick so in the open ice he can challenge defenders and create space for himself and in traffic he’s capable of getting that extra step to create opportunities.

Very determined and he’s mentally ‘dialed in’ to how he can take advantage. Doesn't get pushed away from the hard areas & he stays in the hunt for the puck and does not allow himself to be denied.

Quick hands and will shoot or take it to the cage with the sole purpose of scoring. He may not be tall, but he plays a ‘big’ game both literally and figuratively.”

 

Fantasy - Cullen's Player to Watch - Jori Lehtera

Jori LehteraA 26-year-old playmaking centre with good size, Lehtera had been a productive player in the KHL, scoring 116 points in 125 games over the past three seasons, and emerging as a prominent player for Finland in international competition last season.

Lehtera has a good situation in St. Louis, with a strong supporting cast that includes rising star winger Vladimir Tarasenko, who played with Lehtera in the KHL during the 2011-2012 season.

There may be some adjustment to the North American game, but Lehtera has been productive in the preseason and the Blues offer enough other options that Lehtera's ice time can be managed to bring out his best production.