The NHL is back in gear and so are the St. Louis Blues. The Blues had a tough ending to their postseason run when Colorados Nazem Kadri dove onto Jordan Binnington, ending his season and effectively the Blues’ as well. 

With camp already starting and two preseason games under their belt, the Blues are wasting no time getting the whole team back into shape. The team has seen many players come and go, but that’s not stopping them from working hard to win the Stanley Cup for the second time. 

Two of the most notable players to have left are right wing David Perron and backup goalie Ville Husso, but this opens so much potential for players like Thomas Greiss (goalie), Zachary Bolduc (center) and Jake Neighbors (left wing). Although Bolduc is only 19, he has impressed all players and coaches, and certainly has a bright future ahead of him. Many expect Neighbors to find his way into the top nine forwards on the team. 

On defense, the Blues signed trade-deadline acquisition Nick Leddy, which should help on the backend. Although Martin Scandalla is out for six months with a hip injury that requires surgery, this makes for a strong competition between Scott Peruonvich and Niko Mikkola to prove their skill on defense. 

For the Blues to be really successful this season, they will need a strong, in your face fourth line. Most likely, left wing Noel Acciari(52) will end up on that line. Many like right wing Nathen Walker, left wing Klim Kostin, center Logan Brown and right wing Josh Leivo will fight to fill the other two positions. The Blues are happy that Alex Toropchenko is ahead of schedule on his recovery from shoulder surgery. 

Blues are also welcoming new assistant coach Craig MacTavish. MacTavish will take over old assistant coach Jim Montgomery as being in charge of the penalty kill. MacTavish is a familiar name to St. Louis. He finished his 17 year NHL career with the Blues from 1995-1997. MacTavish is not one to overlook, he has many years of experience. From coaching the Oilers and Rangers, he definitely knows a thing or two about hockey and will be a great addition to the Blues coaching staff.  

New faces on the ice will not stop the Blues from their quest to take home the Stanley Cup. The Blues take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 15th for their season home opener, make sure to cheer them on!