In the St. Louis Blues‘ penultimate game of the preseason, they squared off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 6. The team flight from St. Louis, MO, to Columbus, OH, was delayed, causing the start time to be pushed back one hour. Even with that, the team was in standstill traffic on their way to Nationwide Arena and arrived to the rink roughly 42 minutes before puck drop. All of that, combined with the Blue Jackets playing with what might be their starting lineup come opening night, culminated in the Blues getting beat down by a final of 7-0.
Following the loss to the Blue Jackets, the Blues announced that eight players had been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League (AHL): forwards Will Bitten, Matthias Laferriere, Hugh McGing; defensemen Matt Kessel, Brady Lyle, Steven Santini, Tyler Tucker; and goalie Joel Hofer. Also gone from the roster is Tyler Pitlick, who the team released from his professional tryout (PTO).
On Friday afternoon, the team announced another set of roster moves, placing forwards Klim Kostin, Martin Frk, and Matthew Highmore on waivers. If any of them go unclaimed, they’ll then report to Springfield as well.
Related: 3 Blues Players Standing Out in Preseason
The Blues (5-2-0) will wrap up the 2022 preseason at home this afternoon against the Chicago Blackhawks (1-4). More roster moves will have to be made afterward to get this team set for opening night on Saturday, Oct. 15.
St. Louis Blues Projected Lineup
*With this game being at 2:00 PM CST, there will be no morning skate. Final lineups may not be confirmed until warm-ups unless officially announced.
Forwards
- Brandon Saad – Ryan O’Reilly – Jordan Kyrou
- Pavel Buchnevich – Robert Thomas – Vladimir Tarasenko
- Jake Neighbours – Brayden Schenn – Ivan Barbashev
- Nikita Alexandrov – Noel Acciari – Nathan Walker
Defense
- Torey Krug – Justin Faulk
- Nick Leddy – Colton Parayko
- Niko Mikkola – Robert Bortuzzo
Goalies
- Jordan Binnington – Thomas Greiss
Chicago Blackhawks Projected Lineup
Forwards
- Taylor Raddysh, Max Domi, Jujhar Khaira, Jonathan Toews, Philipp Kurashev, Sam Lafferty, Colin Blackwell, Reese Johnson, Buddy Robinson, MacKenzie Entwistle, Patrick Kane, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Johnson
Defense
- Seth Jones, Jack Johnson, Isaak Phillips, Filip Roos, Alec Regula, Alex Vlasic
Goalies
- Petr Mrazek, Alex Stalock
Quick Look at the Blackhawks
Outside of winning their second contest of the preseason, the Blackhawks haven’t had much to cheer about. I know it’s preseason—wins and losses don’t matter as much as being able to see and develop young talent and team chemistry. With that said, fans still want to see a good showing every night. Chicago has been outscored 15-6 in their five exhibition games, with four of those goals coming in their singular victory.
The Blackhawks made a late-night trade on Friday, sending depth defenseman Riley Stillman to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Jason Dickinson and a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. In adding the Canucks’ pick, the Blackhawks now own two first-round, two second-round, and two third-round picks in the 2024 Draft. Dickinson’s role in Chicago remains unknown, but he should slot somewhere in the bottom six or as a healthy scratch.
Players to Watch
St. Louis Blues: Nikita Alexandrov
With the move the Blues made on Friday, the biggest surprise is that former second-round pick Nikita Alexandrov remains with the big club. He quietly had a very solid camp and preseason. His play hasn’t necessarily translated into points (one goal, zero assists in four games), but head coach Craig Berube has liked what he’s seen so far from the 22-year-old center.
“Real good camp… I’m impressed by the details. Smart guy. In the right position. Checks. Does the right things. Makes good puck plays… Now, he’s got growing to do, but he’s had a real good camp.” (from ‘Kostin? No. Rosen? Yes. Alexandrov? Maybe. Blues opening day roster nearly set’, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10/7/22).
Chicago Blackhawks: Alex Vlasic & Alec Regula
Defensemen Alex Vlasic and Alec Regula are in contention for the Blackhawks’ final spot on the blue line. Both defenders got some ice time in Chicago in 2021-22 (Vlasic: 15 games; Regula: 18 games) and have NHL size at 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-4, respectively. With the trade of Stillman last night, there’s at least one job up for the taking.
Where Fans Can Catch the Game
Chicago Blackhawks @ St. Louis Blues – 2 PM CST
The Blues moved up the start time of this game to accommodate the St. Louis Cardinals’ first game of the MLB postseason. With the change in schedule, this game will begin at 2:00 PM. This game will be available to stream through the Bally Sports app, as well as on the radio on 101 ESPN and the 101 ESPN app.
