The St. Louis Blues preseason and training camp continues to roll on with the team playing three games over the past week finishing with a 1-0-2 record. With only a handful of games remaining until the start of the regular season, time is dwindling for the Blues prospects to crack the opening night lineup.
Here’s a look at all of the latest Blues news, notes, and rumors.
Blues Suffer Back-to-Back Overtime Losses
Though some will chalk up wins and losses in the preseason as nothing more than meaningless exhibition games to simply get players ready for the regular season, back-to-back overtime losses for a club that experienced a poor 2022-23 season is not the result the team was searching for this preseason. The coaching staff, however, was vocal about the improvements they continue to see from several of their key forward prospects, including Zach Dean and Zachary Bolduc who scored a one-timer goal against the Dallas Stars.
Related: 3 Burning Questions for the St. Louis Blues in 2023-24
Blues assistant coach Steve Ott said of the duo:
“I really liked Dean and Bolduc. I thought they were very consistent throughout the night, strong puck plays. ‘Boldy’ looked to be a shooter all the time, which is great, and his details continue to improve. Both those guys were on pucks and we saw some great things from them. They continue to grow through training camp.”
However, after the team’s defeat against the Stars, Bolduc expressed disappointment at some of the younger Blues’ limited opportunities remaining to showcase their readiness for the NHL.
“I think we were on our heels a bit. I think we were too confident and we let them play. At the end of the third period, we were putting the puck deep and working hard, so that was good for us. I think we should have done that more in the third period. For most of us, it’s our last game to show what we can do and what we deserve in the league. We’ve got to practice hard, play hard and keep going.”
Training Camp Roster Cuts
As the Blues get closer to the start of the regular season, roster cuts have begun as Quinton Burns, Michael Buchinger, and Matt Mayich have all been assigned to their junior teams. The trio has already started to make an impact on their respective squads suiting up and even scoring a goal in the case of Buchinger with his team in the Ontario Hockey League, the Guelph Storm.
This week the Blues also announced 16 players who have been assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, including forwards Sam Bitten, Keenan Washkurak, Mikhail Abramov, Drew Callin, Tanner Dickinson, Andre Heim, and Mitch Hoelscher, defensemen Leo Loof, Jeremie Biakabutuka, Joseph Duszak, Marc-Andre Gaudet, Austin Osmanski, and Hunter Skinner, and goaltenders Will Cranley, Colten Ellis, and Vadim Zherenko.
In addition to the roster moves, the club also announced five players that were placed on waivers including veteran forward Adam Gaudette, Will Bitten, Wyatt Kalnuk, Hugh McGing, and Matt Peca.
Ritchie Released From PTO
Along with the list of individuals assigned to the Thunderbirds, forward Nick Ritchie and defenseman Andy Welinski were released from their professional tryouts with the Blues on Sept. 29.
The release of Ritchie came as a surprise to many as he is the type of player who could have fit in on the fourth line this season. His 6-foot-2, 226-pound frame would have added to the heavy-hitting identity the team has been missing over the past few seasons. However, the Blues currently have a few players to fill his spot in the lineup as Jake Neighbours, Nathan Walker, and Mackenzie MacEachern will all be working to secure a regular spot in the lineup this season.
Krug Expected to Make Training Camp Debut
Blues defenseman Torey Krug is set to make his training camp debut on Monday (Oct. 2) against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The veteran has been sidelined with a right foot injury that he suffered during an offseason training incident. The Blues did not initially reveal how long they expect the 32-year-old to be sidelined, other than to say Krug is expected to be re-evaluated on Oct. 1. He is going into his fourth season with the Blues and has collected 112 points in 185 regular-season and playoff games.
The Blues will continue along with their training camp with three games this week starting with the Blue Jackets on Monday, Oct. 2, the Stars on Oct. 5, and the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 7.
