There will be changes coming to the St. Louis Blues lineup for Game 6 outside of the crease. According to Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com, it looks as though Magnus Paajarvi will sit for the all-important Game 6 against San Jose and that Scottie Upshall will draw back into the Blues’ lineup.
The 25-year-old Paajarvi has played in just three games for the Blues this postseason with one assist to show for it. During the regular season, he notched nine points (3g-6a) in 48 games for the Blues.
Paajarvi’s had a relatively disappointing NHL career after being drafted 10th overall in 2009 by the Edmonton Oilers. While he’s still only 25, Paajarvi’s 80 points (35g-45a) in 276 career regular season games is not exactly what was expected when he was taken that high by the Oilers.
In his place, the Blues are expected to dress veteran forward Scottie Upshall. Upshot’s played 16 games for St. Louis in the playoffs with three points (1g-2a) over that span. He also notched 14 points (6g-8a) during the regular season in 70 games for the Blues.
While he’s not the most offensively talented player – with 248 career points in 623 regular season games – he adds a sense of defensive awareness to a lineup that will be looking for any way to stop the Sharks’ offence.