Despite losing streak, St. Louis Blues skate into second half with a chance to improve
After a year which has been defined by consistent and relentless winning, it’s jarring to realize the St. Louis Blues emerge from the All-Star break on a losing streak.
The victories in the community and in the hearts of Blues fans who had an opportunity to celebrate the best players in the NHL up close are, regrettably, not good for any standings points, and so when the team skated into the second half of the season, they did so so having lost their last two games and five of their last eight.
Two of those five losses came in overtime, providing a little bit of ballast to the Blues’ position in the standings. They remain six points up on second place Colorado in both the Central Division and the Western Conference and trail the Washington Capitals by three points in the race for the NHL’s best overall record.
Losing streak or not, things are hardly dire.
The Blues are also likely to receive a boost in the person of Sammy Blais, who seems nearly ready to return to action after being sidelined before Thanksgiving with a broken wrist. Blais, who ranks third on the team in hits despite missing the last 29 games, will provide depth to a lineup which has turned to a number of different players in an attempt to provide stability in the forward lines.
One of those players, Troy Brouwer, was placed on waivers by the Blues on Sunday afternoon. If, as expected, no other team claims Brouwer, he would be eligible for assignment to AHL San Antonio. It’s unclear if Brouwer, 34, would accept that assignment or consider retirement. He was signed by the Blues in the aftermath of Blais’s injury after completing a professional tryout, but played only ten games with one goal scored.
With less than one month remaining until the NHL trade deadline, the Blues will have further roster decisions to make based on the recovery schedules of another important player.
Vladimir Tarasenko, who’s played only 10 games this season after having shoulder surgery, is currently on long term injured reserve. That allows the Blues to exceed the upper limit of the salary cap by the amount of Tarasenko’s average annual salary value — $7.5 million — as long as he remains on the shelf.
Should Tarasenko return during the regular season, the team would have to return to strict salary cap compliance. That would mean clearing out the necessary salary to make room for the Russian sniper, which would be all but impossible if the Blues were to add a significant forward in the run-up to the deadline. Rangers winger Chris Kreider and Kings winger Tyler Toffoli headline a shallow pool of potential additions, but each comes with a salary commitment that would put the Blues in a financial bind.
If Tarasenko were to be out until the start of the playoffs, however, the Blues would be able to return him to his rightful place without fretting over the salary cap math. Chicago successfully utilized that loophole in 2015 with Patrick Kane, as he missed the final 21 games of the regular season before returning for the first game of the postseason to lead the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup in six seasons. Forwards Andrew Desjardins and Antoine Vermette were added at the deadline and played key roles in a Cup run that would otherwise have been precluded by salary cap restrictions.
Last year’s championship may prove instructive for Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong, who added only veteran depth defenseman Michael Del Zotto to his team at the 2019 deadline. The Blues are also likely to be swayed by the relatively barren market; beyond Kreider and Toffoli, very few appealing options for additions are readily available.
The Blues have committed to finding a place in the NHL for Jordan Kyrou for the remainder of the season. His presence, in addition to other forward options like Jacob de la Rose and Zach Sanford, means that an upgrade may be difficult to find. The Blues also maintain an upgraded defensive core from last year’s championship team, swapping out Joel Edmundson for Justin Faulk, who has appeared increasingly comfortable and effective over the last month.
The defending Stanley Cup champions are, by and large, comprised of the same players which led the team through last season’s magical run. They’ve been the best team in their division and conference for the duration of this season, and it’s hard to see an obvious need for an upgrade in any particular place in their lineup.
They will, however, have to get back to work. Players who spent the last week being feted in town or perhaps basking in beach sunshine are set to face the stark reality of an uneven stretch which could be interrupted with a strong first game back in Vancouver on Monday night.
From here on in, it’s business again.
