theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.
It's rare for a team to wave goodbye to both its No. 1 goalie and captain, yet assert that their core is still intact, but such is the case with the St. Louis Blues.
Brian Elliott was dealt to the Calgary Flames, while David Backes signed with the Boston Bruins. Troy Brouwer also left to join the Flames.
The Blues' biggest move to counter these departures was bringing back David Perron, who began his career in St. Louis. With young stars Colton Parayko and Robby Fabbri already making meaningful contributions to the club, the team should remain a contender with a wealth of talent still at their disposal.
Forwards
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Jaden Schwartz | Jori Lehtera | Vladimir Tarasenko |
| Robby Fabbri | Paul Stastny | David Perron |
| Patrik Berglund | Alex Steen | Dmitrij Jaskin |
| Scottie Upshall | Kyle Brodziak | Ryan Reaves |
- While most forward spots appear to be spoken for, the Blues have invited Eric Nystrom, Yan Stastny, TJ Galiardi, and Chris Porter to camp on professional tryouts so places - especially in the bottom six - could be up for grabs.
- Prospect Ty Rattie should also compete for a roster spot.
Defense
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Jay Bouwmeester | Alex Pietrangelo |
| Joel Edmundson | Kevin Shattenkirk |
| Carl Gunnarsson | Colton Parayko |
- Much like the forwards, the three defensive pairings appear solid, but as we saw last season, Robert Bortuzzo dressed fairly regularly. PTO invitee Mike Weber could find himself fighting for an opening-day spot.
Goalies
| G |
|---|
| Jake Allen |
| Carter Hutton |
- The team's trade of Brian Elliott to the Calgary Flames leaves Allen as the new boss between the pipes. Carter Hutton will provide a solid relief option.
NHL Depth Charts
ANA | ARI | BOS | BUF | CGY
CAR | CHI | COL | CBJ | DAL
DET | EDM | FLA | LAK | MIN
MTL | NSH | NJD | NYI | NYR
PHI | PIT | OTT | STL | SJ
TB | TOR | VAN | WSH | WPG
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