Minor changes must pay off in big way for Blues
The St. Louis Blues were due for a change after losing in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive season, but any St. Louis fans expecting a major overhaul have yet to be satisfied. Rumors about coaching or leadership changes did not come to fruition, as coach Ken Hitchcock will return and the core of the team will remain intact.
The only major change for the Blues was a July trade in which beloved forward T.J. Oshie was sent to the Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer.
It seems that instead of a blockbuster deal, the Blues are hoping that a team that was extremely successful in the regular season can simply start translating that success into longer postseason runs. The Blues opened up more spots for young forwards and defenseman both by trading Oshie and allowing veteran free agents such as Barrett Jackman and Zbynek Michalek to sign elsewhere.
But rolling the dice on young players and a roster that can't get it together come April and May will be a risky choice for a team in a difficult conference.
"This is going to be one great challenge because the four teams that were in a year ago that were out, [Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks] they're not going to be taking it very lightly," Hitchcock told NHL.com. "They're going to be pushing. It's going to be the hardest job we've ever had to get into the playoffs. ... Putting all of our focus and energy into that is going to be really important."
At least St. Louis seems to be aware of how tough the competition will be. Whether they can best those opponents, however, remains to be seen.
(h/t NHL)
