The St. Louis Blues are down to one of the more interesting decisions left in camp, and it comes at the bottom of the lineup. Five forwards are still in the mix for three fourth-line spots, and the squeeze is already starting to show.
Ross Johnston, Dillon Dube, Alexei Toropchenko, Zach Dean and Pius Suter are the names still battling it out, but there just isn’t room for all of them. At this point, Dube looks like the likeliest odd man out. If he doesn’t win a job, he could open the season as the 13th forward or head to the American Hockey League to get regular minutes.
Friday afternoon gave the Blues a little more clarity. Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker were placed on waivers to be reassigned to the AHL, trimming two more forwards from the competition and leaving a much cleaner fight for those final openings.
Johnston brings the kind of size and physical edge that can change what a fourth line looks like. He’s not there to pile up goals, but if St. Louis wants a unit that can lean into the grind and make life uncomfortable for opponents, he fits that mold.
Toropchenko offers a similar package in a different way. He has size, he has energy, and he understands exactly what his role is supposed to be. That kind of clarity can matter when a coaching staff is deciding who stays.
Suter stands out a little differently. His experience gives the Blues some flexibility in the bottom six, and that versatility has helped him look like one of the safer bets in this group.
Then there’s Dean, who has been pushing for an NHL spot with the Blues for most of the last three seasons and may finally be on the verge of breaking through.
Dube, meanwhile, is the one who seems to be running out of runway. He has NHL games on his resume and can handle a bottom-six role, but with only three places available, the math is working against him.
If St. Louis prefers the other options, he could be left waiting for an opening.
There’s still time for that picture to shift, especially with the final preseason games set for tonight. But for now, the race appears to be Johnston, Toropchenko, Dean and Suter fighting for the three jobs, with Dube on the outside looking in. The Blues have already cleared out Sundqvist and Walker, and now they’re down to one last call before the regular season begins.
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Blues Prospects Are Giving Fans An Early Reason For Optimism
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For a St. Louis organization looking for signs that its next wave is moving in the right direction, the early returns are the kind that matter. It is still very early, of course, but the breadth of the production is notable, with help coming from forwards and goaltenders alike across several leagues. The next question is how long that momentum can last once the schedule settles in and the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Why Pius Suter Could Matter More To The Blues Than Fans Think
Pius Suter may not be the flashiest addition on the Blues roster, but his value shows up in the places coaches tend to trust most. He is expected to be a versatile forward who can play both center and wing, giving St. Louis another option throughout the lineup while supporting the clubs top offensive players.
His role should be especially important in the quieter parts of a game, where defensive responsibility matters just as much as scoring touch. For a Blues team that wants flexibility and dependable depth, Suter gives the staff another piece who can stabilize the forward group and keep the lineup from feeling thin when changes are needed. [Read more 🡒]