The St. Louis Blues didn’t shuffle a thing on the second day of training camp, and that might be the clearest hint yet about how Jim Montgomery is viewing this roster.
Group A stayed exactly the same on Friday, from the forward lines to the pairings on the back end. In the early days of camp, that kind of stability stands out. It suggests Montgomery already sees a group he trusts, and maybe even the shape of the lineup he wants for October 2 in Dallas.
The forwards remained set with Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud on one line, McMichael-McTavish-Buchnevich on another, and Neighbours-Dvorsky-Berggren together as the third unit. Johnston-Suter-Toropchenko rounded out the group.
On defense, Broberg-Mailloux stayed together, Lindstein-Parayko remained intact, and Fowler-Carlo plus Tucker-Jiricek completed the pairings. Hofer, Binnington, and Proskurin were listed in goal.
That lack of movement matters because of how the first day unfolded. Montgomery gave Mason McTavish the second-line center role, and Pavel Buchnevich was placed there instead of Jake Neighbours.
That arrangement gives St. Louis a more settled top six, while also leaving a third line with Neighbours, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Jonatan Berggren that looks strong in its own right.
The same stability showed up on defense, where Theo Lindstein drew attention after the first practice. Montgomery clearly liked what he saw, and Lindstein is getting second-pair reps with alternate captain Colton Parayko. It’s the kind of combination that could stick if the preseason keeps breaking the right way.
Why does Jim Montgomery like Theo Lindstein so much? "He might be our best defenseman at moving (the puck) up to the forwards and supporting it right away. As soon as someone’s open, boom, it’s tape-to-tape and it’s gone."
There’s also a larger contrast here with last season, when Montgomery seemed to reshuffle the lineup constantly. This camp has looked different so far. Instead of turning the roster upside down, he appears content to let this group breathe and see what it can become.
The “A” Group was basically presented as the opening-night blueprint from the start. Players like Vladimir Proskurin and Adam Jiricek look like straightforward assignments back to the WHL and Springfield, respectively. Lindstein is still pushing to take Tyler Tucker’s place, and that battle could resolve itself before the preseason ends.
For now, though, this is the closest thing to a set NHL group. Group B had its chance on Thursday and made a solid impression, but no one forced their way into the NHL-ready mix yet.
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The competition around him is real, and it is not limited to one familiar name. Theo Lindstein, Tyler Tucker and Adam Jiricek are all in the mix for the same NHL minutes, which makes every practice rep matter even more for Mailloux. His right-handed shot could help him stand out in a group that skews the other way, but St. Louis is expected to evaluate him closely before deciding what his role looks like when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Put Real Pressure On Pavel Buchnevich This Camp
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Jim Montgomery has already made the competition real by opening with Buchnevich on the second line, a spot that puts him in the mix with younger options pushing for ice time. There is also the contract reality hanging over all of it, since the Blues are carrying a major commitment on him with limited flexibility to move on, which only raises the stakes if the offensive growth does not arrive. For a player with his rsum, this is less about surviving camp than proving he still belongs where the Blues need him most. [Read more 🡒]