For the last 18 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 19th annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone – Jaden Schwartz, Mike Hoffman, Sammy Blais, Tyler Bozak, Jacob De La Rose, Vince Dunn, Carl Gunnarsson

Incoming – Pavel Buchnevich, Brandon Saad, Charlie Lindgren

Impact of Changes – Even without a Vladimir Tarasenko trade, the roster turnover for the Blues has been fairly significant. Longtime Blue Schwartz signed a free agent contract with Seattle, Hoffman will continue his career in Montreal, while Dunn was the St. Louis selection by the Kraken. There shouldn't be a dropoff offensively by bringing in Buchnevich and Saad, with Buchnevich likely the best player of any of the names listed above. Losing Dunn creates a hole on the defense though, particularly on the second-unit power play.  

Needless to say, the roster analysis won't be a finished product if Tarasenko is still traded this offseason. At last report, coach Craig Berube expects Tarasenko to play for the Blues this season. The Blues will need to retain some part of his $7.5 million salary in order for a trade to happen; otherwise, the return will be fairly minimal. Tarasenko will very likely get traded – it's just a matter of when. Should he be on the Blues roster to start the season, he could very well fall behind newly acquired Buchnevich and Saad for first-line minutes and power-play time. 

Ready for Full Time – 2017 first-round pick Klim Kostin has played in just six career NHL games. He seems likely to spend more time in the AHL this season, given the Blues' veteran-laden roster. His size (6-3) and aggressive style of play fit the St. Louis model, although power forwards do need additional time to develop. Expect him to be called up to the Blues at some point this coming season, where he could fill a role similar to that of the departed Sammy Blais.

Scott Perunovich was the 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner, scoring 40 points in 34 games with the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Unfortunately, he did not get into a game after a shoulder issue that eventually required surgery. He will look to crack the Blues lineup this year, possibly to fill the spot of Dunn on the second-unit power play. Some experience in the AHL may be needed first, though.  

Fantasy Outlook:

David Perron has been in the NHL for over a decade, but he recorded his first point-per-game season in 2020-21. His advanced stats don't suggest that he was fortunate; in fact, he's reached the 55-point mark in back-to-back shortened seasons. Perron forms an effective first line with captain Ryan O'Reilly, who also flirted with reaching the point-per-game mark for the first time in his career.

Meanwhile, Brayden Schenn will try to get his scoring back on track after falling below a 60-point pace for the first time in four seasons. Schenn started the season hot (24 PTS in 28 GP), then cooled off considerably (12 PTS in 28 GP). In his first full season, Jordan Kyrou was also hot and cold (14 PTS in 15 GP, then 11 PTS in 26 GP, then 10 PTS in 14 GP), so he will need to improve his consistency as well. Keep in mind that RFA Robert Thomas remains unsigned at the time of writing.

After signing as a free agent, Torey Krug saw his production fall from a 60+ point pace to just a 50-point pace, which included just two goals in 51 games. Expect him to lead the Blues' power play again. In his second season with the Blues, Justin Faulk's scoring pace bounced back (0.45 PTS/GP) to around what it was during his last two seasons in Carolina. Colton Parayko has the size and the big shot, but at age 28 he has yet to produce at a half-point per game.

Jordan Binnington is the starter, and he has the six-year contract to back that up. He's come back to earth after his out-of-nowhere 2019 rookie season, but he is enough of a high-volume starter to be rostered in all leagues. Ville Husso struggled in his rookie season, but won more often than he lost (9-6-1 record). Husso will be a UFA at season's end, so he will have something to prove in the opportunities that he does receive.

Fantasy Grade: B (last year was also B)

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.