Comfortable in physical role, Blais wants to balance offense with grit

Forward drafted out of QMJHL for goals, assists, has adapted to being a 

checking presence to prolong NHL career, is hopeful of adding more on offense 

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- When Sammy Blais entered the zone Sunday, his offensive instincts immediately kicked in.

A burst to his left, then cut between two defenders, followed by a toe-drag to the backhand, a cut back to the forehand around a stick and as the capper, a quick, snapping wrister high short side on Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins. 

No chance for a goalie in that situation. 

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Sammy Blais (9) skates back into the play after laying a big hit on former

Blue David Backes during the Stanley Cup Final last season.

This was a small sample size, but this is the kind of talent the Blues drafted when they chose Blais, from the small Quebec province of Montmagny, with the 176th pick (sixth round) of the 2014 NHL Draft.

Blais, 23, came out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League; he played for Victoriaville, where offense is the name of the game. 

But life in the NHL has taught Blais that if he is going to make a career at the highest level, grit, physicality and toughness were going to have to be added ingredients., which they have been, and were key parts in helping the Blues win their first-ever Stanley Cup last season.

"Not really, but I'm able to do it, so it's a part of my game that I'm happy to have," Blais said when asked if he ever thought playing physical would have to be part of his game. "In the NHL, you have to be physical, you have to win your battle. I've been doing it pretty good since I added that to my game. I'm going to try and keep going like that."

But the sample size Blais, who signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $850,000 as a restricted free agent in the summer, displayed in the 5-3 win over Columbus Sunday is what he hopes to bring to the table along with his physical play for the 2019-20 season.

They're qualities he's shown before with 82 points (34 goals, 48 assists) in 61 games for Victoriaville in 2014-15, and again in the American Hockey League with the Chicago Wolves in 2016-17, ironically under Blues coach Craig Berube, when Blais had 43 points (26 goals, 17 assists) in 75 games.

In the NHL though, Blais has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 43 regular-season games and a goal and two assists in 15 Stanley Cup playoff games.

"Playing physical is part of my game now," Blais said. "I'm not going to change it. I'm just trying to bring some offense, too. It's going to be huge for me if I can bring that."

Imagine Blais and some of the other younger guys like Zach Sanford, Ivan Barbashev, Robert Thomas, who's expected to be an offensive threat, and Robby Fabbri, among others, if they can each contribute offensively in some form to add to those playing in the top six that are counted on to do so on a regular basis? Imagine the possibilities. That's what Blais is hoping for, but for Blais, he learned quickly that simply being an offensive threat wasn't going to give him a shot at an NHL career and he was going to have to use his current 6-foot-2, 205-pound body in ways he wasn't used to in his earlier days.

So he used a short summer after parading around the Stanley Cup in his hometown for the first time to rededicate his commitment to a stronger, bigger body.

"I took some time after the season. It was a long, long year, but I worked on conditioning and stuff and it was a good summer and I'm just happy to be back here," Blais said. "The lower body is the thing I have to work on. I did a lot of leg stuff during the summer and I feel pretty good on the ice. I'm happy about that."

Blais finally cemented his spot during the playoffs last season when Berube threw him right into the fire, an elimination game, on the road, in the second round against the Dallas Stars. It was Game 6, one the Blues had to win to get it back to Game 7 at home.

All Blais did was cement a 4-1 win by powdering a slap shot past Ben Bishop in the third period; he also laid a huge, heavy check on Boston's Danton Heinen during Game 7 of the Cup Final, and pass back to the point that led to Ryan O'Reilly's goal to open the scoring of a 4-1 win that clinched the Cup.

"Last year, I showed everybody what I can do and in the playoffs, I played pretty good hockey," Blais said. "I'm pretty confident right now and I just want to keep playing like I did last year. If I do that, I think I'll be fine.

"... I thought I could play here last year. I think, like I said in the playoffs, I played pretty good. I took some confidence there. This summer, I worked hard in the gym and tried to be prepared for training camp and it's been a good training camp so far.

"It was my first game in two months. I think I was hurt before that. When I came in, I was just trying to ... they were winning (the series) 3-2 I think. I was just trying to make an impact in the game and I remember I was physical and I scored a goal there at the end and I was happy to get that."

Berube wanted to give the Blues more edge to the team game and by adding Blais, not only could he learn the challenges of playoff hockey but also offer the then 22-year-old a boost of confidence and experience by thrusting Blais into that situation. It paid off.

"Just going back to the Dallas game, he was physical right away in the game, energy, made some real nice plays with the puck," Berube said. "He's good with the puck. He sees the ice real well. What would I like to see more? Goals, but he gets his opportunities. Sometimes it takes young guys a little longer to find the back of the net. It's not easy to score goals in this league. If he can keep that physical game and energy that he brings to our lineup and puts some goals in, that would be nice.

"Going into the playoffs and getting a goal in the playoffs, playing a big role for us, later on in the playoffs, he played a pretty big role for us in the Dallas series going forward. That obviously will give a guy confidence for sure."

Blais, who had 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 42 games for San Antonio in 2017-18, is hopeful that the San Antonio-St. Louis shuttle express is over. He has put the most frequent flier miles in that route with 14 recalls in two seasons, including six last year.

"Hopefully it's over, but I'm not thinking about going back to San Antonio," Blais said. "I think I can be an NHL player and that's what I'm going to try and show in training camp. 

"... Nothing is guaranteed for anyone. Just going to work hard and earn your spot."

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues forward Sammy Blais celebrates a Stanley Cup championship last

season after St. Louis defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games.

Blais will be in the lineup for the Blues again when they host the Dallas Stars Tuesday night at Enterprise Center. It will be another chance to showcase his multi-talented skills, and he'll do so with the majority of the Blues' regulars in the lineup. Blais will just continue to improve his overall game leading up to the Oct. 2 season opener.

"Yeah, I feel good," Blais said. "I try to make plays too, but when you're physical, you always get the puck back too. I think that's a big part of our team too.

"Defensively I think is the biggest part for me. I think I've made huge strides since I started playing pro hockey. I just got to be good at 200 feet and I think I'm doing pretty well right now."

Kostin shines again for Blues in 5-3 preseason win over Jackets

2017 first-round pick scores goal, adds assist, making a strong push to 

make the opening night roster for the defending Stanley Cup champs

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- The proverbial odds still place Klim Kostin in San Antonio of the American Hockey League to start the 2019-20 season.

But the Russian 2017 first-round pick the Blues received in the trade for Ryan Reaves, who's growing into his hulking 6-foot-3, 212-pound body by the minute it seems, is trying to defy the odds; he's banging on the Blues' door, and he's banging on it very loudly, whether it be one fist or two fists. 

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues forward Klim Kostin (right) joins the celebration with Robby Fabbri

(left) on a goal scored by Tyler Bozak (21) on Sunday.

So loudly that coaches and management have to be hearing it.

Because they're sure seeing it.

Kostin, who wasn't originally listed in the game lineup, replaced Oskar Sundqvist in the lineup and didn't disappoint in the Blues' 5-3 preseason home-opener win over the Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday afternoon at Enterprise Center

Kostin had a goal and an assist to boost his preseason stats to three goals and three assists in three preseason games. His goal, what turned out to be the game-winner, was a dazzling play where he had the puck in the right corner, powered his way to the net and got off a shot that Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins made a save on. The puck bounded into the left corner, and Kostin instinctively kept good positioning near the net, positioning himself in the slot. Jaden Schwartz, who also had a goal and assist, slipped a nice pass to Kostin, who quickly maneuvered to his backhand and lifted a shot into the top corner at 7 minutes 24 seconds of the third period to make it 4-3. He led the Blues in shots on goal (five) and hits (five).

"It was a good pass from Schwartzy," said Kostin of his goal, still a little shy in front of cameras. "It was a little luck for me."

To call what Kostin is doing in camp is luck would be an injustice. But t he 20-year-old is grabbing each and every opportunity to make this a tough call whether to send him down or to make a roster-altering decision. 

Looking at the Blues, defending Stanley Cup champs, there weren't many, if any, job openings going into this season, not with virtually the entire roster back to make another run. But as Tyler Bozak, who centered Kostin with Robby Fabbri on a line, said, "That's why I think we are a good team because we're really deep, we've got guys that can push for jobs and guys got to play well to keep jobs. That's how it should be on a good team. That's how you want it to be."

Kostin plays with a combination of strength, skill, quick hands and grit. Yes, he has by his own admission gotten himself into penalty trouble -- he had an unfortunate tripping penalty Sunday -- with four minors in the past two games, but it's not for a lack of effort.

"He's a big body. That goal, he's strong down low," Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo said. "Whether there's spots up here or not, unfortunately in this business there's going to be injuries and things are going to happen where you're going to need guys to step up. Whether they're playing for a job or not, that's up to the coaches and management, but we like what we see with him. There's always somebody watching."

Kostin hopes, and has to feel, that the Blues are watching.

"I just try to do my best and the coach believe in me," Kostin said. "He give me a chance to play and I try to do my best with my work, play hard, play physical, shoot the puck.

"More (comfortable) than last year. I don't know, I just feel more comfortable."

Kostin's first two seasons in San Antonio would hardly pique the interest of those following his career. In 133 regular-season games with the Rampage, Kostin has 52 points (16 goals, 36 assists) with 174 penalty minutes, including 10 goals, 24 assists in 66 games and a team-leading 102 PIM's. Oh, and he's minus-34 (minus-28 last season) in two seasons.

"I had the chance to play with [Kostin] his first year in San Antonio and last year I played a couple games in San Antonio with him," said Blues forward Sammy Blais, who scored a highlight-reel goal of his own Sunday. "He's got everything. He's young and I think he's going to be a really good player.

"He's big, he's strong and he's an offensive player. He's got the poise. You can see it on his goal tonight. Not many guys can do that. ... You saw on his goal today. He's only 20 years old and he's a tank. He's big, he's got good hands and he can be physical too. He's going to be a really good player for us here."

Kostin's release and quick hands are ones that catch one's eye, and is a reminder of a familiar face, one the Blues have seen regularly here since 2012.

"He shoots the puck like Vladi," Pietrangelo said of Vladimir Tarasenko. "Maybe I need to go to a Russian hockey school because they shoot the puck really good. He's got a heck of a shot and he's strong down low. He's just going to keep getting better with age.

"That's the same thing when you watch Vladi. People see a big body and don't expect them to be able to skate and make the plays that he makes, so it's a tough combo to handle."

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Klim Kostin, a 2017 first-round pick by the Blues, is making a strong push

to make the opening night roster this season. 

Kostin is among the 36 players remaining in camp (the Blues assigned forwards Robby Jackson, Michael Vecchione and Dakota Joshua, defenseman Mitch Reinke and goalie Evan Fitzpatrick to the Rampage Sunday evening). He'll obviously get into one or more of the remaining four preseason games the Blues, who are 3-1 in preseason play, have left. All he can do is play and let the chips fall where they may.

"I just play how the coach say, play simple, dump the puck in and go work," Kostin said. "Nothing else."

In the win Sunday, Brayden Schenn had three assists, Pietrangelo, Schwartz and Kostin each had a goal and assist and Jordan Binnington went the distance and made 22 saves. Pietrangelo, Schenn and Steen each made his preseason debut.

Pouliot wants to prove he belongs at highest level, feels fit with Blues is best for former first-round pick

The No. 8 pick in 2012 NHL Draft anxious to leave lasting impression 

on St. Louis coaching staff, ready to make defensive decisions tough

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- As the No. 8 pick in the 2012 NHL Draft, no matter how he was going to get thrust into the NHL, there would be an expectation from Derrick Pouliot.

High draft picks are instantaneously supposed to be instant impact players, those that can be designated as franchise changers, ones that would be reflective for the ensuing decade, or even longer.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Derrick Pouliot spent the past two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. He

Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Blues this past summer.

Pouliot, taken by the Pittsburgh Penguins and their high-powered offense, was supposed to fit in like a glove and be part of that next wave of offensive defensemen who put up 205 points (42 goals, 163 assists) in 247 regular-season games for Portland of the Western Hockey League.

A native of Estevan, Saskatchewan, Pouliot was going to give the Penguins another offensive weapon from the defensive end, perhaps be the left-handed version of Kris Letang.

But as Pouliot tries to win a job with the Blues after signing a one-year, two-way contract ($700,000/$425,000) with the idea of creating an already bigger logjam on the blue line, going from high-end first round pick to trying to win a job seven years later has been a humbling experience.

Pouliot, a 6-foot, 196-pound left-handed shot, played in his second preseason game for the Blues in a 4-3 overtime win at Winnipeg on Friday night, his second game. It was another solid performance, playing 20 minutes 52 seconds and assisting on David Perron's game-tying goal late in the third period. The Blues are pretty much set with their top seven on the blue line, including Jay Bouwmeester, Joel Edmundson and Vince Dunn along the left side, but creating more depth along the blue line gives the coaching staff more to think about.

"These guys won a Cup last year, they're close, they've got that bond, they're all good players," Pouliot said. "Everybody knows what they can do and what they can bring to the table. I guess you just have to try and play your game and hopefully you can do some stuff a little bit better than other guys, whether it's you crack it right away or a little later on during the year. Stuff happens. Guys get injured, you never want to see that happen, but it's an opportunity sometimes."

That's all Pouliot, who spent the past two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks (six goals, 28 assists in 133 games), can ask. And despite multiple teams being interested in his services, Pouliot felt this was the right fit.

"There's a couple teams that showed interest, but it's really trying to find a good fit, somewhere you hope to get an opportunity or there's an opportunity to work your way up through the organization," Pouliot said. "This seemed like the best option. It's been good so far.

"Their D are very active. They're encouraged to get up in the play. I think skating is a big strength of my game. Whenever the D are able to surf up, get up on the forwards, when they're trying to break out and make plays in the offensive zone and stuff like that, I think that suits my game more."

The Penguins thought so highly of Pouliot, he was chosen in that draft class ahead of the likes of Jacob Trouba (No, 9, Winnipeg), Filip Forsberg (No. 11, Washington), Tomas Hertl (No. 17, San Jose), Andrei Vasilevskiy (No, 19, Tampa Bay), Shayne Gostisbehere (No. 78, Philadelphia), even Colton Parayko (No. 86, Blues) and Connor Hellebuyck (No. 130, Winnipeg). But things didn't work out with the Penguins, who signed Pouliot to a three-year, $4.05 million entry-level contract Sept. 14, 2012 before getting traded to the Canucks Oct. 3, 2017 for defenseman Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.

"It's been up and down a little bit," Pouliot said of his career. "For lots of guys that are picked in the first round, I think everybody expects them to kind of take off right away. It's different for everybody. My path was a little slower, played in the American League a bit and I'm starting to find my way through the NHL. If I stick to my game, get back to moving the puck, skating, the system that these guys run here is perfect for that. It's a good opportunity.

"You can't make excuses. Obviously they didn't think I played well enough or safe enough. They were trying to win right away and they did win right away. My defensive game has improved over the years. If I was where I'm at now back then, maybe I would have stuck there. But you can't make excuses. There's no point in dwelling in the past. I'm here right now and trying to make the best of this."

The knock on Pouliot, who has 48 points (eight goals, 40 assists) in 200 NHL games, including 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in 67 games for Pittsburgh in three seasons, has been his defensive game. But in order to play in the Blues' system, funneling into the attack offensively is encouraged but being defensively responsible is a greater quality.

"I think definitely defensively, that was one thing when I came into the league, that everybody said that that's what you need to work on," Pouliot said. "I think that's improved. I'm trying to bring that offense that I can. When you get chances to be on the power play, jump in the play and stuff like that. That's one of my biggest strengths. ... Skating's always been a strength, but guys keep getting faster and faster. Even for guys where it came easy when they were younger, you've got to work on that stuff."

Pouliot, who got married this summer and is good friends and was a teammate of Oskar Sundqvist's in Pittsburgh, understands the hype given top picks, but now that he's out to try and prove himself again, proper perspective is key.

"It's the media and everybody kind of portrays the first-round guys as being the next group of guys to come in and play or whatever," Pouliot said. "If one thing that I've learned through my five, six years now in professional hockey is that everybody's different and everybody develops at their own pace. Nothing is handed to you. You really have to work and earn everything you get. They're not just going to give you anything because of first round status or whatever."

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Derrick Pouliot, the eighth pick in the 2012 NHL

Draft by Pittsburgh, is looking for a good camp

with the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues.

Will Pouliot make the Blues out of camp? That goal is going to be hard to achieve, but can he make an impression, be on the radar as far as call-ups when needed and play the game where it needs to be at this level? It's not out of the realm of possibility.

"Take it day by day," Pouliot said. "If I can control one thing, it's how hard I work every day, what I bring each practice, each game I get to play in. That's really all I can control. If I put my best effort out there, and I work my hardest, and if things still don't work out, then I know I gave it my best shot.

"You try and make an impression where they go something like, 'Oh. This guy can play.' That's definitely something you want to do."

* NOTES -- The Blues reduced their camp roster down to 44 by assigning forwards Cameron Darcy, Zach Nastasiuk, Evan Polei, Nolan Stevens and Alexei Toropchenko, and defenseman Jake Christiansen and Rob O'Gara to San Antonio of the American Hockey League.

The Blues also put forwards Jordan Nolan, Mike Vecchione and Nick Lappin along with defensemen Jake Dotchin and Joey LaLeggia on waivers Friday for the purpose of assigning them to the Rampage ahead of San Antonio's opening of training camp on Monday.

After Friday's win in Winnipeg to put them at 2-1-0 in the preseason, the Blues open their home slate of the preseason schedule Sunday at 2:30 p.m. against Columbus. 

Allen comfortable with role in St. Louis, ready to give Blues whatever they ask for

Player, club never sought trade options for goaltender; is 

comfortable in situation partnering with Binnington as 1-2 tandem

By LOU KORAC
ST. LOUIS -- Jake Allen's summer was on level terms with his Blues teammates this past summer when he got the take part in celebrating the first Stanley Cup in Blues history and had his day with it, as did his teammates.

It also included a shorter than usual summer that's brought players back quicker than usual, but in Allen's case, there was a lingering question everybody wanted to know not too long after the Blues' historical season ended: would Allen be back for a seventh season with the Blues and 12th in the organization?

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Jake Allen hoists the Stanley Cup following a Game

7 win against the Boston Bruins on June 12.

With Jordan Binnington's emergence that resulted in unseating Allen as the No. 1 netminder and led to last season's improbable run to the Cup, there was the question of whether Allen would A) look for a trade to try and go somewhere and establish himself as a No. 1 goalie again, and B) would the Blues want to move Allen's remaining $4.35 million cap hit, which has two years left on it, to alleviate cap space.

The answer: an unequivocal no.

"No, I knew internally all along this summer that I wasn't getting dealt," Allen said Thursday at Enterprise Center. "They told me that. There's people that talk and things like that, but I know they don't want to get rid of me. It was good to be reassured that way and I knew that I was coming back so it just put my mind at ease and could really focus on being the best Blue I can. There's definitely a lot of chatter with the way the summer went and the run that 'Binner' went on, but internally, I knew that I was coming back and I wasn't worried about it at all."

So Allen, who was 19-17-8 with a 2.83 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 46 regular-season games last season and made one cameo appearance during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins in the Cup Final, comes in knowing the situation: Binnington, who received starter's money this summer when he signed a two-year, $8.8 million contract as a restricted free agent, would be the starter and Allen, 29, fights for the cage whenever he get the opportunity.

It's not a situation he's often been familiar with, and certainly not here in St. Louis, but by his own words, it's one he's comfortable with.

"Yeah, I think I am," he said. "I think this is the perfect situation for myself and the group. I really do, no matter what number of games we each play. But I think we're both proven, good goalies in this league. When you look back on it, I think that's when the teams have been having the most success is when the two guys have been buzzing at the same time. If we can keep that up all year, you see how tight our division is again. It doesn't matter if we just won the Cup, it's going to be an absolute battle just to get into the playoffs. That's going to be the (No. 1) goal and go from there."

Allen did in fact formulate a solid 1-2 punch with Binnington in the second half of the season; he was 5-3-4 with a 2.21 GAA and .927 save percentage from Jan. 14 on. Before that, Allen was 14-14-4 with a 3.07 GAA and .896 save percentage.

"I felt that I had a really solid second half to get us where we are," said Allen, who will see his first preseason action Friday in Winnipeg. "I think we're going to need that for a full 82 (games) this year. ... I thought I had a really, really solid, probably my best hockey as a Blue in the second half. I know I only played 12-15 games, but I thought I just tried to carry as much of that into the summer and into this season as possible and basically just tried to stick to that program as me and Dave [Alexander] have been working with. It feels good out there. I'm looking forward to just slowly ease my way back into a game. It definitely feels like it's been a decade since I played, especially with not playing all playoffs. It'll be fun tomorrow.

"I don't know if it's a matter of pushing each other. You just want to be in the net and when you see one guy playing well for the team, you just want to do the same when you get in there. You don't want to have a slip. I think that's a key to success. Obviously 'Binner' had a tremendous run last year and deserves everything he's got. But I think we both played a big role in those."

In today's game, it's not a question of how do you get two goalies time in the cage? It's more of when do you do it? With the demand of the schedule these days and the high intensity of the games, it's imperative to have two quality netminders.

The Chicago Blackhawks just added Robin Lehner, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, to tag team with Corey Crawford. It's just the nature of the game these days, and the Blues made it known rather early that Allen was not on the block.

"I think it's important for sure (to have two quality goalies)," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "It's a tough league, travel. It seems like you play every other night. It's a lot of hockey. The game's changed over the years. It's just intense every shift. It's fast, the goalie's got to be quick, they're working all the time in net. It's important that you have two capable goalies that can play a lot of games. When you're fresh and you're rested, you're going to play better.

"He was a big asset last year. He was a big part to us winning. He really was. There's no reason to trade him."

Allen, who is 136-88-23 with a 2.54 GAA and .911 save percentage in 265 regular-season NHL games (250 as a starter), has been in this situation before. But he was the one that had guys like Brian Elliott and Carter Hutton vie or the cage with him as the top guy. Now it's his turn to try and push the 26-year-old Binnington and grab as many games as he can.

"Yeah, I think we've had that ever since I've been here with myself and Brian and Carter and now 'Binner,'" Allen said. "I think it's really important. I've said this before, very few guys are in the league that are Carey Price-esque that's going to play 65 to 70 games. I don't know how many more times in the next 10 years you'll find that. Hopefully there is because I love watching goalies that can do it. I think it's very important and I feel a lot of optimism going into this year with me and 'Binner.'

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues goalie Jake Allen makes a save during a regular season 

game last season.

Maybe Allen gets the call 25-30 times this season, and if he wants to be the "starter" in the league again, and if he wants to do it somewhere else, it'll be up to him to go out and be the best "backup" and see how many calls general manager Doug Armstrong fields on him later in the season or the off-season next summer. But in the meantime, the goal is to help the Blues try and repeat.

"I want to be a goalie in this league for a long time," Allen said. "I'm 29 now and I still feel like I have a lot of good years ahead of me. I want to prove that to myself and this organization and to the whole league. It's been a wild ride. This is my (12th) year in the organization. I think 'Petro' [Alex Pietrangelo] and I are the longest guys in the organization right now. It's pretty amazing how far we've come. I feel like I've been a big part of that, but I still have a lot more to give. I'm ready to roll and it's going to be a fun year. ... I'm ready to rock."

Already a Stanley Cup champ, Parayko entering prime of career, only getting better

2012 third-round pick entering conversations being among elite 

defensemen, being mentored by Bouwmeester has enhanced game

By LOU KORAC
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- One year ago, life for Blues defenseman Colton Parayko was focused on things he couldn't really control.

Parayko was at times answering questions about his future with the organization. Rumors were bandied around of the possibility the Blues would move their third-round pick in 2012, and after that disastrous start to the season when the Blues found themselves last in the NHL overall on Jan. 3, heck, everyone was supposedly on the chopping block.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Defenseman Colton Parayko hoists the Stanley Cup after a Game 7 win on

June 12 against the Boston Bruins.

What a difference a year -- or in this case -- six months makes, because heading into training camp for the 2019-20 season, Parayko is a Stanley Cup champion, one who had a huge impact on the Blues' success in what was an improbable run to their first-ever championship. And now, rather than talk about trade, the chatter about Parayko is if he's capable of being in the conversation as one of the up-and-coming defenseman that has the potential of being one of the elite blue liners in the game.

But true to his character, Parayko is very good at throwing a slice of humble pie at those accolades. It's who he is.

"I don't know. I don't really think that way," Parayko said. "I just go out there and focus on playing my game, focusing on making sure that I give myself the best game and the best chance for our team to win."

At 26, Parayko is entering the prime of his NHL career, and to say the sky's the limit would be an understatement. Of course he's getting noticed. Kind of hard to miss a 6-foot-6, 230-pound mass coming your way, especially when it's on skates and coming in like a freight train. 

But when you're a shutdown force at the game's biggest stage, you're noticed on all corners of the Earth, and it becomes known that one comes from St. Albert, Alberta who toiled for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks once upon a time that's making quite a name for himself with the Blues.

"I think obviously as the year went on and the playoffs came along, obviously there's more media there, there's more TV, they kind of zoom in on you," Parayko said. "I feel like once we got to the playoffs, you've just obviously got to give it your all and that's what I was doing, trying to help our team as much as possible. I give it my all every game. Maybe I've learned some new things over the years, but I give it my all every single game. I think that when we were assigned with the top lines, obviously Petro [Alex Pietrangelo] and the other guys too, we just took it and we tried to run with it. We showed up confident every night. I think we showed up to the rink expecting to them to give us their best and for us, we expected to shut those guys down. That was the goal."

Parayko and partner Jay Bouwmeester were what Craig Berube called like going through a car wash facing the pair on the ice. Nothing seemed to get through them, and that's why the Blues' coach would tap the duo's shoulders quite regularly as his shutdown pair.

"We put them together there and they just became a real good shutdown pair there, two big guys that have great sticks, both can skate, play the whole game pretty much and they just go out there and do their thing," Berube said. "It's been a good pairing for them guys for sure."

Even teammates marveled.

"They're so big," Blues defenseman Vince Dunn said. "They take up a whole zone, just those two players. That definitely helps them. The way they skate and the way they're connected on the ice. They're able to close guys out and shut plays down really quickly. I think they did a great job both offensively and defensively. They weren't always leaving the rush with the puck. They distribute the puck well up to the forwards and were able to jump in the play from behind. They're two great players. That's why they were a huge success in shutting those top lines down."

"We're both big, we both have big sticks," Parayko said, adding with a grin that, "it's kind of like window washers, window wipers going. 

"Seriously, we try to make sure that we stay tight, stay tight defensively, not allowing them to gain our zone. We both just try to stay tight in the offensive zone, and if we can do that, then it's tough to kind of gain any ice on us."

Parayko was 37th in the NHL in time on ice during the regular season at 22 minutes 47 seconds, but his time jumped way up to 25:07 (good for 15th among playoff d-men) in the postseason. It's easy to figure out why, since he and Bouwmeester put on their best Blue Iguana imitation and were tidy car washers against the opponents' top horses. Among them were Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov of the Dallas Stars, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski and Timo Meier of the San Jose Sharks and Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins.

There was no rhyme nor reason for their success. But the Blues rode the pair and success seemed contagious and Bouwmeester's mentorship seemed to rub off on Parayko and the pair continued to click.

"I don't know. It's a good question," the 35-year-old Bouwmeester said. "I think really since he came in that first year, we've never really played together for a prolonged period of time. At different times we got put together, and I always enjoyed playing with him. I always thought we could help each other out. Personally I like him. We have some things in common - we're from the same area and I've gotten along with him real well since Day 1. But yeah, just getting a chance to play together, really. I think it was kind of good timing because when we got put together, the team was starting to turn the corner, and a lot of guys' games started to change at that time. I don't know, for me, I'm at the stage of my career if I can help a younger guy and kind of share some of my experiences, I'm more than happy to do that, and for a guy like him, who ... I don't know if you say so much potential because I think people have seen all the potential ... he is what he is now ... he's a, I think, pretty premier defenseman in this league. If you can help him any way he can, in turn that helps the team."

Parayko has always been a smooth skater, almost doing it effortlessly, kind of like Bouwmeester's strength of using his skating as an advantage. Parayko always seems to be able to skate with the puck out of a phone booth, make good decisions with it and has a booming shot that is sometimes erratic, but when he gets that booming clapper of his on net, it can be dangerous. Just ask Stars goalie and St. Louis' own Ben Bishop.

"Obviously he's got a good shot," Bouwmeester said. "He probably one-ups me on that one."

Come to think of it, who wouldn't want Parayko on their team? Probably one of the biggest reasons why his name was thrown out in trade rumors is because he comes with very reasonable cap hit ($5.5 million) that runs through the 2021-22 season. When the Blues locked Parayko up to a five-year, $27.5 million contract literally right before he was to have his arbitration hearing in Toronto on July 20, 2017, it was considered a risky investment on a player they hoped would pan out.

Parayko has done more than just pan out, and the contract now looks like a steal.

But that doesn't mean Parayko won't continue to work on his craft and be content. He was in St. Louis in August already ready to hit the ice despite the short summer, which included getting the chance to take the Cup to his hometown.

"It's still a lot of off-season. When I got here this summer, I got here in mid-August and I stepped on the ice and I'm all ready to go," Parayko said. "It might sound weird, but I think that's how a lot of us feel. We're ready to go. We're excited for what's coming. We have challenges here to continue to be good and obviously get in the playoffs again and make another deep run and hopefully win. I think we're ready.

"There's different areas, there's always areas you can improve on. Just continue to get better in all the little areas. My puck work, my first pass out of the zone, skating and just trying to make the right play offensively, keeping it simple. Just continue to get better in all aspects. I think I can always work on things. As the season progresses, you get put in different positions, different scenarios, so just making sure that I come prepared for all those and keep looking forward."

Will Parayko ever put himself in that class of Norris Trophy winners? It'll be hard to do that without gaudy offensive numbers that some (Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson, for example) put up. But to call him an up-and-comer? Not within those locker room walls. Not with Parayko's teammates.

"I wouldn't say it was a breakout (year). He's always been capable of doing the things he does," Bouwmeester said. "I think he's been a pretty consistent player throughout his career, but I think when you go through (playoff) runs like that, there's just more exposure, so your whole team gets more recognition, or people see you. We're not a Toronto or a team where all the media types are watching every night. That's kind of prime-time. Sometimes our guys kind of fly under the radar a little bit. Just that exposure, I think for a guy like him, is giving him the credit that he deserves."

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues defenseman Colton Parayko's stock continues to rise, and at 26, he's

entering the prime of his career.

And having a potential Hall of Famer by his side, the ride has been seamless.

"We just took it and we ran with it. We knew what we were up against," said Parayko, who's only missed six games in his four seasons. "Obviously Jay 'Bouw' is one of the smartest, if not the smartest guys out there to play with. As his partner, life on me is easy just the way that he plays, how he skates and how moves the puck, the way he defends. For me, I'm just trying to make it easy on him as well. I think we work well together. We're big, we have long sticks, making it tough on opponents to try and get into the zone. We hope we can stop them before they can cross our blue line. He's just a smart player that has been around for so long. He knows the game so well. He always seems to be making the right play. He always moves the puck really well and get the puck into the forwards' hands. Once you do that, it kind of allows us to jump into the play, move up the ice. Everything about him just makes everything easy to play with him."

Edmundson admits contract year was tough, ready to improve his game

Despite being Stanley Cup champion, defenseman 

feels last season was "a roller coaster of a year"

By LOU KORAC
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Joel Edmundson wished last season personally would have gone better.

However, ending it with his first Stanley Cup championship was the ultimate way to cap off an inconsistent year for the 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman and Brandon, Manitoba native.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Joel Edmundson celebrated the Stanley Cup, his first in the NHL, with the Blues

when they defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games last season.

The summer had its range of emotions as well for the 26-year-old, going from winning the Cup to having to shift focus to getting a new contract.

Going about it as a restricted free agent for the third time and having an arbitrator decide Edmundson would get a modest $100,000 raise from $3 million to $3.1 million on a one-year contract was the reality that faces Edmundson as he enters the 2019-20 season.

When arbitration cases are actually heard, they never go well, but it is the reality of doing business. Edmundson and his camp asked for $4.2 million; the Blues countered with $2.3 million. The arbitrator awarded approximately a middle figure.

And as Edmundson spoke about it on Monday before the Blues played their first preseason game against the Dallas Stars in Texas, much like the Blues' championship season, it was time for Edmundson to park the past and look forward to new challenges.

"It would have been nice to get some term, but it's another year contract, another year in St. Louis. I'm happy to be back," Edmundson said. "Hopefully I can have a breakout year, a solid season and help this team win some games or hopefully half way through the year or near the end of the year, we can come to a long-term deal. But for now, it's just one year and all I can really say about it. I'm happy to be back."

Edmundson's one-year deal means he can't officially sign a potential new deal until Jan. 1. But for the first time in his career, he will be going into a contract season that will take him to unrestricted free agency status.

"It doesn't get any easier. It weighs on your mind," Edmundson said. "You have a bad game, you get down, but at the end of the day, it's a long season, so you've just got to battle through it. I'm happy to be here for another year. I can't complain about that. It's another year in the NHL. I love the team, I love what we've done here in the past couple of years. I'm looking forward to a good season here."

Edmundson is coming off of a, in his words, a roller coaster season; he finished with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 64 regular-season games, down from the career-high 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) the previous season in 69 games. In four seasons, Edmundson has 52 points (13 goals, 39 assists) in 269 games. He had seven points (one goal, six assists) in 22 playoff games last season.

But something didn't seem to be right with Edmundson's all-around game last season, and there were times when he was a healthy scratch as a result, including four times in the playoffs.

"There's lots of ups and downs last year, almost a roller coaster of a year," Edmundson said. "I think our team in general had a roller coaster of a year, but contract years, they're not easy. There's a lot weighing on your mind. You try not to think about them, but at the end of the day, it's your life, it's your job. It definitely creeps into the back of your mind. You've got to push all that noise aside and just play your game. 

"I definitely think I got away from a few things that I was doing well my first couple years. I think I realize that now. Tonight's going to be a good test where I stand now. I'm just looking forward to the start of the season, and I just want to bring my physicality back, just be a good guy in the dressing room and have fun."

Depending on what Edmundson would get in arbitration, there was a thought that the Blues would have no choice but to trade him if the cap hit was much higher than the $3.1 million he received. Not that they would have preferred that route, but it would have been more out of necessity that willingness.

But now with Edmundson in the fold at least for another year, or more if both sides had their way, finding that level of consistency from years past would suit both sides well.

"I was being more aggressive my first couple years and then last year, I might have taken a step back," Edmundson said. "I wasn't that big, scary guy out there, which I have no problem being. I like to play physical. That's part of my game. I just think I took a step back. When I'm playing physical and aggressive, that's when I play my best hockey. I was jumping up in the rush more often and just my all-around game complements it. I want to get back to that."

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Joel Edmundson said last season had a lot of ups and 

downs; he wants to improve his game for 2019-20.

So does Blues coach Craig Berube, who feels Edmundson needs to simply be himself.

"I think just realizing what he is. When he's physical, hard to play against, a good defender, he's an important player," Berube said. "We're just looking for more consistency that way. He does good things in the offensive zone, but his game for us is being a real good defender, a big guy, hard to play against, physical, physicality. That wears down other teams, so a lot of that stuff we're looking for from him."

Edmundson has a chance to really set himself up for a profitable summer next year if he gets to where he believes it can go. But at least for the time being, business will be parked to the side and more focused geared towards the work on ice.

"Up until January, I don't think there will be any talks about that," Edmundson said. "Maybe around January or February there might be, but it's nothing that I'm worried about right now. If it comes across, we'll worry about it then. Right now, I'm just worried about my game and what the team does on the ice."

Sanford hopes to build consistency into his game after strong Cup Final run

24-year-old played arguably best for Blues against Bruins to help St. Louis win 

Stanley Cup, searching to play at consistent level with veterans O'Reilly, Perron

By LOU KORAC
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Zach Sanford was supposed to be at a charity event taking part in something good when suddenly, boos reigned down at the Thayer Sports Center.

Yes, those boos were directed at him. It's a bit of a hard way to treat a native son, one who grew up a Boston Bruins fan and has plenty of family and friends that are Bruins fans.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Stanley Cup champion Zach Sanford hoists the trophy after the Blues won

their first-ever title on June 12 in seven games against the Boston Bruins.

But when Sanford is announced as 'No. 12 Zach Sanford, Stanley Cup champion,' well that still sticks in one's craw to Bostonians.

"That's a good reason to get booed for, I guess," Sanford said. "... They said Stanley Cup champion and everything. There were some Bruins guys playing too, so it was funny."

Sanford participated in the 2nd annual Hold the Line Hockey Game on Aug. 22 in Braintree, Ma., a south suburb of Boston. 

Those fans knew exactly who he Sanford was and what he represented. Just because the Salem, Ma. native is one of their own, he had something they didn't.

"They were just kidding, but it was fun," Sanford said Sunday after the third day of training camp. "All the family members who are Bruins fans were giving me crap, but it was all in fun. They were happy for me."

Perhaps those same relative were happy Sanford was able to get back into the Stanley Cup playoff run for the Blues. He had originally played the first three games of the first round series against the Winnipeg Jets before being healthy scratched. But when Oskar Sundqvist received a one-game suspension and Sanford was re-inserted into the lineup for Game 3 against the Bruins in the Cup Final, even though the Blues lost that game, Sanford made an impact and would finish with a goal in Game 7 to go with three assists in five games and help the Blues to their first Stanley Cup championship.

"Getting to watch some games, it was easy for me to figure out what made guys successful," Sanford said. "And for a guy like me, playing physical and playing hard, not giving up on plays or giving up on loose pucks and being able to cover those and stay on it. That all starts with my strength and my size. Heading into this year, that's a big focus for me personally. I feel confident and I plan on bringing that physicality and bringing that heavy game."

Sanford had his success playing with Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron, and that trio found an instant click. It helped justify coach Craig Berube's decision to go with Sanford, who had an assist, for Game 3. He would never come back out of the lineup.

"I thought that early on in the playoffs, he looked a little overwhelmed maybe," Berube said of Sanford. "Later on, I thought he was strong, competed hard, big-body guy. He's got really good hands, can make plays, scored a couple goals. He's a smart player, good defensively."

Sanford, who entered the summer as a restricted free agent, got a nice bump in pay when he signed a two-year, $3 million contract on July 8 ($1.5 million average annual value), almost doubling his pay from $875,000 on his three-year, entry-level contract.

And Berube has given Sanford, 24, the chance again of playing with Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O'Reilly and David Perron.

"I found my game a little bit there at the end of last year," Sanford said. "For me, it's just coming into this year and continuing to build off of that and continuing to grow. Getting to play with O'Ry and Perron, it's really good for me in these practices asking them questions, where they think I should be, where they're looking at and what they see. For me, it's just continuing to learn and continuing to grow this year."

Sanford's greatest challenge in his young career has been maintaining a consistent level of play. If he can build off his games during the Cup Final, his potential is untapped.

"He can absolutely be consistent with it," O'Reilly said. "I think part of that as a line is being consistent as well and being predictable with each other, having that dialogue and that communication, whether it's on the bench or in practice and little areas and little things and little adjustments that need to be made. It starts with being consistent with our work ethic and having that open communication. When we do that, I think we're all three very good players that think the game well and I think it will be an advantage to us if we can do that."

And both O'Reilly and Perron will do whatever they can to help the younger statesman on their line out.

"We're excited for him," Perron said. "I think me and O'Ry will try and help him out as much as we can, but I also think that he's helping us out a lot too. He's going to the front of the net, he's doing a lot of work in the corner and he can get us the puck with his work ethic and all that. I think we're excited to play with him. I think there's always guys that you play with that find a way to elevate your game. That's what O'Ry does for me personally, and I'm sure he does that to 'Sanny' as well and hopefully we can help 'Sanny' out a little bit."

Sanford, who has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 99 NHL regular-season games, took the time in this short summer, after getting to take the Stanley Cup to his father Michael's grave site, to work on what can give him some consistent balance.

"I just worked on a lot of the things that were making me successful at that time, playing hard, playing physical and being able to hang onto pucks," Sanford said. "For me, that all starts with my size and my strength, so the big focus for me was with a short summer, being able to stay strong and put on some weight. I think that went pretty well and I'm feeling pretty comfortable and confident coming into this year.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Zach Sanford (right) and teammates David Perron (left to right), Vince

Dunn, Ryan O'Reilly and Alex Pietrangelo listen to coach Craig Berube

during training camp sessions

"Nothing's guaranteed. Nothing's promised. I'm going to have to earn it and I'm going to have to work to keep it."

A message Sanford knows all too well that Berube will hold him to.

"We took him out after, I think, it was two games against Winnipeg, but when he went back in, he figured it out," Berube said. "These younger guys are just becoming real good pros. Day in and day out, putting the work in and practice and putting the work in in games and understanding that you've got to make sure that you stay on top of things, because if you don't, there's other guys that want to take your job."