Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings #3: St. Louis Blues
The Blues are going to be an excellent regular season team. They have a deep blue line led by Kevin Shattenkirk and Alex Pietrangelo. They have David Backes, Alexander Steen, Vladimir Tarasenko, Paul Stastny, and Jaden Schwartz to lead their forwards. They upgraded their third line by trading Oshie for Troy Brouwer. Their loss of Barrett Jackman could wind up hurting them more than people think.
The biggest question about the Blues remains if their regular season success can translate into post-season success. If the Blues cannot win in 2015-2016, there could be some huge changes in St. Louis. On paper, this is an excellent team with very few weaknesses. Their top two forward lines are two of the best in the NHL. However, one has to consider their recent post-season failures.
This season, the Blues should discover if they can win with Ken Hitchcock.
Next: #2