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Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka will visit a team doctor on October 13th, at which time he hopes he will officially be cleared to play NHL hockey. The former Boston player continues to recover from off-season shoulder surgery. He's been skating on his own daily and, as recently as Wednesday, began shooting on Blues goaltenders. Obviously, Sobotka is disappointed with the news that he will have to wait a little longer, as he was hoping to be able to return prior to the Blues opener October 9th.
Andy McDonald was held out of practice Wednesday morning with was is being called a minor hip flexor strain. This is obviously not connected to a minor knee injury he suffered last Friday vs. Minnesota. The knee is a complete non-issue.
Jaroslav Halak will start two of the remaining three preseason games including Thursday night vs. Chicago. The Blues lineup will consist of many NHL regulars including the impressive line of David Perron, David Backes, and Brad Boyes.
D-man Carlo Colaiacovo remains out with a hip flexor injury of his own. He may not resume skating for another seven to ten days as his status for the opener is questionable at this point.
Petro to the minors? It still appears there is no guarantee Alex Pietranglo sticks with the NHL club when the 2010-11 season begins. You can make the case he’s been out- performed thus far by fellow rookie Ian Cole, who has done nothing to hurt himself so far in camp. Would the Blues really keep Cole over Pietrangelo? Would a little PR come into play here? I would hope not and it doesn’t appear that’s Doug Armstrong style. I don’t get the impression he cares about anything other than what’s best for this hockey club.
Armstrong quietly believes every player should spend time in the minors. Sure there are exceptions but in most cases getting your feet wet in the minors can often be the best path to take to eventually becoming an NHL regular.
Tyson Strachan has been just OK in camp but certainly has an edge over these guys when it comes to experience. He played his best game of the preseason in Colorado, and the coaching staff was pleased with his performance. He’ll need to raise his level of play in the final few games here.
This is when the real competition begins on defense. NHL rosters have been trimmed down and the next few games will come as close to resembling NHL competition as it gets. How certain guys handle it will ultimately determine who sticks and who goes.
It will be interesting watch how rookie Russian Nikita Nikitin handles the increased competition.
One player no one is talking about is Nathan Oystrick, a player who brings veteran experience to the table. The Blues are putting a lot of value into experience as it only makes sense to have some experience at the back end of their defensive roster. I would not be shocked to see Oystrick and Strachan stick while Peitrangelo gets some extra seasoning in the minors to begin the year.
Obviously the health of Carlo Colaiacovo will play a role in this decision as well. His hip flexor injury is not considered too serious. Colaiacovo is feeling better and is hopeful to resume skating soon.
Nothing has been determined as we sit right now but with just a few games to go it’s time for certain players to help make the decision a little easier for Armstrong and Head Coach David Payne.
With the reduced roster, now Payne can begin to formulate his lines and pairings headed into the season.
Look for Barret Jackman to get the first crack at playing with Erik Johnson while Roman Polak and Eric Brewer finalize the top four.
There are several people inside the organization who are pulling for Nicklas Drazenovic to stick if Vladimir Sobotka’s shoulder isn’t ready by the beginning of the regular season. Drazenovic’s versatility with the fact he can play center helps his cause.
With that being said, he’s blown a few scoring opportunities this preseason that should have resulted in goals. David Perron fed him a beautiful pass in the game vs. Minnesota last Friday but he wasn’t ready to receive the puck. If you want to play in the NHL, you better have your stick on the ice ready at all times.
Sobotka has been begging the team to allow him to begin skating with the team but as of now he’s yet to be cleared. He has been skating on his own since the beginning of camp.
Blues play by play man John Kelly has agreed to a three year contract to continue broadcasting Blues game on FSN.
I will be hosting another two hour preseason special Wednesday night on AM 590 the Fan in St. Louis form 6-8.
Blues Buzz begins Tuesday October 5th at the Sunset Hills Johnny Mac’s location. Head coach Davis Payne will be my first guest to kick off the season.
More to come,
Andy Strickland
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St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • 
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