St. Louis is improving, but still singing the blues

The St. Louis Blues have been the rivals of the Dallas Stars for the past two seasons. Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington have given the Stars a run for their money every time they stand between the posts. It can be assumed that both goalkeepers will continue to be a thorn in the Stars' side this season. However, of all the teams this season, they had one of the toughest offseasons in the Central Division.

They lost a lot of talent as several cornerstones left the organization. Ville Husso, Charlie Lindgren and David Perron all took their talents to new teams in the summer. The Blues have a lot of holes to fill if they want to remain competitive in the Central Division, which will continue to be one of the toughest divisions this season. Could the Blues end up at the bottom of the Central Division basement this season? Let's take a look at some of the departures and key additions to the team.

St. Louis Blues Preview 2.0: Key Losses

Kevin Hayes

Sammy Blais

Marco Scandella

Jakub Vrana

St. Louis Blues Preview 2.0: Key Gains

Ryan Suter

Radek Faksa

Matheau Joesph

Alexandre Texier

Pierre Olivier Joseph

St. Louis Blues Preview 2.0: Analysis

The Blues are dependent on interested parties to fill the remaining gaps in their squad. In a fiercely competitive division, that could backfire. The Central Division is a division that does not rely on emerging talent to compete during the season. While some prospects are in order, the Blues could end up in 6th place in the Central Division this season. I don't know if they've done enough to finish in the top three of the league this season.

However, keep an eye on Dalibor Dvorsky and Zachary Boldu when the Stars and the Blues play on Thursday night. They are two prospects who could crack the Blues' NHL Opening Night roster this season. Like Lian Bichsel, both will be competitive and give one last try to prove that they belong in the NHL this season.

Hofer and Binnington can be counted on to stay close in division games this season. Teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars will eat them alive on offense with their returners. While the Blues are certainly moving in the right direction, they will face another difficult season next season. I wish them all the best for the future, but this season won't be the year they fail to break through and become a threat to the Central Division.

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