With Logjam Up Front, How Do Blues Handle Who Plays, Who Doesn't Down Stretch?

Coach Jim Montgomery wants those playing to grab spot, not rotating players in, out for sake of rotating; Berggren seems to be most puzzling balance these days

Video Transcript

It’s been this way for a moment now, at least, what?

Since the start of, post-Olympic schedule here, where the Blues have had a bit of a logjam in their lineup, especially at forward, now that, everyone is healthy and available and ready to play, so.

And then since the March sixth trade deadline, when post-trade deadline, as long as you’re cap compliant, your roster becomes unlimited, and the Blues have been carrying fifteen forwards on the roster, which means on every given night, three of them are gonna be sitting.

it was also that way to an extent on defense, carrying eight.

But with the recent injury of Tyler Tucker, who’s gonna miss up to at least a week, if not more, after his injury Wednesday in Calgary, you’re talking about a l- a bit of a glutton at the forward lines.

And to be honest with you, you can sit and analyze and, and figure out and, or try to figure out how the coaching staff is going about of who plays and when they play.

Is it a question of just getting players in and out of the lineup, or does Jim Montgomery wanna see somebody jump up and just grab a spot and hang on to it?

And if somebody has to be on the outside looking in, well, so be it.

And the answer to that is, you can see it down below as well, it was asked.

It was asked today at practice, “How do you go about that?”

And he wants somebody to jump up and just grab a spot, and if they deserve to play, they deserve to play, and they’re gonna stay in the lineup.

So, to me, the biggest question I have always maintained is, Jonathan Berggren.

my personal opinion, I think this player deserves to be in the lineup, has played well enough to be in a lineup, impacts the game, especially from an offensive standpoint.

But I think what we’ve heard from Jim Montgomery today and in the past is, I think he just wants to see more consistency from the player in all areas of the ice.

There’s no question when the puck’s on his stick, this guy’s got some gifted skill, no doubt.

Jim Montgomery even said so today.

He’s got, top six skill with the puck on his hands.

I think that’s pretty evident.

He’s got twelve points in twenty-five games since joining the Blues, five goals, seven assists, and, probably would have more points than what he has on some of the opportunities he set teammates up, if they would, if they would finish the plays off.

Didn’t happen, but he is creating, there’s no doubt about that.

but I think, the areas that the coach wants to see different is one-on-one play, maybe be a little bit more assertive, little bit more driven on the other side of the puck, play a little bit more north-south, and, be on a line that impacts play whenever pucks are in the zone.

forecheck harder, turn pucks over, where you’re able to regain possession and recycle pucks, keeping them in zones, just little things like that.

but in talking to Berggren today, you kinda get a little bit of a sense that maybe there’s some frustration there as to why he’s been in and out of the lineup.

there’s not a lack of confidence, no doubt about it, and, I can see that, ’cause like I feel like when he plays, there is confidence there.

And he’s gotten more comfortable with being here since he was claimed off waivers by the d- from the Detroit Red Wings.

and according to the lines today, he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow against the Washington Capitals.

Jonathan Drouin was on the outside looking in.

Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker were also forwards, part of that fifth line, which would be players that would not play tomorrow.

So, it’s just a question of, what do they wanna do, especially with some of these younger guys?

Well, they’re gonna get, they’re gonna get looks.

Stenberg’s gonna continue to get looks.

Dvorsky’s gonna continue to stay in there.

you’ve got Jack Finley claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning that they’re also looking at.

Theo Lindstein on the blue line.

Logan Mailloux continues to get twenty-plus minutes a night, eleven straight games of that.

So, the younger guys are gonna get looks ’cause, again, as we go on here, it becomes increasingly more and more clear that the Blues are not gonna make playoffs this year.

So you have to continue to look toward next year and into the future, and a lot of these guys are a part of that.

I think Jonathan Berggren can be a part of this.

I’ve, I’ve liked the player ever since he’s been here.

but that is an area that, I’m gonna pay a little bit more closer attention to because of the things that Jim Montgomery was able to disclose to us and was willing to disclose to us today about the things that he wants to see a little bit more of from this player.

So we’re gonna look for some of those things, just to see where the coach is coming from.

I really like the player.

I think there’s a future for him.

He’s only twenty-five years old.

He’s gonna be a restricted free agent.

I think he’s doing enough things where he should be part of the plans here moving forward.

I know a lot of the fan base likes this player as well.

So, hopefully that clears things up for you a little bit, ’cause I know I’ve had a lot of questions about why does Berggren keep becoming a healthy scratch, and I can see from your perspective, you also feel like that he’s playing effectively as well, so.

But at least today and for tomorrow’s game, I know he’s been a healthy scratch the last two games.

Berggren will be back in tomorrow.

Drouin will be on the outside looking in.

But Drouin’s another one of those players that you got from the Brayden Schenn trade who is under contract for next year, so you can’t completely shut him out either.

So this’ll be interesting moving forward here down the stretch, how, some of this unfolds, who’s gonna get playing time, who’s gonna get into games, and who isn’t.

With Logjam Up Front, How Do Blues Handle Who Plays, Who Doesn’t Down Stretch?

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