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(AP) St. Louis: The St. Louis Blues have made another preseason trade to upgrade their forward ranks, this time adding winger Drew Stafford to the mix, in exchange for veteran defenceman Rostislav Klesla and winger Daniel Paille.
Klesla had become expendable given the Blues top 4 is set with Zdeno Chara, Chris Pronger, Dustin Byfuglien and Marc Staal, while the third pairing is now quite strong with the emergence of Roman Josi and Andrew MacDonald. The Blues also have significant depth on the blueline with Brian Lee and Chris Campoli ready to step in, while youngster Erik Gustaffson and Brendan Mikkelsson are also available on an emergency basis.
At forward, Paille was also caught up in a numbers game with the Blues, with several depth forwards in the mix, including Lars Eller, Eric Nystrom, Jesse Winchester, Michael Frolik and Kyle Chipchura.
Stafford, who the Blues have coveted as a trade target for quite some time, is expected to immediately step in to a scoring line role with the Blues, most likely beside center Jeff Carter and Blues captain Daniel Alfredsson.
Earlier this summer, the Blues shipped versatile utility forward Jussi Jokinen to Nashville in exchange for winger Erik Cole, who is expected to play with center Joe Thornton and Jordan Eberle. This will move Guillaume Latendresse down to the third line, where he will join David Bolland and most likely Eller, while the 4th line will be solid with Nystrom, Winchester and Frolik. Chipchura, Jan Mursak and Jared Boll will provide depth.
Klesla has been with the Blues nearly 10 years, after being originally acquired by the Blues from the Bruins.
The Blues line-up is now set for the season, whiles still having several $ million in cap room, should the team want to make further moves later in the year.
Blues Depth Chart
Cole – Thornton – Eberle
Stafford – Carter – Alfredsson
Latendresse – Bolland – Eller
Nystrom – Winchester – Frolik
Boll – Chipchura – Mursak
Chara – Byfuglien
Pronger – Staal
MacDonald – Josi
Campoli – Lee
Howard
Enroth
Klesla had become expendable given the Blues top 4 is set with Zdeno Chara, Chris Pronger, Dustin Byfuglien and Marc Staal, while the third pairing is now quite strong with the emergence of Roman Josi and Andrew MacDonald. The Blues also have significant depth on the blueline with Brian Lee and Chris Campoli ready to step in, while youngster Erik Gustaffson and Brendan Mikkelsson are also available on an emergency basis.
At forward, Paille was also caught up in a numbers game with the Blues, with several depth forwards in the mix, including Lars Eller, Eric Nystrom, Jesse Winchester, Michael Frolik and Kyle Chipchura.
Stafford, who the Blues have coveted as a trade target for quite some time, is expected to immediately step in to a scoring line role with the Blues, most likely beside center Jeff Carter and Blues captain Daniel Alfredsson.
Earlier this summer, the Blues shipped versatile utility forward Jussi Jokinen to Nashville in exchange for winger Erik Cole, who is expected to play with center Joe Thornton and Jordan Eberle. This will move Guillaume Latendresse down to the third line, where he will join David Bolland and most likely Eller, while the 4th line will be solid with Nystrom, Winchester and Frolik. Chipchura, Jan Mursak and Jared Boll will provide depth.
Klesla has been with the Blues nearly 10 years, after being originally acquired by the Blues from the Bruins.
The Blues line-up is now set for the season, whiles still having several $ million in cap room, should the team want to make further moves later in the year.
Blues Depth Chart
Cole – Thornton – Eberle
Stafford – Carter – Alfredsson
Latendresse – Bolland – Eller
Nystrom – Winchester – Frolik
Boll – Chipchura – Mursak
Chara – Byfuglien
Pronger – Staal
MacDonald – Josi
Campoli – Lee
Howard
Enroth
