So looking at the Blues for next year now. I feel like this is fairly accurate template
Buchnevich* - Thomas - Kyrou
Neighbours - Schenn - Saad
???? - Texier - ????
Toropchenko - ???? - Sundqvist*
Leddy - Parayko
Krug* - Faulk
Perunovich - Kessel
Binnington
Husso
The * next to a name means I am not 100% sure they will be here next season. Although it seems like we are working towards an extension with Buch. Krug on other hand we know the Blues want to trade, they tried last year and Krug blocked it. So why would Krug accept a trade this year? Well because next year his NTC goes to a 15 teams he can block. This might be his last chance to narrow it down to spots he would accept. Army would still have to find a way to get those teams to bite, maybe the Blues can afford to retain part of his salary for 3 years given the amount of entry level deals we have coming on the horizon?
Now to fill the ???? we have several potentials already in the system. Guys like Bolduc, Dvorsky, Dean and Sylvegard seem like they will be given an opportunity at playing in the NHL next year. I would also like to say that I think Schenn being our 2C is recipe for disaster. He struggled to center an effective scoring line in the top6 last year. It might be time to consider him as our long term 3C or middle six winger. If we do that who plays 2C for us? Do we give Dvorsky a shot at that role right out of junior? Also if we move Krug we would need to bring someone else in to play on the left side. We have some cap space to make a big splash or two medium sized splashes. I know I have said it before but I think a very Blues move would be to bring in Monahan on a 2 year deal and give him a shot at the 2C spot giving us a forward lineup like this.
Buchnevich - Thomas - Kyrou
Neighbours - Monahan - Saad
Texier - Schenn - Bolduc/Sylvegard
Toropchenko - Dean - Sundqvist/Walker
If run this with our current defense we would still have a ton of cap space and if we are out of it come TDL we could be one of those teams willing to take on a bad expiring contract from a contender looking to make space and add more picks.