The Blues welcomed in a plethora of forwards to professional tryouts shortly after the news broke that Patrik Berglund would miss a considerable amount of time to start the season. Some of those names remain in contention for a spot, but others – like Stu Bickel – have been sent packing.
Bickel always seemed like a long shot to make the Blues. He’s a grinder with almost no offensive upside who was battling for a role on a very crowded fourth line. He most recently was within Minnesota’s organization, skating in nine NHL games and 43 AHL games.
As the league continues to shift to speed and offense over pure grinders, guys like Bickel are going to have a difficult time finding a role. The Blues still have some other familiar faces in camp – Scottie Upshall and Scott Gomez – who can offer a bit more speed and skills than Bickel.
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