The season is only two games old for the St. Louis Blues. With that in mind, it’s far too early to make any big assumptions or analysis. However, there is one developing trend which is pretty troubling. Carl Gunnarsson has looked overwhelmed in his first two games and that says a lot considering two rookies have appeared on defense for the Blues.
Again, it has only been two games, but Gunnarsson has looked a bit sluggish on his skates. His feet aren’t moving when they should be and it has resulted in some quality chances by the opposition.
Gunnarsson has been skating on the second pairing, but he has been outplayed by Colton Parayko by a significant margin. Joel Edmundson has only skated in one game, but he too looked more reliable than Gunnarsson.
Is Gunnarsson still experiencing some lingering complications from an injury? Early reports suggested he’d start the year on the IR, so it’s possible that he may not be 100%. If that’s the case, the Blues have the depth on defense (assuming Edmundson isn’t banged up after the fight in his debut) to bench Gunnarsson.
Gunnarsson has been praised in the past for his ability to move the puck, but so far he has been a defensive liability.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
