The St. Louis Blues and head coach Mike Yeo may have already stirred up some controversy this season. Ahead of their game against the Calgary Flames, Yeo appeared to be planning to bench defenseman Vince Dunn. The decision appeared to be stemmed from the need to get new defenseman Jakub Jerabek into a game and work Joel Edmundson back into the lineup.
While nothing is official regarding Dunn’s status for Thursday night’s game, the young defenseman didn’t look too happy after practice. According to STLToday, Dunn was visibly upset and gave a stern “no comment” response when asked about the game against the Flames.
The idea of benching Dunn is certainly a controversial one. Dunn did make a criminal mistake in overtime against the Chicago Blackhawks, but he has overall been one of the few defenders who has started the season on a mostly positive note. Outside of his OT blunder, the benching doesn’t seem justified or deserved.
Someone has to sit if the Blues are going to work Jerabek into the lineup. The other options who have been practicing on the left side of the ice are Jay Bouwmeester and Edmundson. With Edmundson just returning, that leaves Bouwmeester as the only real candidate who could be benched on the left side over Dunn. Many Blues fans would be OK with that decision, but the Blues are clearly trying to sort out their defensive issues and want to see a veteran presence in the lineup.
Whether or not that’s the right decision remains to be seen.
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