St. Louis Blues Give Camp Tryout to Veteran Center Scott Gomez

A spot opened up in the St. Louis Blues’ 2015-16 lineup on Thursday, as the team announced that Patrik Berglund will be sidelined at least four months following shoulder surgery. Training camp still won’t be a walk in the park for young players like Robby Fabbri, Magnus Paajarvi, and Ty Rattie who were scheduled to compete for jobs, however. As Andy Strickland initially reported and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s Jeremy Rutherford later confirmed, the Blues have agreed to bring in veteran NHL center Scott Gomez on a professional tryout deal during training camp. Under this type of agreement, which the Blues have used in recent years with experienced vets such as Paul Bissonnette, Ryan Whitney, and Colin White, the player is allowed to attend training camp and audition without being promised any guaranteed money or a roster spot.

The 35-year-old was a staple of the dominant New Jersey Devils teams of the early-to-mid 2000s and was part of two Stanley Cup champion teams in 2000 and 2003. Though the Blues finally got a former Stanley Cup champion with the acquisition of forward Troy Brouwer this offseason, it’s still likely that Gomez’s history of success could be a major positive in his bid to make the team. The lack of previous playoff success among the players has been a common theory as to why the Blues have failed to make it out of the postseason’s first round in recent years.

More from Arch Authority

• St. Louis Cardinals: Randal Grichuk to begin Double-A rehab stint
• John Brebbia deserves a shot as the St. Louis Cardinals’ closer
• St. Louis Cardinals place Randal Grichuk on DL, recall José Martínez
• St. Louis Cardinals release RHP Corey Baker from organization
• St. Louis Cardinals activate Kolten Wong and Kevin Siegrist from DL, option Luke Weaver and Alex Mejia to Triple-A

Gomez had his best season in 2005-06, scoring 33 goals with 51 assists for the Devils. His game has evaporated quite a bit since then, and many viewed him to be on his last legs in 2014-15, as he returned to his original home of New Jersey following stints with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, and Florida Panthers. Though he lacks proficiency in the defensive end, Gomez still had a pretty solid season in 2014-15, scoring seven goals with 27 assists in 58 games for New Jersey. That’s nearly twice the assists and more than half the goals that Berglund had in 19 more games for the Blues last season.

More from St. Louis Blues

• An early projection of the St. Louis Blues’ opening-night roster
• St. Louis Blues sign Klim Kostin to three-year, entry-level contract
• St. Louis Blues: Nail Yakupov signs with Colorado Avalanche
• St. Louis Blues: An homage to Chris Butler
• St. Louis Blues agree to one-year contract with Oskar Sundqvist

While the Blues have to get a read on guys like Rattie, Fabbri, Paajarvi, and an assortment of other potential injury replacements, Gomez should get a very extensive opportunity to prove himself during training camp practices and games. Center Jori Lehtera will also be out with an injury that could keep him sidelined until the first few games of the regular season, so the lineup will be opened up for guys like Gomez to get a chance without sacrificing the preparation of others.

Next: Blues' Patrik Berglund to Miss Four Months After Shoulder Surgery