Evaluating the St. Louis Blues’ Professional Tryout Players and Their Ability to Make the Team
![Apr 3, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Chris Porter (32) skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Blues defeat the Stars 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports Apr 3, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; St. Louis Blues left wing Chris Porter (32) skates against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. The Blues defeat the Stars 7-5. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/7918f061ec85de6f31966a3f733e63b6f1a2ee9a95853ef31ce87f09141a59c4.jpg)
5. Yan Stastny
It was definitely a surprise to hear that Yan Stastny was returning to the Blues in an on-ice capacity, considering that hasn’t played in North America since 2010. Since then, he’s played in Russia, Germany, and Sweden, and while he’s put up solid numbers in those countries, he hasn’t been dominant to the point where one would clearly believe he’s an NHL-caliber player.
His family connections obviously were an asset for Stastny in coming back to the states, as his brother Paul is one of the Blues’ most important forwards, and his father Peter was popular while playing in St. Louis for two seasons. If anything, Stastny is a hard-working, passionate player who will probably lighten the mood for his brother and a few of his former teammates–David Perron, Patrik Berglund, and Alexander Steen–during training camp. It’s virtually impossible to envision a scenario where Stastny would break camp with the NHL club, but in the best of cases, he’ll either do enough to impress another club or stand out as a veteran leader to the point where he could be signed to a contract and play for the Blues’ AHL club this season.
Next: Mike Weber