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St. Louis Blues Make Three Cuts, Trim Camp Roster to 41

By Patrick Karraker

Oct 1, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Morgan Ellis (78) bats the puck in front of Chicago Blackhawks center Tyler Motte (64) during the first period of a preseason hockey game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues defenseman Morgan Ellis (78) bats the puck in front of Chicago Blackhawks center Tyler Motte (64) during the first period of a preseason hockey game at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The St. Louis Blues have trimmed three more players from their training camp roster.

The St. Louis Blues continue to trim down their camp roster in advance of their October 12 regular season opener in Chicago. The team announced on Sunday that forward Jordan Caron and defensemen Morgan Ellis and Kevin Tansey have been assigned to the AHL Chicago Wolves, bringing the number of players left in the Blues’ NHL camp to 41.

Caron and Ellis, who both successfully passed through waivers earlier this week, got brief action in the NHL last season. The 25-year-old Caron, a former Boston Bruins first-rounder who’s played a total of 157 games in the NHL, played in four games for the Blues last season, collecting no points while posting a minus-3 rating. The 24-year-old Ellis, meanwhile, saw his first career NHL action, going pointless with two penalty minutes in three games for the Montréal Canadiens.

While both Caron and Ellis seem to be rather far down the Blues’ depth chart as things stand now, both could become options for call-ups if the team becomes ransacked by injuries (the same type of situation that sparked Caron’s promotion last December.)

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For Tansey, the fact that he was able to last this long in camp was more of an accomplishment. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound 23-year-old joined the Blues’ squad at the Traverse City prospect tournament, competing as an amateur tryout player fresh off of a four-year career at Clarkson University (and an 11-game tryout with the AHL Binghamton Senators last season).

After catching the front office’s eyes in Traverse City, Tansey was invited to camp as a tryout player, and after a 10-day run with the Blues–which included action in two games, during which he posted a minus-2 rating with nine hits and two blocked shots–Tansey will now attend the Wolves’ camp and try to earn a spot on the Blues’ AHL club. If there’s not room for him there, he’s expected to play for the Blues’ new ECHL affiliate, the Missouri Mavericks.

Next: Could Samuel Blais Contribute to the Blues This Season?

The Blues’ camp roster has now been reduced to 41 players, though goalie Luke Opilka and defenseman Tommy Vannelli are rehabbing injuries and aren’t expected to get in any games before being sent down. The rest of the decisions over the next week, which should include a battle for the final few forward spots among Magnus Paajarvi, Ty Rattie, Kenny Agostino, Samuel Blais, Chris Porter, and Eric Nystrom, as well as a possible battle for the seventh defensive spot among Robert Bortuzzo, Petteri Lindbohm, Jordan Schmaltz, and Mike Weber, should be very intriguing.

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