St Louis Blues head coach Andy Murray has juggled his lines in the preseason again and may take it into the regular season should they click in the remaining preseason games. On the top line, Keith Tkachuk, 37, will center Paul Kariya and Brad Boyes. On the second line, Patrik Berglund will center Brad Winchester and T.J. Oshie. Murray claims that “Keith has had some history with (Kariya and Boyes) and a history of some success with them.” I could see this move being beneficial because it gives their lineup a strong, skilled veteran presence up front with the ability to still put the puck in the net. Kariya, 34, had 15 points in 11 games last year before needing right hip surgery.
Last season, TJ Oshie provided a mid-season sparkplug the Blues needed to carry them into the playoffs – 39 points in 57 games. Look for Oshie to continue similar success this year and could be a worth a pickup in late rounds of deep leagues. Berglund’s fantasy value, however, hurts with this trade as it pulls him away from the top scoring line. Keep an eye going into the regular season as Andy Murray has said he may switch the line combinations back should they not click in the preseason.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
