The St. Louis Blues are into the break and won’t play again until Feb. 11. That’s true at least for most of the roster. Nikita Alexandrov and Jake Neighbours are on their way to the Springfield Thunderbirds to keep playing over the next few days.
Springfield has three games this week – important opportunities for development that the team won’t overlook. Alexandrov has already spent most of his season in the minor leagues, registering 12 goals and 20 points in 23 games. During his 18 games at the NHL level, the 22-year-old rookie has five points.
Neighbours, 20, has played 27 games with St. Louis this season and has eight points. That’s not exactly the production he’s used to after dominating the WHL for the last three years. In the AHL he’s been much more comfortable, with seven goals and 14 points in 19 games, but it looks like the NHL is where he’ll stay for most of this year.
The 2020 first-round pick has a bright future in St. Louis, and if the Blues end up moving out some pieces at the deadline, there will be more offensive minutes available for players like him to step up.
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