My player to watch for the St. Louis Blues against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday is defenseman Matthew Kessel.
Does anyone expect the 2020 fifth-round pick to be a difference maker on Thursday against the powerful Vancouver Canucks? Probably not, but after having a nice season-debut in which he played 14:32 last Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Blues interim coach Drew Bannister will once again implement Kessel into the top four, playing alongside Torey Krug and getting important minutes, playing in Justin Faulk's spot; Faulk is out with a lower-body injury.
And with the Canucks (24-10-3) boasting some of the top offensive weapons in the NHL this season, I'll be interested to see how Kessel handles himself defending some of the speed and skill Vancouver possesses.
More must-reads: