USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Blues player to watch against the New York Rangers on Thursday is forward Sammy Blais.

After being a healthy scratch the past three games, Blais should get a boost by facing his former teammates and playing up in the lineup, skating with Kevin Hayes and Oskar Sundqvist tonight.

It's an opportunity to see if Blais can be more of a net front presence and be provide quality physicality on the forecheck, and not just go out and hit players just to be hitting.

Blais has just one goal in 31 games this season, but skating with Hayes and Sundqvist, who also likes to get to the net himself, could perhaps get Blais free and get on the board tonight in the right situations. 

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