The Blues have an interesting fourth-line roster battle

The St. Louis Blues still have one interesting roster battle to figure out as training camp gets closer to the end, with five forwards fighting for three spots on the fourth line.

Right now, Ross Johnston, Dillon Dube, Alexei Toropchenko, Zach Dean and Pius Suter are all in the mix. There simply aren't enough spots for all four of them, and it looks like Dube could be the odd man out when the season starts. He could begin the year as the 13th forward, or the Blues could decide that he would be better off getting regular minutes in the American Hockey League (AHL).

St. Louis did make this decision a little easier on Friday afternoon when Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker were placed on waivers to be reassigned to the AHL. That takes two more forwards out of the battle and leaves a pretty clear group fighting for those final spots.

5 players fighting over 3 spots

Johnston gives the Blues something they could use on the fourth line with his size and physicality. He isn't going to be expected to score a ton, but if St. Louis wants a line that can play a physical game and make things difficult for opponents, there is a reason to have him in the lineup.

Toropchenko is another player who brings size and energy. He knows what his role is going to be, and that could help him when the team is deciding who deserves one of those spots. Suter is a little different because he brings more experience and can give the Blues some versatility in the bottom six. He seems to be one of the most mainstays within the bottom six for that reason. There is also Zach Dean, who has been fighting for a spot on the Blues' NHL team for the better part of three seasons and now could finally be getting his chance.

Then there is Dube, who looks like he could be the one left out. He has NHL experience and can play a bottom-six role, but with only three spots available, it doesn't look like there is enough room for everyone. If the Blues decide they would rather have the other three players in the lineup, Dube could start as the 13th forward and wait for an opportunity.

There is still time for that to change, especially with the final preseason games left to play tonight. For now, though, it looks like Johnston, Toropchenko, Dean, and Suter are fighting for the three spots, with Dube on the outside looking in. The Blues have already narrowed down this battle by moving Sundqvist and Walker out of the picture, and now they just have one more decision to make before the regular season starts.