Blues trim camp roster to 29 players

So long, Sam Anas, and thanks for the overtime winner.

With no games on the calendar for tonight – and a disappointing 4-3 overtime loss to the Wild in the Blues’ rear view mirror – the team has made another round of roster cuts before tomorrow night’s preseason finale against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Blues announced today that they have selected to send six players to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds: forwards Nikita Alexandrov, Sam Anas, and Nathan Walker; defensemen Calle Rosen and Steve Santini, and goaltender Charlie Lindgren. They announced one additional cut as well – forward Michael Frolik has been released from his professional tryout.

All players save for Alexandrov will have to clear waivers before heading to Springfield, so there is a small chance that any of them could get claimed. Walker and Santini may be the leading candidates there if a team is looking for some solid emergency depth.

The roster is now down to 29 players, one of whom is James Neal, who is with the team on a PTO. You can find the remaining roster here, and it’s interesting to see how things are shaking out. Scott Perunovich and Jake Neighbours are being given the longest looks of the prospects, recent acquisition Logan Brown is still with the NHL club, and Dakota Joshua is still impressing with his play. It will be difficult to find spots for Brown and Joshua on the opening night roster, and it will also be difficult, yet again, to find a spot for Klim Kostin barring injury or the team being ok with him in a bottom six role.

There are eight defensemen remaining. One of Niko Mikkola, Jake Walman, and Perunovich will be heading down, and one of the two remaining guys will be the seventh defenseman at least for nine games. The Blues have a week between their last preseason game and getting their opening night rosters together.