The St. Louis Blues enter this season without carrying a piano on their backs, their first-round elimination of the boogeyman Chicago Blackhawks last spring and subsequent trip to the Western Conference finals a certain measure of playoff accomplishment they had been craving for a long time.
Still short of a Stanley Cup finals berth, of course, which their loyal fan base remains hopeful for, but at least the narrative has changed.
The new script surrounding this team is that a younger core has taken over, with longtime David Backes moving on to the Boston Bruins in free agency, and clutch veteran winger Troy Brouwer getting an offer he couldn't refuse from the Calgary Flames.
The team now belongs to top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who replaced Backes as captain, but also to Jaden Schwartz, Alex Steen and Vladimir Tarasenko. The emergence of forward Robby Fabbri last season as a top-six force also helps mitigate the losses of Backes and Brouwer, as does signing unrestricted free-agent winger David Perron.
Life would have been better had Vladimir Sobotka found his way back to St. Louis from the KHL, but more on that later.
There's both an experienced, steady voice behind the bench in longtime coach Ken Hitchcock, but also a fresh one in Mike Yeo, who will officially take over as head coach in 2017-18. It's a bit unusual of a setup, but both coaches seem comfortable with the one-year overlap. For Yeo, it's a chance to learn from a man with two lifetimes worth of hockey knowledge.
The Blues remain a contender but not without questions.
Best new faces
Perron and backup goalie Carter Hutton are the most notable additions, the former having begun his career with the Blues and enjoyed productive years there before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the summer of 2013, and then making stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks before returning where it all began for him. He played some of his best hockey in a while last season after joining the Ducks.
Don't underestimate the value of Hutton, who pushed Pekka Rinne for starts midway through last season with the Nashville Predators. He's a good, steady hand behind young anointed starter Jake Allen, who no longer has to share the No. 1 job with Brian Elliott (who was traded to the Calgary Flames).
Yeo is probably the most important new face, the former Minnesota Wild head coach lured by the chance to learn from Hitchcock before taking over the Blues by himself in a year.
Biggest unknowns
What happens with top-four blue-liner Kevin Shattenkirk? He's an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and many thought he would have been traded over the summer -- there were certainly more than a few teams that tried at the June draft in Buffalo -- but here he is starting the season with the Blues. The Blues value his puck-moving skills on the back end and who's to say they won't try to sign him as the season goes on. Or perhaps he's a trade-deadline chip. Or maybe he simply walks away next summer into free agency, but not before the Blues have another deep playoff run. I think the Blues could live with all three scenarios. The bottom line, though, is that it will be a story worth monitoring all season.
Does Sobotka figure out an exit from Russia and join the Blues sometime this season? This story has had more twists and turns than a Jason Bourne movie, but the bottom line is that whatever out clause that seemed to exist in Sobotka's KHL contract disappeared last season when he got topped up financially due to a falling ruble. Long story short, if he wants his KHL team to release him to the Blues -- where he has indicated he wants to return after a two-season hiatus -- he's going to have to pay his way out of it. Stay turned. He would be a big-time addition if it ever does happen. With the losses of Backes and Brouwer in particular, Sobotka would bring skill and sandpaper into a top-nine role with the Blues.
Center Paul Stastny in the second half last season played his best hockey for the Blues (including 13 points in 20 playoff games) since signing that big contract two years ago. Can he continue that consistent play this season? I think he does.
And finally, how does it work all season long between Hitchcock and Yeo? All signs point to a cordial and beneficial arrangement, but it's not every day you have this kind of situation. And how do the players respond to the unorthodox setup?
Sure things
Steen is the Blues' version of the Chicago Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews or Los Angeles Kings' Anze Kopitar, the team's most complete two-way player and a guy who never takes a night off. He exudes character. He's strong on both sides of the puck and never seems to make the wrong decision with it. He can play both center and wing, which adds to his versatility.
Superstar winger Tarasenko scored 40 goals last season after scoring 37 the year before. The 24-year-old is just getting better. Does he top countryman Alex Ovechkin for the Rocket Richard Trophy this season? Tarasenko should be motivated by a playoff performance he'd rather forget.
Prediction
I don't think winning the Central matters as much to the Blues as the process of getting ready for another playoff run. I see them comfortably battling for third or fourth with the Blackhawks, and another opportunity to go deep in the spring. Fourth in the Central.