River Readings, Apr. 29, 2012

By Brian Weidler, "Game Time" Prospect Department

CH-CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

New faces likely at Carver Arena in 2012-13

After the jump, a graphic look at the 2011-12 Rivermen roster, and a look ahead at players who may "play in Peoria" for 2012-13. Stay tuned...

The players shown in blue below are Blues' prospects (players under 25 years of age and signed to NHL contracts by the Blues). Players shown in grey are either players older than "prospect age," or players signed directly by Peoria to AHL contracts, rather than to NHL contracts.

The following list of players represents:

-- Players who will have completed their major junior or NCAA eligibility, and are eligible to turn pro for 2012-13. Note that Cody Beach, Paul Karpowich and Jaden Schwartz have already signed ELC's with the Blues.

-- Players whose rights are owned by the Blues, whose European contracts have expired, and who are free agents eligible to sign NHL contracts with the Blues. Note that Jori Lehtera and Sebastian Wännström have previously signed ELC's with the Blues, and the clock will start ticking on those contracts if the players "cross the pond" and begin playing professionally in North America next season.

Per beat writer Dave Eminian in the Peoria Journal Star online, a number of the players on our first list above will probably not be back next year:

Seven players who finished the season with Peoria, meanwhile, are now unrestricted free agents. Defensemen Brennan Evans, Shaun Heshka and Danny Syvret — the latter two arguably the Rivermen’s best defenders in the final month of the season — are among them.

The Blues do not expect Syvret to return here, and word this week is Heshka has a deal in place to play in Europe next season.

Forwards Chris Bruton, Jonathan Cheechoo, Derek Nesbitt and Patrick O'Sullivan (NOTE: O'Sullivan and Brett Sterling were essentially traded for one another in March, when Sterling was loaned to Phoenix and the Coyotes sent O'Sullivan back on loan) are all unrestricted free agents as well. O’Sullivan may head to Europe, too.

Cheechoo and Sterling would have to be re-signed by the Blues in order to return to Peoria next year, and while that is a possibility, one would think that the two veterans would at least consider offers from other organizations if those offers included a shot at regular NHL playing time.

As for the players on the second list, it's not likely that Tarasenko will ever see the inside of Carver Arena; if he comes over this summer, he will almost certainly slot into the Blues' top nine forwards right away. The other Europeans are also 50/50 at best to cross the pond, so the most likely new Rivermen next year will be the North American players on the second list.

Here, then, is our best guess as to what the Rivermen lineup for 2012-13 will look like on Opening Day: