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Dmitrij Jaskin And Joakim Lindstrom In Lineup Against Maple Leafs

Ken Hitchcock wants Joakim Lindstrom back in Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, so who comes out?

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

There has been talk recently of the Blues having three solid and clicking offensive lines. The third line, composed of Patrik Berglund, Paul Stastny, and Dmitrij Jaskin has played well, though not on the same level as the team's top two lines. Regardless, they're creating chances. Jaskin has a goal and an assist in his last five games, but after a defensive clunker against the Carolina Hurricanes, you could see where he would be based on this quote from Ken Hitchcock prior to that game:

"If he goes in, the way [Lindstrom]’s going at it now, I don’t think he’s going to come out," Hitchcock said Thursday. "I think he’s got second wind now. I think this first go was tough for him because it was a lot new, but we see things at practice that are pretty impressive. … If someone happens to blink here, I think he’s really going to take advantage of it. He seems to have really risen his level. I think we have a new appreciation having worked with him how smart he is defensively. I think he’s going to take advantage of the next situation because he’s got his wind back again."

He had the clunker on the 10th, didn't really do much to redeem himself against Edmonton, so out Jaskin came. In goes someone who admittedly has been busting his tail during practice. How did Lindstrom "take advantage of it?" He had a shot in a little over 10 minutes of icetime. Nonetheless, Lindstrom impressed Hitchcock, and if the coach doesn't make another lineup tweak, Jaskin will be out again on Saturday night. Said Hitchcock to Jeremy Rutherford:

"We're probably going to play him," Hitchcock said. "He's a young guy and still on the learning curve. It's not on the learning curve on what they do on the ice. It's the mental wear and tear of having to be an every-shift, everyday, all-the-time player. I think for young people wears on them.

"If we have a chance with him to hit reset, we do it because we know we're going to get four or five games where we're going to get a real solid player. We've got enough veteran depth to hit the reset button, especially with the way Lindy played yesterday. We really liked him."

So, who is the candidate for rest if both Jaskin and St. Louis' new Lucky Lindy get in the lineup? I would assume it's one of our fourth liners, so Maxim Lapierre? If that's the case, who's the guy who gets to skate with Steve Ott and Ryan Reaves?

I can't wait to find out.