It’s Ryan Reaves vs. T.J. Oshie in the Stanley Cup Finals

This is a near-annual tradition for St. Louis Blues fans. Our team has either been eliminated from the playoffs (or elect not to go for various and sundry reasons), and we’re left rooting for former players to win the Stanley Cup. It’s a frustrating ritual - those of us under the age of probably 55 or so don’t actually remember what it’s like for the Blues to reach the final, so living vicariously through our favorite former players is really about as good as it’s going to get.

Sometimes, seeing a former member of the Blues win the Cup elsewhere just feels like the hockey gods are rubbing our noses in it (see Hull, Brett). This year, it’s a battle on what could’ve been (T.J. Oshie) vs. a fan favorite bruiser (Ryan Reaves).

And also David Perron vs. Lars Eller.

Sure, we’re just getting over getting used to the phrase “Stanley Cup Champion Ian Cole,” but now it’s time to get used to adding those three words before the name of another former member of our team. It’s hard, but it’s also not tough to be happy for the individual players themselves. Both Oshie and Reaves were beloved during their tenure in St. Louis.

One of them left as a failed means of “waking up the roster,” one of them left in a shocking trade. That might color your perspective on which player you’d prefer to see raise the Cup in a couple of weeks. Regardless of if you like it or not, though, yet another player who used to be on your former team will be a Cup champion.

Who are you rooting for?