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Who's in: Brendan Bell, Ty Conklin
Who's out: Dan Hinote, Manny Legace, Jay McKee, Jeff Woywitka

Outlook: For the most part, St. Louis simply stood pat in the offseason, opting to lock up veteran Keith Tkachuk on a one-year deal and acquire backup netminder Ty Conklin via free agency to replace the departed Manny Legace.

Even so, this should be a dramatically different looking team, especially on the blueline, as out of the projected top six, only Barret Jackman and Roman Polak played full seasons in St. Louis last year. The return of both Erik Johnson and Eric Brewer from injury, combined with the potential promotion of Alex Pietrangelo from junior, should increase the Blues depth and allow them to avoid the early season funk they fell into last season.

Up front, expect coach Andy Murray to continue to go with a youth movement, albeit one that boasts nine quality forwards who could potentially hit the 40-point mark. The kid line of Oshie, Berglund and Perron, in particular, should be a focal point in terms of offensive production, as will having Andy McDonald and Paul Kariya in the fold for a full season.

Forecasting just what it all adds up to is difficult given St. Louis' Jekyll and Hyde season of a year ago, but as long as Chris Mason holds the fort in goal, this should again be a team well in the playoff race. And given the youthful cast, with as many as five players on entry-level deals, the Blues' rise could continue to be a quick one.

X-factor: Erik Johnson

For a more in-depth Blues preview, visit St. Louis Game Time
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook