I thought I would go in a different direction with my ramblings this week. Through the season's first seven games, I think many of you T-Birds fans out there would like to know my thoughts on the personnel at head coach Drew Bannister's disposal. 

So that's what this will be - a (numerically ordered) breakdown of what I have noticed from every T-Birds player (who has played at least a game).

#4 - Tommy Cross - Defense

In Cross' case, I had the luxury of seeing him play in 2019-20, and for years before that with the Providence Bruins. While he may not be a 25-year-old anymore, one thing Tommy always brings is dependability and, moreover, accountability. That's why he was given the "C," and in talking with many of his teammates, young and old, the overwhelming message is one of respect that he commands. He knows his role as more of a shutdown, physical defenseman at this stage of his career, and he rarely makes mental mistakes. That rubs off on others.

#5 Tyler Tucker - Defense

When I spoke to him on T-Birds Talk (shameless plug!), it confirmed what I already knew about him. This 21-year-old sure doesn't act like one nor play like one. He has proven to be a sturdy, sometimes dominant force at both ends of the ice. He picks his spots offensively consistently well, and in his own zone, he is a real throwback who has thrown hip checks and been unafraid to mix it up to protect his goaltender. It explains why he was so influenced by Nicklas Lidstrom in his youth - not the answer you expect to hear from someone born in the year 2000.

#7 Sam Anas - Right Wing

I talked Sam Anas up bigtime throughout the preseason for being a power-play monster and a league scoring champion in his recent past. While the points have not piled up consistently for him yet, it has not been for a lack of chances. His "slump" features more scoring chances than most slumps I have ever seen. For being so "undersized," he is around the net constantly and should probably have more than two helpers already. When he pots one this weekend (prognostication!), LOOK. OUT.

#11 Hugh McGing - Right Wing

The book on Hugh McGing has long been his point production prowess, which continued in his collegiate career at Western Michigan. What I did not realize about Hugh, however, was how big of a pain-in-the-you-know-what he is to his opponents. I can't tell you how many times I've seen him win board battles against two or sometimes three bigger defenders surrounding him. He has shown amazing vision, especially shorthanded, and has already become a reliable 200-foot-player who plays in every situation. He's like the young, American version of the guy who's up next...

#12 Nathan Walker - Left Wing

You could write a book on Nathan Walker - his personality, his energy, and his overall zest for this game is infectious. Admittedly, the Australian vibes make him all the more interesting in conversation, but what I have seen from him here is exactly how I always remembered him with Hershey - he is going at 110% effort for every last second he is on the ice, but his skill level deserves a lot more credit than I think it gets. He has not met a disturbance or skirmish he did not enjoy, and I expect huge things from him offensively, especially if he stays on a line with Anas long-term.

#13 Alexey Toropchenko - Left Wing

"Torpo" may not have the most polished game in the world, but his entire line from the start of the season (w/ MacKenzie MacEachern and Dakota Joshua) sure knows its identity. You think of Russian players as playing a high-skill, weaving system that focuses more on finesse. Not with this young man. He rarely passes up a chance to deliver a check, and late in games, if a defenseman sees #13 bearing in on him, he may have that thought in the back of his mind that that bruise he got earlier in the game may get bigger. I expect his offensive confidence to reach new heights after potting his first goal on Sunday.

#14 Steven Santini - Defense

You absolutely always know what you are going to get when Santini is on the ice, and that is a huge boost in faith to a head coach. Santini's entire career has been predicated on, frankly, not caring about his offensive figures, so long as things stay clean in his end of the ice. He may not make flashy reads and passes, and he may not utilize his shot as much, but you know when he's on the ice, the likelihood of a costly turnover decreases exponentially. Oh, and did we mention he has possibly the fiercest game face in this dressing room? He refused to smile despite our best efforts to coax him to do so on media day!

#15 Scott Perunovich - Defense

Oh, where do we begin? What have I not said already? Perunovich is making the Blues' scouting department look like Einsteinian scholars with each passing day. There are 30 other NHL teams that will someday regret passing on this guy in multiple drafts. He may gamble offensively, but this isn't like throwing a roulette chip on black or red - this is like being Rain Man and knowing you're going to win. In the ONE game he did not play, the power play did not score. Coincidentally, that's the only time all season it has not netted a goal. Rookie blueliners are not supposed to score 10 points in six games in the AHL. So many NHL stars of today never accomplished that feat. So heed my words - enjoy this young man while he's still here.

#16 Dakota Joshua - Center

I think the MacEachern-Joshua-Toropchenko line needs a nickname, because when those three were together, good things were almost always happening. Joshua is in St. Louis and for good reason - he is super reliable defensively, strong in the faceoff dot, and rarely loses a puck battle. It's not the "sexy" way to play the game as the stat sheet does not always reap the benefits, but Joshua's unit provides the perfect change-of-pace from the Anas unit, which is predicated on speed and skill. Some teams are geared to defend one type of attack, but few are capable of holding up against both. 

#17 Nikita Alexandrov - Wing/Center

Perhaps nowhere is Springfield's depth more apparent than in the following sentence: Nikita Alexandrov leads the T-Birds with three power-play goals, yet he has not played top-six minutes at even strength one time this season. There are many players on this team who can put the puck in the net, but for my money, Alexandrov's one-timer is the most lethal on this team. He is this year's resident "doesn't come off the ice until the zamboni driver has to yank him off" player. His commitment to his shot is a sight to behold at practice - he must take 50 one-timers every day he's on the ice. Wait until he develops into an even bigger even-strength threat...

#18 Mathias Laferriere - Right Wing

There are, for my money, probably a dozen AHL teams where "Laffy" could easily get first-unit power play time. This rookie has a creative mind on the ice, and when he learns when to take calculated risks versus safe dump-ins, he is plenty capable of being just another weapon in the T-Birds' toolbox. His youthfulness means he is bound to have some growing pains from time to time, but his vision and past propensity for being a game-changing offensive force cannot be taught.

#19 MacKenzie MacEachern - Left Wing

If Toropchenko likes hitting anyone he can, there needs to be a stronger term with MacEachern. He fully understands his role - dislodge man from puck at all costs. He is built like a cinder block, and I am very fortunate I do not have to feel what it's like to be hit by him. Couple that with good ability in the corners and a big-body presence in front of the goaltender, and you can understand why he has spent so much time in the NHL in his recent past and has a Stanley Cup to his name. 

#21 Nolan Stevens - Left Wing

I almost typed "John Stevens" when I started this paragraph, and maybe that's because Nolan is the spitting image of his father. Much like his dad, he plays a game that this city can appreciate - it's a lunch pail style of game that requires fierce effort and a willingness to get popped in the middle of the ice creating space for the likes of Matthew Peca, McGing, and others. It is a crime he has not been rewarded with a goal yet, and he has been inches away on more than one occasion. Like Anas, when he finally gets his first, the flood gates could open. 

#22 Josh Wesley - Defense

It can be intimidating to be a defenseman who has to fight his way into the lineup on a day-to-day basis, but you would not know it by the way Wesley plays. He is relatively mobile for a bigger defender, and while he does not set the world on fire offensively or in the penalty minute department, he is capable of chipping in at each end of the ice. I particularly respected when he stood up for Nathan Todd on Oct. 22 following a crunching, bordering on a head-hunting check from Bridgeport's Erik Brown. That's the epitome of having the back of the guy beside you.

#25 Griffin Luce - Defense

Let's call Luce a bigger, left-handed version of Steven Santini, because that is the hallmark of his game. He will not wow you offensively, and when he is at his best, it is when he is not noticeable on the ice. His Instagram handle is "Eat Pucks", and that is what best describes his game. You can practically be a second goalie when you're 6-foot-4 and north of 200 pounds. He has not shown any fear blocking a shot or a pass, but more importantly, he does it in a way that does not put him in a compromising position structurally or health-wise. 

#27 Keean Washkurak - Left Wing

The youngest member of the T-Birds sure doesn't look like the youngest guy when you see his missing tooth and his facial hair, but Washkurak has made the most of his recent chances to enter the lineup, scoring goals from high-traffic areas in two consecutive contests. It almost feels like a prerequisite for the sub-6-footers on this team to all be pesky nuisances to the defense, because Washkurak fits that mold, too. 

#28 Tanner Kaspick - Center

Most great teams have a forward (usually a centerman) who is your go-to guy in the defensive zone on draws late in games. Kaspick has seemed to fit this bill for this group. He has proven to be something of a jack-of-all-trades for Drew Bannister. There have been days where he has needed to slide up a line or two, and there are other times where his role has to be deeper down in the lineup, and that hasn't seemed to alter Kaspick's play. There's something to be said for a player who can roll with the punches when a role is not as concrete. 

#29 Nathan Todd - Right Wing

The free-agent signing of Todd may have been one of the biggest strokes of genius this offseason. Two years ago, he was an unheralded winger toiling in the ECHL. It's looking more and more like his nearly-point-a-game pace with the Moose last year was no fluke. He is a willing triggerman on the power play and rarely passes up shooting opportunities when they're available to him. His game is a simple, straight-ahead one, and the threat of his shot should open up chances for whoever is on his line.

#30 Joel Hofer - Goaltender

This second-year pro may look really youthful when you see him without a mask on, but when his gear and his mask go on, he morphs into a poised, economical mover who is almost always in perfect position in his crease. Being 6-foot-5 helps, but what makes Hofer stand out is, ironically, is his ability to make saves without standing out. What I mean by that is that there is rarely desperation, diving, or jitters in his play. Couple that with an A-plus ability to handle the puck, and you can see why the Blues see him as Jordan Binnington's future 1B. You can tell he is in total control of his emotions and his actions at all times, which is easier said than done in that position.

#34 Logan Brown - Center

When you see the sizes 6-foot-6 and well over 200 pounds, you probably assume that the player in question is the resident bruiser, enforcer, and muscle. Make no mistake, there's plenty of muscle in Logan Brown's game, but his game is much more predicated on his ability to make creative plays with the puck on his stick. He has good wheels for being such a large man, and when he needs to, he puts that frame to good use around the net, but he is equally dangerous in motion. The son of a longtime St. Louis Blue, Jeff Brown, Logan is poised to make a return to the NHL after things did not pan out quite how he would have liked in Ottawa. This new change in scenery may be the perfect springboard for his game.

#39 Charlie Lindgren - Goaltender

A wise man (named Mike McKenna) once said that goalie stats should not tell the story of that player's ability or inability, and that wins - no matter how pretty or ugly - are still the crux of the position. Take Lindgren as a case study - yes, his goals against is close to 3.00 for his career, and above 3.00 for this season. Some may view that as "unacceptable." But look deeper, and what do you see? I see a goaltender who is 2-0-1, who battled his tail off in each of those three starts (which, coincidentally were three of Springfield's most disjointed defensive games of the season so far). He made saves in his lone loss at Bridgeport that were other-worldly spectacular. He is also a tremendous teammate and mentor to the young Hofer and younger Colten Ellis; do not sleep on the importance of that trait in a veteran netminder.

#48 Calle Rosen - Defense

I will admit, a couple of years ago, I thought Rosen was on a fast track to the Maple Leafs and that he would not be an AHL defenseman any longer. All careers have peaks and valleys, and the Blues brought Rosen in with the hope that he would regain the form that made him nearly a point-per-game defenseman in 2018-19. Mind you, he has also lifted the Calder Cup as a key ingredient to a loaded 2017-18 Marlies team. He has been everything and more for the T-Birds so far. He has been the perfect running mate for Perunovich, and that duo is one of the best in the AHL so far in 21-22. Defensively stout and offensively smooth, Rosen is a textbook two-way defender who makes any D-partner better at this level. 

#63 Matthew Peca - Center

I, frankly, have no idea how Matthew Peca has bounced around the continent in his career. He has never been anything other than a reliable offensive weapon at the AHL level, and in his time at the NHL level, his quickness and attention to details have made him an effective checking-line player as well. he is off to the best start of his career with the T-Birds, doing it in a number of ways - scoring shorthanded, on the power play, generating offense off the rush and with in-zone cycles. he has never had more than 13 goals in an AHL season, and he is on pace to be well over a 30-goal man so far. When your top two centers are a towering Logan Brown and a skilled, diminutive skater like Peca, you have quite the pair of options. If Peca remains even half as good as he has been so far, he has All-Star status written all over him in 2021-22.