Which of the St. Louis Blues' Players will get the 23rd spot on the roster, if any?

The St. Louis Blues are in training camp, and according to CapFriendly, there is one roster spot open.  They are still very close to the salary cap limit, so it's uncertain if they will actually fill the spot.  If they do, here are the candidates to help them fill the 23rd spot on their roster for the 2021-22 NHL season.

Klim Kostin (#37) is a strong candidate to make the Blues' roster this year.
(Photo: Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports, via Fansided's Bleedin' Blue)

Players Competing for the 23rd Spot:

LW Klim Kostin

2021 (STL): 2 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 PTS, -1, 0 PIM, Even Strength Corsi: 50%
2021 (KHL): 43 GP, 7 G, 11 A, 18 PTS, +6, 50 PIM

He had a really good year in 2020 playing in the KHL.    His team, Avangard Omsk, won the Gagarin Cup Championship over CSKA Moscow.  Kostin also had a solid showing in the playoffs.  He is a big, athletic forward that has two-way potential, and he could push for a regular spot in the lineup.  He also has a leg up on the other guys, because he knows the system, and the team has a invested a lot of time in him.

Expected 2022 NHL Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2022 Role: 4th Line Forward, or 1st Line AHL forward

C Logan Brown

2021 (OTT): 1 GP, 0 PTS, +0, 2 PIM, Even Strength Corsi: 72.7%
2021 (AHL): 13 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS, 8 PIM

Brown is a tall, 6-6 center that can pass the puck, and his tremendous size could allow him to be a strong enforcer on this team.  He has good defensive potential, though he lacks much game experience in the NHL.  

(Side note: He was acquired from Ottawa in a trade for Zach Sanford, because the Blues were over the cap.)

Expected 2022 NHL Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2022 Role: 4th Line Forward, or 1st Line AHL Forward

W James Neal

2021 (EDM): 29 GP, 5 G, 5 A, 10 PTS, -2, 11 PIM, Even Strength Corsi: 49.3%

He is a tough, feisty winger that can put the puck in the net, and he also does a fairly good job of carrying the puck on offense.  He’s an aging veteran that signed for the minimum, but he is a former star that could be a solid backline winger in this league.  Amongst the two Professional Tryout (PTO) players (him and Michael Frolik), James Neal likely has a realistic chance to make this roster.  It also helped that he scored a hat trick in his very first preseason game with the Blues.

Expected 2022 NHL Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2022 Role: 4th Line Forward

Of all of the forwards on this list, Jake Neighbours may be the most talented player of this bunch, but he's also the youngest and has the least amount of experience out of all of the players on this list that are vying for the 23rd spot.

(Photo: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images, via Fansided's Bleedin' Blue)

LW Jake Neighbours

2021 (WHL): 19 GP, 9 G, 24 A, 33 PTS, +29, 17 PIM

Jake Neighbors is a gifted scorer that does a tremendous job of passing the puck, and he does a very good job of helping his team score goals.  He is a solid, two-way forward, but he is also very inexperienced, as he has only played in the Canadian major juniors as his highest level in hockey.  

While he may be the most talented out of the remaining players fighting for the 23rd spot, it might not be the best use of his skills, as he would certainly benefit from getting consistent playing time in juniors.

Expected 2022 NHL Rating: 1.5 stars (3.5 stars potential)
Projected 2022 Role: 4th Line Forward, or 1st Line WHL Forward

C Dakota Joshua

2021 (STL): 12 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PTS, -3, 7 PIM, Even Strength Corsi: 41%
2021 (AHL): 6 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS, +2, 2 PIM

He is a back-line winger that can put the puck in the net on occasion, and he also has some defensive skills.  Joshua is also a terrific faceoff center that does a very good job of winning his faceoffs.  He’s in a crowded race to make this team, and while he may likely start the year in the AHL, he could get called up if there are injuries or otherwise later on in the season.

Expected 2022 NHL Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2022 Role: 4th Line Forward, or top 6 AHL forward

W Nathan Walker

2021 (STL): 8 GP, 1 G, 0 A, 1 PTS, -4, 2 PIM, Even Strength Corsi: 43.6%
2021 (AHL): 4 GP, 2  G, 0 A, 2 PTS, -1, 6 PIM

Nathan Walker is a backline forward that can score some goals, but he’ll be in a crowded race to try to make the team.  Most likely, he’ll probably start the year in the AHL to begin the season.

Expected 2022 NHL Rating: 1.5 stars

Projected 2022 Role: 4th Line Forward, or top 6 AHL forward

W Michael Frolik

2021 (MTL): 8 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 PTS, -3, 0 PIM, Even Strength Corsi: 55.8%

Frolik was a once a solid player that excelled as an offensive player, but though he’s been a solid two-way forward in this league, he’s been on a sharp decline, as he didn’t score a point in the NHL last season.  He is an aging veteran that was a good acquisition considering that he signed for the minimum, but it’s uncertain and even maybe unlikely that he’ll make this team.

Expected 2022 NHL Rating: 1 star
Projected 2022 Role: 4th Line Forward

So, there you have the list of candidates that are trying to make this team, and the most likely player that could be the 23rd guy on the St. Louis Blues' team could be Klim Kostin.  Amongst defensemen, Scott Perunovich might be the best prospect because he's been very productive at the collegiate level.  However, the Blues' group of defensemen are set.  Amongst goalies, Joel Hofer is facing the same issue, where they are also set at the two goalies.  

It will be interesting to see how the roster shapes up, because there are a lot of qualified candidates, and there is maybe only one open spot on this roster.