TJ Oshie (STL-C)

The spark behind the Blues’ late-season surge, TJ Oshie made quite an impression on the NHL and St. Louis fan base in his rookie campaign. With low expectations for the Blues, Oshie joined fellow youngsters David Perron and Patrik Berglund to form the explosive and exciting “boy line” that helped carry the Blues through the second half and into the postseason. Oshie had a solid debut in 2009 scoring 14 times and collecting 25 assists in just 57 games, but he left his impression on the league with his never-ending work ethic and physical play.

Oshie is never afraid to strike and manages to land crushing shots while maintaining possession of the puck – a rare talent. Combining flashy stick work with agile speed, Oshie is hard to keep on the blue line and creates and builds on opportunities where they don’t exist. Young talent like Oshie, Perron and Berglund are hard to find, let alone teaming up in the same vein. They create a fast, determined, fan-favorite lineup that the Blues aren’t afraid to take on against the best in the league.

Whether or not Oshie can be consistently effective remains to be seen, but the Blues have high hopes that he, among the other youngsters, will be the staples of their franchise for many years to come. 2010 will be a pivotal year for Oshie to prove not only to his fans, but to the rest of the league that he is the flashy, hard-hitting player we saw in 2009.