MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Alexey Toropchenko returned to St. Louis this summer feeling like a new man.

First of all, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound St. Louis Blues forward returned home to his native Russia for the first time, able “to see family, see grandmother, eat Russian food,” he said with a smile. But also feeling plenty motivated.

Defensively, there’s never been a question of the 26-year-old’s game; there’s never been a question of his forechecking, being responsible on and around the puck.

But after last season in which he scored just four goals in 80 games after 14 the previous season despite being able to create ample opportunities, there’s a focus in wanting to become a more complete player.

“I think so. I was working really hard on every point on the ice, especially offensively too,” said Toropchenko, who has 60 points (30 goals, 30 assists) in 259 career NHL games. “Just like bring puck from walls and I bring it to the net and drive to the net hard. I like tipping pucks and all that stuff, protection. I pretty much was working on everything to try and get my offensive game better and create more chances.

“Obviously I want to improve myself every time I step on the ice, even in the practices to get my game better. It’s good to be a good forechecker and good defensive player, but also to be, like two-way player, a 200-foot player. Be good defensively, be good offensively and try and create more opportunity for my teammates and for myself too. But most importantly for teammates because it’s a team game. Everyone is involved in that and everyone has to do their job to make the other guy’s job easier.”

It quickly transitioned to t he summer after the Blues’ agonizing seven-game loss to the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference first round. Put in the work, come into camp hoping to see better results.

“Yeah, good summer,” Toropchenko said. “I was skating a lot on the ice, kind of like more than last three off-seasons back home. I (went) home to Moscow for first time in three years. It was good to be back home. … Overall, I feel really good, feel strong.”

Toropchenko, who averaged 12:30 time in ice a season ago, didn’t just drop off 10 goals from the previous season, but his shot total also fell by 24 (114-90). The biggest difference was of his 90 shots on goal last season, his shooting percentage was a mere 4.4 percent. Not great by any stretch, but had himself 36 high-danger scoring chances, according to NHL edge advanced stats and another 29 mid-range scoring chances.

So do we call this bad luck?

“It’s always like easy to say bad luck or something like that,” Toropchenko said. “I was trying to do my best to put the puck in the net, but like it felt like the net was shrunk for a big guy.

“Hopefully puck will go in. I was working on it and sometimes you need to stop thinking about it. Just play your game and try to do your best. Actually if you will have a chance (regularly), puck will go in.”

So in light of it all, the Blues are going to try and work on getting their 2017 fourth-round pick more opportunities.

“I think it's going to be getting more scoring opportunities in areas where he can score,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “In practice, his shot, his ability to deflect pucks is really good. Everything seems to go in for him in tight, so he's just got to get more opportunities in tight -- screening goalies, tipping goalies, using his reach to get to rebounds. We've seen off the rush how good he is taking pucks hard to the net and that allows us to get to power players. So, a combination of those things ... because defensively, his habits are exceptional. His stick is exceptional and he's an elite penalty-killer, so he helps us in so many ways.”

“I think he has the ability to get 15 goals. But I don't think he has the ability to get 25.”

To which Toropchenko said, “I almost got once to 15. I score like 14 goals. Of course I put for myself high ceiling. Not over-think about it, but also do 100 percent work on the ice and see how it goes. Maybe I can do like 20 goals. You never know.”

Every player sets goals for themselves, but for Toropchenko, his are pretty straightforward.

“Of course I make for myself statements before the season. Just be better than last season,” he said. “I don’t put like any specific numbers and just try to go hard and as high as I can. Of course sometimes I’m thinking about it. But sometimes over-thinking makes you not better. That’s why I just focus on stuff what I do best and also improve whatever points of the game I can.

“The way we ended last season was really good motivation for everyone to come back as soon as possible and get to work because we know we can do better and win the Cup.”

Snuggerud Back On Ice, Lucic Nears Return For Blues MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The news was mixed for the <a href="http://thn.com/stlouis">St. Louis Blues</a> regarding a pair of injured forwards on Friday.

Blues Defenseman Tyler Tucker Has Arrived Into A Well-Deserved Top Six Role ... Finally MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- These days when entering the <a href="http://thn.com/stlouis">St. Louis Blues</a> locker room, veer to the right and there’s defenseman Tyler Tucker, low-keyed as usual.

Pius Suter "Did The Homework," Feels He Found Right Fit With St. Louis Blues MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When the initial floodgates to free agency opened on July 1 and NHL teams had their checkbooks out, sometimes there would always be someone that would fall through the cracks, perhaps not making a hasty decision and wanting to take some time to contemplate one’s next destination.