The St. Louis Blues have placed center Nikita Alexandrov and winger Hugh McGing on waivers. The regular season is quickly approaching, and teams are beginning to assemble their final rosters. In the coming days, the expectation is that more players will be returned to their junior teams, sent to the AHL [http://thn.com/ahl] or placed on waivers. Alexandrov, a 25-year-old center, has struggled to break through into the NHL lineup, but in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, he's been an offensive catalyst. In 48 games last year, Alexandrov potted 21 goals and 49 points. The former 2019 second-round pick (62nd overall) played in one pre-season game, scoring a goal in 17:36 of ice time against the Columbus Blue Jackets [http://thn.com/columbus]. Alexandrov has played 51 NHL games in his career, scoring three goals and nine points, but did not feature in any games last year. The Blues have several prospects who are trending ahead of him, but a strong start to the season could see him earn a call-up if the Blues face injury issues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/latest-news/promising-blues-forward-is-intriguing-player-to-watch]. Nikita Alexandrov (Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5b286502-1b43-4a0b-929e-b4abb94fb258.jpeg] Nikita Alexandrov (Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images) McGing is a 27-year-old winger entering his fifth season with the Thunderbirds. In 68 games last season, the 5-foot-8, 176-pound forward posted 14 goals and 34 points. Like Alexandrov, McGing had previously earned a call-up to the NHL, but did not feature in any NHL games during the 2024-25 campaign. In six NHL games, the former fifth-round pick (138th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft has failed to record a point. If both Alexandrov and McGing clear waivers, they'll join the Thunderbirds, who will be beginning their training camp in the coming days.
