Chris Stewart

The St. Louis Blues' search for a center to complement a consistent set of wings may have been one of the NHL's worst kept secrets entering the offseason. The idea was that it could help increase scoring for an offensively challenged team looking to take the next step in progression as well as give the team a bona fide No. 1 guy down the middle. Signing veteran Derek Roy to a one-year, $4 million contract was done for two reasons: to re-establish the solid point production Roy proved while playing for the Buffalo Sabres, and, more important, to develop chemistry with power forward Chris Stewart. Stewart, who recently signed a two-year, $8.3 million contract, has seen his share of ups and downs throughout his young career, first with the Colorado Avalanche and now with the Blues. The Blues acquired Stewart in 2011 along with defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk in a trade that sent defenseman Erik Johnson, the first player taken in the 2006 NHL Draft, to Colorado. Stewart has shown the ability to take over games as well as go through prolonged point and goalless streaks. Though he's 6-foot-2 and 231 pounds, Stewart, 25, has the kind of soft, deft hands a player his size normally doesn't possess, but he can play a power game with the best of them. The Blues, who have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Los Angeles Kings in each of the past two seasons, are banking that Stewart will return to the form that saw him score seven of his team-leading 18 goals in a seven-game stretch last season. That's the kind of streaky play Stewart, a Toronto native, has been prone to; he scored three goals during the Blues' final 18 regular-season games. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, who has had experience with Roy and Stewart at the international level, is eager to see the combination when the Blues open camp. Stewart, who in his second and third seasons in the League scored 28 goals, dipped to 15 goals and 30 points in 79 games with the Blues in 2011-12. It was the kind of unproductive season that had Hitchcock moving Stewart anywhere from the top line to the fourth line in search of consistent production. When Stewart seemed to find himself in a more productive role last season, his name was the subject of trade rumors. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong never actually contemplated giving up on Stewart after signing him to a one-year contract prior to last season. Stewart went on to lead the Blues with 18 goals and 36 points before receiving the two-year deal in July. The Blues need Stewart, who recently got married, to produce in a consistent and continue to grow. It's OK to be creative, but play with a mean streak and do so by taking up real estate in front of the net. Stewart, who has 100 goals and 202 points in 319 NHL games, will get an opportunity to thrive with patient puck-handler Roy. The Blues have yet to determine who they will look at to complement the pair but feel they have two-thirds of a line that has the makings to be a good one. With a bevy of talented teammates, Stewart said he believes he can be a piece to the puzzle.