Jori Lehtera is expected to open the season on one of the Blues' top three lines, Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Lehtera is expected to open the season on one of the Blues' top three lines, Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Analysis:

Coach Ken Hitchcock will probably have a clearer idea of where Lethera will slot in once he sees how the Finnish forward coalesces with his teammates in training camp, but it's clear that the team didn't give him a two-year, $5.5 million deal on the first day of free agency to rot on the fourth line. The 26-year-old lit up the KHL the last four seasons, the first two of which he played on a line with current Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko. Even if Lehtera doesn't serve as the center on Tarasenko's line to start the season, the Blues have plenty of scoring talent among the rest of their top nine to provide Lehtera will plenty of opportunities to pick up assists and boost his plus/minus rating.