Projected Lineup: March 12 vs. Arizona

ST. LOUIS - With Vladimir Tarasenko
expected to miss four to five games with an upper-body injury
, Blues Head Coach Craig Berube needed to find someone that can attempt to fill his shoes on the top line.
Enter rookie Robert Thomas.
On Monday, Thomas was skating with Ryan O'Reilly and Brayden Schenn on the first line, and that's where he's expected to be Tuesday when the Blues host the Arizona Coyotes at Enterprise Center (7 p.m., FSMW, KMOX).

"It's a great opportunity for me, something I've kind of wanted the whole year," Thomas told stlouisblues.com. "I've been working hard for this chance so I'm real excited about it. For me, it's just playing with speed. They move the puck quick, they're always transitioning fast. For me, just use my speed and get the puck to them will be good."
"He's a smart guy, a hard-working guy," Berube said of Thomas. "I think the coaching staff has done a real good job with him, guys like (Steve Ott). He's really picked up the speed part of it. He's skating really well, getting to open ice, making plays. A lot of stuff like that, he's really good at... He's a good kid and he's got a good attitude. That's the biggest thing."

Berube said Jordan Binnington will start in goal. Alexander Steen, who took a maintanence day Monday, is expected to be in the lineup Tuesday.
The rest of the lineup is based on Tuesday's morning skate.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Forwards
Schenn - O'Reilly - Thomas
Schwartz - Bozak - Maroon
Sanford - Sundqvist - Steen
MacEachern - Barbashev - Blais
Defense
Edmundson - Pietrangelo
Bouwmeester - Parayko
Dunn - Bortuzzo
Goalie
Binnington