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Blues' Thomas, Bortuzzo scratched for Game 7

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The St. Louis Blues are making multiple lineup changes ahead of the biggest game in franchise history.

Defenseman Joel Edmundson will sub in for fellow blue-liner Robert Bortuzzo, while 19-year-old forward Robert Thomas will be scratched in favor of Ivan Barbashev, head coach Craig Berube said Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.

Here's a look at the Blues' expected lineup, as relayed by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Forwards:

LW C RW
Jaden Schwartz Brayden Schenn Vladimir Tarasenko
Zach Sanford Ryan O'Reilly David Perron
Sammy Blais Tyler Bozak Pat Maroon
Ivan Barbashev Oskar Sundqvist Alexander Steen

Defense:

LD RD
Carl Gunnarsson Alex Pietrangelo
Jay Bouwmeester Colton Parayko
Vince Dunn Joel Edmundson

With Bortuzzo, a right-handed shot, being scratched in favor of the lefty Edmundson, the Blues will be dressing four left-handers and two right-handers on defense.

However, Berube told The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno that because right-handers Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko are logging so much ice time, "There's not a lot of (other) minutes over there."

Barbashev, meanwhile, jumps back into the lineup after facing a one-game suspension for his hit on Marcus Johansson. Thomas is the odd man out after a brief return to action. The 19-year-old missed Games 2-5 with an undisclosed injury but suited up in Game 6 while Barbashev was out.

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