Kessel makes most of busy weekend after AHL recall to make season debut with Blues

When defenseman Justin Faulk sustained a lower-body Friday against the Colorado Avalanche, the Blues were in need of a right-handed d-man.

Two flights later, the 23-year-old Kessel was in Pittsburgh not only to be there but to be in the lineup; he played 14:32 and looked quite comfortable playing alongside Torey Krug in his season debut and third NHL game.

"I thought he was really good," Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. "He played the night before, got up early in the morning, had two flights to catch. I was able to text and catch him in between to let him know he was playing. I thought he was sound out there. He moved pucks, he defended well. For a young defenseman coming into that situation and playing the minutes that he did. I think he played 15 minutes. I was happy with his game. He certainly came in and I've said this before, I think he's going to be a big part of the future moving forward."

Kessel will be in the lineup Thursday with Faulk still out of the lineup when the Blues host the Vancouver Canucks, and the 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-handed shot feels more comfortable in his game after, albeit two games, getting his feet wet in the league last season.

"The experience of having it last last year is a big part of it, but I think in a way, this whole year I've been preparing for it," Kessel said Tuesday after practice at Centene Community Ice Center. "I've just been trying to play my game down there. Once you get the call up here and come up here for my debut or any games, you continue how you've been playing. You don't want to switch it up and I think that kind of helped me out the last game."

Kessel had just two goals and four assists in 29 games for the Thunderbirds, but he's not being asked to provide the offense from the blue line. He's being asked to do whatever it takes.

"I think it's just all-around gotten a little more well-rounded," Kessel said of his game. "Just kind of buying into my role a little bit more, just playing that role with a little more confidence in shutting guys down and use my skating, my size, my strength to my ability and giving guys on the other team less time and just giving the puck to the forwards as quick as I can and let them do what they've got to do.

"I've been playing a good amount down there. It's definitely helped me grow down there, which has been great."

Bannister had Kessel in the minors and knew he was getting a player the moment he came on board from college.

"When he came in from college from UMass into our playoff run (to the 2022 Calder Cup Final), he played a real solid game, kept things simple, used his body, was a big part of our run to the finals there," Bannister said. "I think we saw a little bit of inconsistency with his game maybe trying to find his identity as a player, but I think what we saw the other night in Pittsburgh, that's the kind of identity of a player that he has to be, whether it's at the American (Hockey) League) or at the NHL level, somebody that defends hard, uses his body. He's a big, strong kid. I don't think he recognizes how strong of a kid he is because he can break up a lot of plays down low and net front. Really valuable on the PK, he blocks a lot of shots, he has a good stick and then for him, it's transporting pucks. It's getting pucks up to our forwards and getting up into the play. He's got a heavy shot. I think you saw that. He was able to get some pucks through. I think there's more to that game for him."