After a disappointing 43-33-6 season in 2023-24, the St. Louis Blues begin a new season full of hope and aspirations of returning to the playoffs and NHL relevancy. Coach Craig Berube is out. Drew Bannister gets his second season as head coach. And all of their big boys are signed long-term, and Jordan Binnington is fresh off his best season since their Cup run. There’s lots of reasons to be optimistic in St. Louis, but in a division and a conference that is stronger than years past, can the Blues push past the finish line and get back to the playoffs? The Blues start the season in Seattle at 4:30 pm EST on Tuesday.
Blues’ Netminder Back in Stanley Cup Form
Win or lose, a lot of this season’s success will ride on Binnington. The Blues are not rich in the goal-scorers department, and their defense is pretty thin. In 2018-18, the year they won Lord Stanley’s Cup, Bennington took the NHL world by storm, going 24-5-1 with a 1.89 GAA and a .927 SV%. His numbers were good in the next two seasons, but from 2021 to 2023, his play dramatically dropped, bottoming out with a .894 SV% and a 3-31 GAA in the 22-23 season. Last year, we saw the goalie we love finishing the year with a .913 SV% and a 2.84 GAA.
The Blues averaged only 2.85 goals per year last season and didn’t add any significant personnel to raise that number significantly. It’s not all on Binnington, but it will be a lot for this team to move forward.
The Stars Got Paid. Now What?
As the future goes, it’s bright in St. Louis. Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jordan Kyrou are all locked in long-term. That’s great, but is that enough right now? Kyrou led the team in goals with 31. After that, the next highest totals were 27, 26, and 20. The real drop-off comes after that, with the next highest total being 14. That’s the real question here. Where is the uptick in offense going to come from?
Theoretically, all of these guys could take another step this year. Buchnevich and Neighbours just signed new deals, and Thomas has been a wrecking ball for this team for a few years. Thomas led the team in assists, 60, and points, 86, and could definitely do it again.
However, the real offensive leader of this team is and needs to be, Jordan Kyrou. After starting the season slowly, Kyrou played all 82 games last year, scoring 31 goals, 36 assists, and 67 points. His highest totals for his career are 37 goals and 75 points, which in game in two separate seasons, and there’s no reason why he can’t surpass both of those numbers. The biggest knock on Kyrou is his ability to change a game night in and night out. Undoubtedly, he’s a game-changer, but he needs to find a way to do it more consistently.
Everyone Needs To Step Up On Defense
With Tory Krug out for the season, It’s on every defenseman in a Blues uniform to step up in every facet of the game. Nick Leddy, Colton Parayko, and Philip Broberg are good, young, puck-moving defensemen who will get their chances to chip in offensively and on the back end. Ryan Suter is certainly in the twilight years of his career, but his veteran presence and leadership are a huge addition to this blueline, both 5-on-5 and on the penalty kill. Young Matthew Kessel will get his chance to prove himself this year with Krug out.
The player on the backend they are counting on the most is Justin Faulk. In 2021-22, he was a stud for the Blues, scoring 16 goals, 31 assists, 47 points, and recording a +/- of +41, and he needs to rediscover that form. He’s battled injuries the last couple of years, and now that he is coming out of camp healthy, he will be relied on heavily throughout the season.
Final Thoughts
With additions like Dylan Holloway and Broberg and all of their key players signed long-term, it is clear the Blues are building towards something great in the future. But it’s not the future; it’s the here and now, and there are still a lot of questions about how this team will come together.
The Stars, Jets, Avs, and Preds are still the teams to beat in the Central Division, and the Pacific is also a tough division. The Blues could push for a wild card spot, but the margins are very thin, and their best players must improve.
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