2024–25 NHL team preview: St. Louis Blues
LAST SEASON
After years of being a consistent figure in the postseason, the St. Louis Blues did something they hadn’t done in more than a decade: miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second year in a row.
However, if you want a silver lining from the 2023-24 campaign compared to the year before, the Blues made a respectable push for a Wildcard spot late in the season. After an inauspicious start that led to the dismissal of head coach Craig Berube, Drew Bannister tried his best to turn the team around. St. Louis went 11-5-2 in its final 18 games, but the rest of the Central Division and the Vegas Golden Knights were too strong, as the Blues missed out on the last postseason position by six points.
While the team arguably could have made some changes to ensure a spot in the playoffs, general manager Doug Armstrong has made it known he will not try and make any notable transactions unless he believes his team is good enough to make a deep run. That statement held true when he approached last year’s trade deadline.
The Blues saw great performances from a couple of players. The young and speedy Jordan Kyrou overcame some jeers from the fans and still posted 31 goals, the second year in a row he has hit the 30-goal mark, while Robert Thomas had the best individual season of his career, leading the Blues with a career-high 86 points in 82 games. Jordan Binnington was solid between the pipes, with fans getting to see a larger sample size of the young Joel Hofer as well.
KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES
Additions
Dylan Holloway, C (RFA)
Philip Broberg, D (RFA)
Radek Faksa, C (DAL)
Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D (UFA)
Ryan Suter, D (UFA)
Departures
Adam Gaudette, F (OTT)
Calle Rosen, D (COL)
Sammy Blais, LW (VAN – PTO)
Jakub Vrana, LW (WSH – PTO)
OFFENSE
There are a number of offensive weapons in the Blues’ arsenal. The aforementioned Thomas has become one of the go-to pieces to make the big plays on the offensive end. Coming off a career year and spending multiple as one of the team’s secondary scorers, the former London Knight has really come into his own and can be tabbed for give or take a point per game.
Other players that will help drive the scoring are Kyrou and captain Brayden Schenn. It is hard to knock Kyrou after a “down” 67-point campaign last year, as the elusive center is still a noteworthy player whenever he’s on the ice. The same can be said for Schenn. He took a dip as well in 2023-24, production-wise, scoring 46 points, which was his lowest total in a full regular season in a decade. However, he is still capable of notching 20 goals and 50 points.
The weakness up front for St. Louis is its lack of depth. Sure, they have Pavel Buchnevich, and Jake Neighbours is coming into his own as a respectable scorer, but players like Brandon Saad and Mathieu Joseph aren’t major needle movers.
However, one of Armstrong’s big moves this offseason was the offer sheets he sent to a couple of Edmonton Oilers. One of the pieces the Blues received was Dylan Holloway, the young speedster from the University of Wisconsin. He was often looked at as a secondary asset up front with the stacked top six in Edmonton, but now, with a new team, an increased role might be on the menu for Holloway. The 22-year-old has shown that he has the knack to score in this league, and if placed with the right players in St. Louis, he will be able to show that even more.
DEFENSE
Of the 16 teams that missed the playoffs last year, the Blues had the fourth-best goal differential (-11), which was better than those of the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, who actually qualified for the postseason.
While they don’t have the most offensively productive blueline, the experience in the top six is impressive. Justin Faulk and Nick Leddy might be aging defensemen, but they have proved to be reliable pieces for the Blues. Colton Parayko, one of a handful of players still around from the 2019 Stanley Cup Championship team, is still playing key minutes for St. Louis.
The team also signed 39-year-old Ryan Suter. Fresh off his second buyout in three years, this time with the Dallas Stars, the former Minnesota Wild blueliner stays within the Central to provide some experience on the back end.
One player that everyone is waiting to explode is Scott Perunovich. The 2020 Hobey Baker Award winner has had some injury woes throughout his professional career, but has shown flashes that he can be an efficient two-way defender.
The other piece that the Blues received from Edmonton was Philip Broberg. Sure, the big Swedish blueliner had one foot out the door, but the opportunity to play in the NHL on a consistent basis will certainly reinvigorate the 23-year-old. While he doesn’t necessarily play like a brute 6-foot-4 defender, Broberg’s size makes him a tough guy to beat in his own zone.
Yet, Torey Krug expected to be out for an extended period of time, the Blues certainly do not have a No. 1 defenseman. They have some capable players who can hold their own in the defensive zone, but with like their offense, consistency has been a problem. If that can improve, it will bring the team closer to the playoff conversation.
GOALTENDING
It goes without saying that teams that advance to the playoffs typically have a stellar goaltender. The Blues certainly have one of those with Binnington.
While the former Owen Sound Attack backstop has shown that his emotions can get the better of him at times, when he’s on his game, he is tough to beat. The 2023-24 campaign saw Binnington play his best hockey in almost three years, with a 28-21-5 record, a 2.84 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. We know that the Richmond Hill, Ontario native is an all-star caliber netminder, and if he, like the rest of his team, can string together solid starts night in and night out, the Blues will be in good standing.
While he still has some growing to do and some more development in his game, Hofer showed last season that he is going to be a good supporting character to Binnington. In 30 games last season, the 24-year-old went 15-12-1 with a 2.65 GAA, a .914 SV%, and one shutout. There is a lot of upside to his game, and if he continues to progress through this season, the Blues are going to have a solid tandem similar to what they had in Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott almost a decade ago.
COACHING
When Bannister took over in St. Louis, there were many unknowns, with some thinking the team was going to ride the season out and prepare for the future. Yet, whether it be the “dead-cat bounce” or genuine good directing by the former Springfield Thunderbird bench boss, the Blues looked like a rejuvenated team under Bannister — so much so that Armstrong and the team’s brass elected to make Bannister the full-time head coach.
He’s now-27th coach in franchise history. The 2024-25 campaign will be a measuring stick season to see if Bannister isn’t just a flash in the pan. It is never easy to have back-to-back years of considerable success when entering the league.
ROOKIES
While we don’t have any notable rookies projected to make the team, a few could knock on the door soon. Zach Dean, acquired in the 2023 Ivan Barbashev trade, saw nine games of NHL action with St. Louis last year. He struggled even at the AHL level, though, and will have to prove himself there to earn his next shot.
To get very technical: you lose Calder eligibility if you play more than 25 games in a season. Zack Bolduc played exactly 25 games and thus retains his rookie status. He scored five goals in his first taste of the NHL last season. He’s likely to open the year in the AHL after the Holloway acquisition but should be one of the first call-up options.
The highest-ceiling Blues prospect to watch in camp: Dalibor Dvorsky, taken 10th overall in the 2023 Draft. He ripped up the OHL for 45 goals and 88 points in 52 games last season and has the star potential St. Louis craves. Will he earn a nine-game look with a strong camp showing?
BURNING QUESTIONS
1. Is Doug Armstrong going to be aggressive during the season? As it is widely known, Armstrong will not make any moves to better his team unless he feels they are capable of making a run to the Cup. While he made a surprising play in going out and getting Holloway and Broberg, that doesn’t necessarily mean he will do it again once the puck drops in the regular season.
A good start in October and November could persuade the Canadian National Team GM to consider making moves, but the dog days of January and February will be when the Blues will really have to test their mettle to impress Armstrong.
2. Can Jake Neighbours be a consistent contributor in the top six? Neighbours’ 27-goal campaign in 2023-24 was impressive, to say the least. In his first full season with the Blues, he showed the scoring touch that made him a viable prospect in the WHL. If he can stay on a line with the right players and prove he can create opportunities as much as he can finish them, I don’t see why not.
3. Will Binnington get into a fight? I hope so. We came close two seasons ago when officials got in the way of him and Marc-Andre Fleury. When things get tough for Binnington, he can go off, which leads to some comedic instances on the ice. He certainly is a ticking time bomb. Having talked to some former members of the team’s staff: they’d prefer Binnington not engage in any fisticuffs, but it would sure make for an entertaining sight.
PREDICTION
If the Blues were potentially in any other division, they might have a chance to climb their way into the top four. However, with how deep the Central is, with the Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, it is going to take a lot of hard work for St. Louis to climb into playoff contention. Who knows if the Bannister influence might carry on into his first full season with the club. The additions of Broberg and Holloway might seem beneficial on paper, but in new colors, it might take both of them time to find their footing.
That said, I expect them to stay in the hunt for most of the season, but they will most likely come up short of a Wildcard spot for a third consecutive season.
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