St. Louis Blues Players As Star Wars The Last Jedi Characters

Kylo Ren – Vladimir Tarasenko

People might be wondering why you would compare a player on a team most consider the best/favorite someone that has been the villain. Am I implying anything about Kylo Ren in the latest film? Nah. Go see the film and find out what he’s all about this time around, but it’s more the overall nature of both.

Vladimir Tarasenko can be one of the best players in the leagues, just like Ren could be one of the most powerful Force wielders we’ve seen.  There is a lack of consistency though

For Kylo, it has been depicted as a call to the light side.  For Tarasenko, it’s about actual performance, i.e. passing too much and not embracing his role as a sniper.

Each one continues to evolve, however.  Each one still needs something though.

Interestingly, both can be pushed into greatness with the right amount of prodding.  From the first film, it was Snoke pushing Kylo.  Fans will have to see the newest film to see if there is any new motivation.  For Tarasenko, winning guides him the most, but Yeo needs to be pushing more buttons to have him firing on net more often.

Tarasenko’s penchant to go into cold streaks is reminiscent of Ren’s now famous temper too.  They can be hot one moment and cold the next.

Despite this erratic nature, both continue to grow in power as they progress.  Fortunately for Blues fans, Tarasenko is a little more kind and less tempted by the Dark Side.

Next: A Walking Carpet

Chewbacca – Chris Thorburn

Chewbacca is one of the biggest fan-favorite characters in the entire saga, let alone just the new films. He was originally supposed to be a bit of a throwaway character.

The wookie was mainly put in the original films because George Lucas saw his large dog sitting shotgun in his car and thought the image of a furry being as a co-pilot would be interesting.

Chris Thorburn fits that last part about being a throwaway character.  At least that is what we thought.

Thorburn has not done nearly enough to endear himself to fans as others that have held the enforcer (or what passes for enforcer in today’s NHL).  However, he has made himself far more than a throwaway.

Perhaps it has more to do with the other options, but Thorburn is no longer a player that makes you cringe when he’s in.  I said it on Twitter not long ago and stand by it.  At this point in the season, I’d rather have Thorburn playing than Oskar Sundqvist.  At least you see the energy from Thorburn.

Like everyone’s favorite wookie, he is somewhat mild mannered most of the time. However, once you get either one in a mood, they are not to be tangled with.  I do not expect Thorburn to rip anyone’s arms out of their socket – which we still have not seen on film – but who knows.  The facial hair helps the comparison too.

Next: Captain Useless?

Captain Phasma – Klim Kostin

Captain Phasma ended up being a rather controversial character in The Force Awakens. She was heavily hyped and marketed by the Disney/Lucasfilm team. However, her time in the film was limited.

While some, including myself, enjoyed the look of the character, there was a little bit of a feeling of being misled.  There was a lot of hype, but not enough substance.

So, enters Klim Kostin.  Kostin was the player drafted with the choice obtained in a trade that sent Ryan Reaves to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Even without the Reaves part of the equation, Kostin has not really lived up to what we hoped.  Place the blame on the media or the fans, but the reality is we expected too much right from the beginning.

Like Phasma, Kostin was seen as the shiny new toy the Blues were going to be able to utilize sooner than later.  Even those that told ourselves not to expect much due to the age and culture change have been a tiny bit let down.

Through 25 games in the AHL, Kostin only has two goals and 11 points.  Those are pretty humble beginnings if he is going to amount to what some thought he could be in the NHL.

None of this is meant to bag on him too much.  As stated, some of the blame is with fans and media.  However, it was hard not to get excited that he wanted to be in St. Louis and wanted to play in America right away.  Some of us just took that personal confidence and translated it into on-ice production before it was time.

Perhaps, like Phasma, he’ll have a little more of a part to play in the second half of the story.  Time will tell.

Next: The Next Big Thing

Rey – Colton Parakyo

This one is a bit of a cheat since I compared Colton Parayko to Rey are the last time.  I considered going with Jordan Kyrou or Tage Thompson, given their potential.  We have not seen enough or know how their talents translate.  So, given the ascension of Rey in Episode VIII – 8 for the lay person – it makes sense to keep it as Parayko.

Both Rey and Parayko pretty much came from nowhere. Rey’s came from an obscure planet in the outer-rim called Jakku. Similarly, Parayko came from nowhere in terms of people knowing who is is and that he would be a good player. St. Albert is a suburb of Edmonton, so it’s not exactly the outer-rim but it’s not the most famous part of Alberta either.

This is only the second time we’ve seen Rey on the big screen and we’ve seen Parayko for parts of three seasons now.  Still, each time out they’ve gotten better.

Rey continues her journey in the newest film and Parayko continues to improve each year as well.

Parayko has sown his abilities have increased by having record minutes handed to him in three straight games.  That situation was thrust upon him due to injuries elsewhere, but like the hero’s journey in a film, sometimes things just happen and you see how they deal with it.

Both will be focal points for the foreseeable future. Rey is most the main character of these last two new films new. Parayko is going to be and is of the top players for St. Louis on the blueline..

In film and in sports, eventually you reach the point where no more power can be obtained.  Maybe we’ve seen the peak of Rey and maybe we’ve seen the best of Parayko.  Perhaps not, though.

Next: The Supreme Leader

Supreme Leader Snoke – Mike Yeo

I wanted to avoid using the same coach thing here. I even considered going the Doug Armstrong route, but this picture was too perfect.

Clearly both Snoke and Yeo are bald, so that was good enough.  However, this shadow being just about right where Snoke’s scar is was the icing on the cake.

Both know how to get people to do their bidding and regardless of how fans or the galaxy feel about their methods, they work. They produce winners.

Snoke has managed to form a governing/military entity capable of ruling thousands and destroying billions. He has loyal followers that are at their peak powers when they utilize his training.

The interesting difference between the two is that Mike Yeo has strayed from the dark side.  Based on stories from Minnesota, Yeo is much calmer now.

Snoke is about as powerful in the force as we have seen in this new set of films.  The comparsion still holds since Snoke is a fairly cool character (in terms of temperament) despite the power he possesses.

Both have some pretty solid loyalties formed by their underlings.  For Yeo it is more of a mentorship and partnership.  For Snoke, the loyalty comes more from fear.  Still, it is loyalty either way you slice it.

Next: Unexpected Hero

Finn – Brayden Schenn

In The Force Awakens Finn was somewhat of a reluctant hero. In the second one, the circumstances are far different, but he’s still not looking to be a hero. He just wants to do what he feels is right.

That last part doesn’t fit as much, but the unexpected hero part fits Brayden Schenn like a glove. We have not even played a full season and this trade might go down as the Lou Brock of Blues trades. That’s not to say Schenn will be a Blues legend, but in simple terms of what has been acquired compared to what was given up.

Schenn has been more than a pleasant surprise since arriving. He’s been practically a revelation.

Schenn currently leads the team in goals, points and assists. We all knew he was a solid player, but nobody expected this from him.

When acquired, we expected him to improve a beleaguered power play. He has not quite fit that bill, but he is nothing like the 5-on-5 failure he was painted to be.

Like Finn, Schenn just manages to find himself in the right spot at the right time and makes good of it. Who knows how their stories will parallel, if at all, going forward. Right now, Schenn has been more than a welcome addition to the team, just as Finn has been to the heroes of the newest saga.

Poe Dameron – Jaden Schwartz

Don’t let the teaser from the previous page fool you.  This is not really a spoiler.  Poe Dameron doesn’t become THE leader of the Resistance.

Part of his story is learning what it takes to be a leader and that doesn’t really tell you much about his arc in the film.  That’s somewhat what Jaden Schwartz has been this season

For those that do not know, Dameron was actually supposed to die in The Force Awakens.  There was a creative change and he ended up becoming one of the better characters.

Now, Schwartz is doing the same.  Nobody was ready to kill him, but he was a solid player that was sort of falling into the category just above role player.

Before his injury, Schwartz was morphing into one of, if not the best scorer on the Blues.  Even after missing a few games, he’s still second on the team in points and tied for second in goals.

Beyond that, he is learning that being good in your role alone is not good enough, just like Poe is learning.  Poe is seen as the best pilot in the fleet (maybe the galaxy). The Resistance needs more.  Similarly, the Blues needed a bit more from Schwartz.  So far in 2017-18, they were getting it.

The personalities might be different – Dameron is a bit of a hot-head and Schwartz is about as even-keel as it gets.  The results that they give and how they make others better cannot be denied though.

Next: Wrap Up

That’s our look at the comparisons to the newest Star Wars film and the Blues players. For those wondering why no Luke Skywalker, I was a little too afraid to make those comparisons and get into spoiler territory for the film. Plus, since I used Tarasenko already, it was a little more difficult to pick a good choice

Overall let’s hope that Tarasenko doesn’t go hide on an island for 30 years.  We need him for the playoffs.

I do not want to get too much into a review of the film as FanSided already has a page for that. I will simply say I enjoyed it immensely, but it needed a second viewing to really take it all in and not everyone will/can do that.

Like the Blues, this film is full of surprises – some pleasant and others debatable. Also like the Blues, everyone is going to have a different opinion on it. Overall, fans of both the Blues and Star Wars will debate until the end of time, but their love for each property cannot be denied.

Next: On The Second Day Of Bluesmas

Now that I’ve wasted your time, I hope you took a little bit of enjoyment from the list.  Are there any players you’d swap in there?  Let us know in the comments.

May the Force be with you and Let’s Go Blues!