St. Louis Blues Have Players That Want To Be Here And It Feels Good

It is hard feeling like the little brother compared to other cities if you love your city or town or wherever you live. That’s why it feels extra special to have guys excited to join our hockey team.

There has long been an argument, mostly in media circles but among fans as well, that the general public should not use the term we when referring to a sports team. The argument is that we do not step onto the field or court or rink, so we have no claim. To me, true St. Louis Blues fans or any fans really, do have a claim because our hearts truly beat for that team.

We suffer as much, or more, than the athletes with every defeat. We feel the satisfaction of every victory. Beyond our own superstitions, we have no affect on the outcome of games, but we are still a part of it all. To use the tree in the forest analogy, if there are no butts in the seats, was a game actually played?

Fans care – sometimes far too much. We often want our sports heroes to feel the same way and that has been increasingly difficult to find in today’s free agent landscape where rivalries change daily because the guy you used to hate is on a different team or your own team.

However, every now and then, you still get that player or players that feels the same way. It is rare in today’s sporting reality, but the Blues have managed to find a gold mine in that area.

Almost every single new member of the Blues has been overly outspoken about their excitement joining St. Louis. Only Chad Johnson has not made a huge point of engaging media about joining the Blues and that could be a simple fact of not being a social media darling.

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It has to be said that most players talk about looking forward to a new chapter and whatnot when joining a new team. It is par for the course and somewhat expected.

That said, this feels different. There are smiles on the faces and clear joy in the hearts of these players when talking about playing for the Blues. That feels good for us fans after the city has been kicked around so much lately.

Ryan O’Reilly got a lot of flack for saying he had lost his excitement to play while in Buffalo. I get Sabres fans being upset at that, but it can be hard for players once they know that winning could be years away. He signed there thinking the turnaround would be swift. Now, it seems as though he is rejuvenated with the Blues – at least we hope.

Tyler Bozak falls into that same category. He’s coming from hockey-mad Toronto where the sport is life, which can be great or can be a killer. Bozak also made some interesting comments, all but saying he feels he can win a Cup in St. Louis while it was less likely in Toronto. Now, that’s coming from someone who was seen as surplus after the Maple Leafs got John Tavares, but it still has meaning. This is a guy that played with Auston Matthews and still likes the pieces the Blues have assembled.

Beyond just wanting to win, Bozak wants to be in St. Louis. He says he talked to former players and likes how the city feels for raising a family.

David Perron might be the most glowing example of the city actually drawing someone back. He was a top-six player in Vegas, had a career year and might have been better off signing elsewhere from a playing perspective. Instead, he signed with the Blues where he might be on the third line and playing time is anyone’s guess.

However, he never wanted to leave. He came back to the Blues prior to the expansion draft for a reason. The Blues made a business decision to leave him unprotected. They knew the Penguins wanted Ryan Reaves and that draft pick got the Blues Klim Kostin. Now, they have Perron and Kostin in the organization. Perron couldn’t be happier.

Last, but not least, we come to Patrick Maroon. His saga felt like it took forever, even if it was only a few days in reality. Like Perron, he might have left other offers on the table.

Regardless of what those offers may have been, it can’t be denied that Maroon could have held out for more than the one-year, $1.75 million he got from the Blues. It cannot be ignored how much playing for your boyhood team and playing in front of your own son can mean to a person though.

After scoring against the Blues while in Edmonton, Maroon was visibly emotional while talking about not being around his son as much as he would like. That had to have played a huge part in coming home.

All that said, none of this guarantees success. The players have to develop that chemistry and go out there and actually perform. That is easier said than done.

However, having players that are proud to wear the crest helps. Having players that want to be in a city lets them focus on performing instead of having that nagging feeling in the back of your head.

We can still sit here and focus on the negatives. Technically, the Blues don’t have a “true number one center”, but they have two extremely good centers capable of putting up 60 points or more.

John Tavares is a hell of a player, but he does not guarantee Toronto a Cup any more than the Blues’ additions do for St. Louis. As Doug Armstrong spoke to, if a player won’t let you at his table, you move on and find those that will.

Next: Blues Fans Should Be Grateful They Are Not The Ottawa Senators

For a city that had its NFL team ripped away and then disrespected at every turn, it is nice to feel there are still guys that want to be here. Vladimir Tarasenko wants to be here. All these new guys want to be here. Even if it’s a small thing, it is always nice to be wanted.

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