St. Louis Blues: Safest Jerseys To Buy, Plus Other Options

The St. Louis Blues just got a bunch of new players, which means an uptick in jersey sales it likely to happen. So, who are your best bets to get so you don’t have to retire a jersey after a short time?

The biggest problem with buying a St. Louis Blues jersey, or any pro sports jersey really, is the person wearing the real version will only be there for a finite amount of time. That is why personalized jerseys started picking up in popularity.

When I was a kid, I thought having a personalized jersey was stupid. You never played for the team, after all. Then, I got a Wayne Gretzky jersey and it was only good for about three months.

Kudos to those of you who still wear your clown jerseys with 99 on them. I could not bring myself to do it then and the jersey just kind of got retired to the basement after awhile.

So, who are the safer bets to look into if you’re wanting to upgrade to a new Adidas jersey or support one of the newer players? Let’s try to help you out.

Safe Bets

Vladimir Tarasenko

Ok, so this one is not a new player, but he’s a safe bet if you don’t have a player’s jersey yet. 91 just is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Vladimir Tarasenko is locked up through 2023. Unless he hits some sort of weird mental wall or a team throws some unbelievable, blockbuster trade package at you, then the Blues are not going to trade him.

The only thing that might spur a trade would be if Tom Stillman’s ownership group dissolved and he was forced to sell the team. Even then, Tarasenko might be kept around as someone to build around. Either way, it just is not likely to happen.

The only problem with owning a 91 jersey is you’re going to be a small fish in a large pond. In other words, you are going to be joining a rather large amount of fans who already own that jersey.

Vlady is not going to set you apart from the pack. He is likely the safest choice if you want a jersey you can wear for years to come.

Ryan O’Reilly

Ryan O’Reilly is in a similar situation to Tarasenko, so fans wanting to get a new player would be safe to bet on the number 90.

O’Reilly is also locked up until 2023 and is also a young player, like Tarasenko. So, the Blues are getting both in the prime of their careers.

The good thing about getting an O’Reilly jersey is you can get in on the ground floor. The number of people with 90 jerseys will increase as the years go along, assuming his production keeps up. Still, you’d be one of the first if you get one now.

The only drawback of getting one of his is you are limited to the current home or away jersey. Unless you’re one of those people that puts names on jerseys the player never wore, you can’t really put O’Reilly on a Winter Classic blank jersey (if you could find one). It just looks odd, but that’s my opinion. More power to you if you want that.

Again, like Tarasenko, you’re pretty safe with O’Reilly. Barring something catestrophic, he is likely to see out his contract here, so that gives you a solid five years.

Jayden Schwartz

He’s not a new player, clearly, but if you’re looking to get a new sweater after wearing that one from the 80’s for so long, Jaden Schwartz is a good pick up. The only danger you have with Schwartz is the minor possibility of ever changing numbers, since he’s already done it once.

Schwartz does not have as long a contract as the other two, but he has shown himself to be one of the team’s most important players. The past few times he has gotten injured, the Blues have faltered as a team.

As mentioned, his contract only runs through 2021, but if his production holds up, he should get at least one more extension.

Given that, the Blues are almost never going to trade him off unless it was something spectacular. So, 17 is a safe bet to last.

Strong Choices, But Iffy

Brayden Schenn

After the first season Brayden Schenn had as a Blue, nobody would think less of you if you hooked yourself up with a number 10 jersey. He showed St. Louis and the league that he’s capable of being a top-line center.

Colton Parayko

This one seems like it should be a safe bet. He’s young, productive, has size and can skate. Those are usually cornerstone players. Colton Parayko is also locked up through 2022.

The thing that would give me pause about having a 55 sweater is the trade rumors that popped up this summer. Who knows how substantiated any of it was, but the mere fact there was a chance means it is not impossible to happen in the future.

The team has a couple defensive contracts about to come off the books, so Parayko should seem safe. However, with some highly touted prospects in the pipeline, you cannot assume anything.

Roll The Dice

Robert Thomas

This one is hard because we don’t even know what number he will be. However, given all the hoopla around him, Robert Thomas would be a perfect guy to get in on the ground floor with.

The team has projected him as high as a second line center, with potential for even more. Potential is the key word there.

We have seen prospects flame out or not live up to their potential and be out of town within a few years. So, Thomas is a solid choice based on what he could be.

However, he might not be here in a couple years if he doesn’t live up to the expectations. Or, he could be in St. Louis for years to come. It’s a gamble.

Tyler Bozak

Tyler Bozak is a roll of the dice based on his age. He’s 32 now and age has a funny way of catching up to you at such random times.

Bozak has a three-year contract, so in theory you’d have a few good seasons with a 21 sweater. If you want to save money, you could even have the nameplate removed from your Berglund jersey (that actually might be harder than getting a new one).

The thing that makes it a gamble is whether he lasts. Bozak is going to be a really good depth player, but depth players tend to be included in trades if a team falters or you have to send someone away to make a deadline deal work.

I don’t foresee the Blues getting rid of him, but there is no guarantee they would not either.

Stay Away From

David Perron

I’m happy for all the people that have been able to dust off their David Perron jerseys twice now. I would not gamble on getting a new version of his jersey though.

Perron is signed to a four-year deal, but I would not put money down on him serving out that contract. Doug Armstrong can say the Blues did not want to lose him, and he’s probably being sincere. However, Perron’s current contract is a perfect candidate to get snatched up by the future Seattle team whenever their expansion draft comes around.

I would feel bad for Perron if he got let go again. It seems hard to believe Armstrong might not have had that expansion draft in his peripheral vision when he signed this deal though. So, if you don’t already have a 57, you might want to keep it that way.

Pat Maroon

There is likely not a better feel-good story that Pat Maroon returning to St. Louis to play for his childhood team and be with his son. Until he signs an extension though, I would not invest in a new number 7 jersey.

It just is not a safe bet right now. He’s taking too much of a hometown discount.

The Blues will need to figure out their cap situation for the future years and get an extension done before next offseason. That can’t really happen until January, so getting a Maroon jersey for Christmas is a dangerous idea. If you like him and appreciate him spending a season here, go right ahead. There are just not enough assurances this will be a long-term relationship for me to say it’s a good idea right now.

Final Thoughts

Jerseys cost a heck of a lot of money these days. You’re going to spend well over $100 just for a blank one and even more if you get the “authentic” stuff. Slap a name on the back and you’re investing $200 or more.

So, it’s no wonder that people continue to wear the sweaters of guys that are gone or haven’t played in years. You’re still supporting the team, so why not?

Heck, I still have a jersey with my own name on it with the style the team wore in the early-mid-2000’s. It’s basically the same look as now, so upgrading has not been high on the priority list.

However, even for someone as cheap as myself, the influx of new players that are likely to stick around has me trying to talk myself out of a new sweater instead of needing to be talked into one. Personally, I’ll probably still hold off for fear of my jinx since the last ones I got were Gretzky before he left and Mario Lemieux before he retired.

Next: Realistic Expectations For Robby Fabbri

Hopefully you guys have better luck. Happy jersey hunting and hopefully you pick one that will last you a good, long while.

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