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St. Louis Blues Day With The Cup: Jaden Schwartz and Tyler Bozak

By Jason Martin

ST. LOUIS, MO - JUNE 3: St. Louis Blues' Jaden Schwartz, left, hugs teammate Tyler Bozak as they skate on the ice at the end of the game The St. Louis Blues host the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO on June 3, 2019. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - JUNE 3: St. Louis Blues' Jaden Schwartz, left, hugs teammate Tyler Bozak as they skate on the ice at the end of the game The St. Louis Blues host the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO on June 3, 2019. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) /
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As the St. Louis Blues make their rounds with the Stanley Cup, let’s take a look back on how Jaden Schwartz and Tyler Bozak influenced the 2018-19 season.

Despite not contributing during the regular season, St. Louis Blues forwards Jaden Schwartz and Tyler Bozak were instrumental in helping the Blues win their first-ever Stanley Cup.

Schwartz has been with the Blues for eight years after being drafted by St. Louis in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Bozak, meanwhile, spent his first season with the Blues after signing a three-year deal in free agency.

Both players finished with similar regular season numbers. However, both excelled in the postseason. Schwartz and Bozak were able to play in all 26 playoff games for the Blues and Schwartz was a leading candidate for the Conn Smythe award.

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Great offensive success and major injuries have marked Schwartz’ career with the Blues. The 27-year-old has missed at least 10 games due to injury three times in his eight-year career with St. Louis.

In 2019, Schwartz played in 69 games for the Blues during the regular season and did not contribute at all offensively.

His 11 goals are a career-low for him when he plays in at least 45 games in a season. Whether it was a reoccurring injury or it being a product of the team’s bad start to the season, Schwartz was not able to contribute to the Blues’ top-6 until the playoffs.

Finding someone who had a bigger contribution to the Blues Cup run that Schwartz would be nearly impossible. Ryan O’Reilly, the eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and Jordan Binnington might be the only two players who came close to the type of postseason Schwartz had.

The Saskatchewan native paced the team with 10 even-strength goals and registered 20 points throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was also able to net two game-winning goals, none more significant than the one he scored in game five against the Winnipeg Jets.

https://twitter.com/StLouisBlues/status/1147524855723487232

Who was the player who fed the puck out in front? Bozak. Signed for $15 million on a three-year deal. Bozak came as advertised for St. Louis.

Bozak was the model of consistency for the Blues in 2019, playing in 72 games and contributing in all areas of the game. He finished sixth on the team in points with 38 and also recorded a 54.3% faceoff percentage.

He primarily played on the third line with Pat Maroon and Robert Thomas. Once paired with them, Bozak’s line was dominant in the first two playoff series against the Jets and Dallas Stars.

Bozak recorded just 13 points in the playoffs, (five goals, eight assists) but his output on the team’s third line more than made up for his lack of scoring in the postseason.

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Both Bozak and Schwartz will be an important key for St. Louis in their Stanley Cup defense next season, though the Blues will need more scoring from Schwartz during the regular-season, while Bozak needs to keep the course.

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