Now that the playoff loss has been enough to sink in for the Blues, it’s time to decide who their best and most exciting players were throughout the 2024-25 season. If you followed the team all season, you might know where I’m headed here. But if you were a casual follower or tuned in later, this rundown will give you an idea of who played their best season yet in a Blue Note.
This list wasn’t easy to concoct, with honorable mentions and serious consideration going to Cam Fowler, Jordan Kyrou, and Brayden Schenn. But Fowler was a late arrival, while Kyrou was more of a hot-and-cold player. Schenn came on strong, but we can’t ignore some of his early-season struggles and trade talk that became rampant before we realized the Blues had other ideas.
So, who made the podium spots, and what made them such dangerous players for opponents throughout 2024-25?
Third Star: Dylan Holloway
Nobody shocked fans more than Dylan Holloway this past season, and it’s a shame he wasn’t around for the playoffs. Still, nobody’s taking away the kind of havoc Holloway wreaked during the regular season when he put up 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games across 16:49 of average total ice time.
But, unlike many up-and-coming scorers getting surefire top-six minutes, Holloway never lost an edge. He put up 165 hits, and I guarantee you he’d have threatened 200 if he were healthy for all 82 contests. Holloway got in front of 50 shots on goal, and he led the team in takeaways with 34.
If he’s 100 percent by the time October 2025 rolls around, expect him to build upon his 63-point outing this past season. While I won’t get so bold and claim he’ll end up as a point-per-game forward, something between 70 and 75 points is more than realistic.
Second Star: Jordan Binnington
While I’m in the ‘move Binnington now’ camp, it’s not because he did anything wrong. Instead, I’d like to see Joel Hofer get the nod and man the crease for this up-and-coming Blues team for the next eight seasons. He’s proven that he can handle the job, but that doesn’t take away from the year Binnington enjoyed.
He ended up with 54 starts and 28 wins, three shutouts, a 0.574 quality starts percentage, a 0.900 save percentage, and a 2.69 GAA. Binnington came up strong in clutch moments, and it’s what made him a great goaltender last season, and, to be frank, he’s been great for a while.
If the Blues were an older, more experienced team with a wide-open championship window, I’d be glad to keep Binnington around for another three or four seasons easily. But like I said, Hofer is ready, and the Blues would probably find a way to get generous compensation and a few more championship-caliber pieces in a Binnington deal.
First Star: Robert Thomas
Injuries forced Robert Thomas out for 12 games in 2024-25, but it didn’t stop him from leveling up into a borderline superstar. Per usual, Thomas didn’t score much on his own, accruing just 21 goals. But he’s always been selective with his shots, and he finished the year with a 14.5 shooting percentage.
Still, his playmaking abilities are now among the NHL’s elite class, evidenced by his 60 assists for 81 total points. Do the math, and 81 points in 70 games equals 1.15 points per contest. Across an 82-game stretch, that’s between 94 and 95 points, so it shows you just how much talent Thomas brings to the team and how much he elevates them.
While he wasn’t physical, Thomas was more than a points-producing machine, winning 733 face-offs and 54.8 percent of his draws. Defensively, he got in front of 48 shots. Not a bad number for a player who makes his living setting up highlight-reel finishes for his linemates.