The St. Louis Blues had some success last season with an incredible end to the regular season and pushing the Winnipeg Jets to Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs. They will now be looking to build on that success and earn another trip to the playoffs.
It won't be easy in a pretty competitive Western Conference and Central Division. While there may not be style points in the standings, there are some key factors that could make this season be considered a success or failure outside of just winning a Stanley Cup.
These are four ways in particular that if they come true, will have this season be viewed as a failure for the St. Louis Blues.
St. Louis Blues don't make the playoffs
The obvious one is if the St. Louis Blues don't make the playoffs, as that is really the first hurdle that needs to be cleared to compete for a Stanley Cup. The Blues missed the prior two seasons after making it as a Wild Card team last season.
As mentioned, they pushed the Jets all the way to a Game 7 before losing in double overtime. The fact that they were so close last season to advancing, missing the playoffs this season would feel like a major step backwards.
St. Louis Blues panic at the trade deadline for a playoff push
While the Blues missing the playoffs is going to be probably the biggest measure of success or failure this season, the Blues could make it worse by the moves they make during the season.
If the Blues are in playoff contention and feel they need to be aggressive at the trade deadline to put them over the top, they need to take into consideration where their franchise is. They are unlikely to compete for a Stanley Cup this season and are more of a playoff bubble team.
However, the future is pretty bright with some of the younger players they have, and general manager Doug Armstrong can't sacrifice future success for a little boost this season by trading for an older veteran. If they end up going that route and miss the playoffs, it will only set the franchise back even further.
Logan Mailloux struggles in his first season with the Blues
The Blues weren't very busy during the summer, and arguably the biggest move they made was trading Zachary Bolduc, who was coming off his first full season in the NHL with 36 points, to the Montreal Canadiens. In return, the Blues got Logan Mailloux, who was a 2021 first-round pick by the Canadiens.
Mallioux has the potential to help solidify the blue line for St. Louis but he is also largely an unknown with only eight career NHL games. If the defenseman can come in and make an immediate impact, it will take a lot of pressure off the Blues but if he struggles, they lose the production Bolduc gave last season as well as not improving their defense.
Dylan Holloway doesn't build on his breakout season
Outside of Mailloux, fans will be paying close attention to Dylan Holloway, who had an excellent first season in St. Louis. The Blues were able to sign him as a restricted free agent away from the Oilers, one of the few instances that an offer sheet worked, and he delivered with 26 goals and 37 assists.
After the way he played last season, there isn't much reason to believe that he can't deliver at least at the same level. However, if he regresses it not only hurts the Blues on the ice but puts them in a tough position next summer when he is a restricted free agent.
If he has another 60+ point season, the Blues should feel comfortable offering a long-term deal, but if not, then it might be another two or three-year bridge deal. It remains to be seen if Holloway wants to do that and could complicate negotiations.