We don’t need to talk about what the biggest surprise was for the St. Louis Blues at the quarter-season mark because general manager Doug Armstrong saw to that on Sunday. Armstrong threw us all a knuckleball when he fired Drew Bannister and hired Jim Montgomery, as popular of a move as that should have been.
That was one of the good surprises so far this season, but there have also been a few bad ones that I’d also like to discuss below. Well, three, to be exact, plus a pair of good surprises that, ironically, should surprise nobody that I’m talking about them through 23 games, starting with one of the newer players on the team.
Philip Broberg - Good Surprise
With Jim Montgomery at the helm, Philip Broberg is one player we can’t wait to see back in action. He’s only appeared in 12 games so far, but with nine points and two goals, the Blues have one for the long-term in Broberg, and it’s not farfetched to believe that he won’t deliver at least a near-point-per-game trajectory.
Still, it’s getting closer to the point in which we can say ‘star defenseman,’ and that is an awesome feeling if you’re a Blues fan. Under Montgomery, it will be more than interesting to gauge Broberg’s growth from first-year full-time NHLer and into a seasoned veteran.
Jordan Kyrou - Bad Surprise
Yep, Jordan Kyrou is leading the Blues in points, but that should be no surprise. Over the years, Kyrou has been a valuable points producer for the Blues, but he’s yet to remove the ‘solid but unspectacular’ label, and the same has held true through the first quarter of the season.
Yeah, he may threaten to score 30 goals, but he’s done that a few times in his career, and maybe he’ll give us between 70 and 75 points. But unless Jim Montgomery can get him to the next level, it’s becoming apparent Kyrou has reached his ceiling, yet it still surprises me because I really thought this would be the season after those monster first three games he had.
Dylan Holloway - Good Surprise
When the Blues acquired Dylan Holloway, I was like, “Okay, great, they got someone for their lower lines.” Now I’m backtracking on this take because Holloway’s top-six potential has been on full display, despite putting up just 10 points and four goals in 23 contests.
Holloway has also shown sheer toughness, with 42 hits so far this year. And he gave us all a scare earlier in the month, only to miss zero games as a result. Yeah, there’s a lot to like about Holloway, and he’s foreshadowed that his first year in St. Louis will be more than memorable.
Brayden Schenn - Bad Surprise
In Brayden Schenn’s defense, he’s picked it up lately, so if anyone’s flipping the script on this take, it might be him. Still, I was expecting more than 11 points and four goals, but few are more physical on the ice, and he’s still reliable at the faceoff dot.
That said, I may be writing one of those ‘I spoke too soon about’ pieces, and since I’ve been a fan of Schenn for a long time, I hope I can write that post. But, judging from the first 23 games of the season only, he’s underperformed so far.
Joel Hofer - Bad Surprise
Another one who could be shifting the narrative, given the impeccable performance Joel Hofer enjoyed last night. Still, in seven games, Hofer has been, well, bad, with just a 0.429 quality starts percentage, an 0.899 save percentage, and a 3.23 GAA. He’s got a shutout, so that has been one positive this season, and he’s outplayed Jordan Binnington, another player I wasn’t shy about critiquing.
So, Hockey Gods, can I be wrong about Joel Hofer, too? The answer might be a little bit ‘yes’ and a little bit ‘no’ since Hofer was one player I was ultra-sold on heading into the season. So, this ‘bad surprise’ was a disappointment, even if he’s got plenty of time to keep turning that page.