It's clear that the center experiment for Pavel Buchnevich did not work. Last season, he was asked to transition to center for the first time in his career, and it did not go well, and may have set his entire season back as well.
Last season, Buchnevich scored 20 goals and earned 57 points in 76 games played, the lowest numbers he's set while wearing the blue note.
This coming season, Buchnevich is expected to play the full season as likely a top-line winger with Robert Thomas under head coach Jim Montgomery. Can Buchnevich bounce back to his career norms with no uncertainty about his usage and with one of the premier head coaches in the league?
The case against Buchnevich
Buchnevich just turned 30, meaning his prime could be coming to an end soon. Typically, the prime years for skaters are thought to be 28-32, but this is not the case for every single skater. Perhaps the regression came early for Buchnevich, and as a 30-year-old, he is now past his prime.
There's always the possibility that the downturn in production was not just a fluke but was indicative of where Buchnevich is at in his career at this point. His average time on ice was around his career norms (19:02 last season, 19:09 ATOI in his Blues career), meaning the expectations were still the same for Buch, but he wasn't able to produce.
What is perhaps most troubling for Buchnevich is his lack of goal scoring. Buch only netted 20 goals, but in previous seasons he set marks of 27, 26, and 30 goals respectively. Goal scoring and finishing were always a calling card for Pavel Buchnevich, and if he isn't able to provide that anymore, then his value must be declining.
The case in favor of Buchnevich
Buchnevich started the season doing something he had never been asked before in his NHL career, playing center. Buchnevich has always been a star winger and was great at it, so making the switch could have derailed his mindset and approach to the season.
Furthermore, the season added another layer of uncertainty and drastic shifts with the midseason coaching change. Hiring Jim Montgomery was, without a doubt, a huge win for the Blues and their future, but the fact that it happened midseason meant more adjustment and change for Blues skaters.
Some took the change in a very positive direction, and the shift helped their growth dramatically. For others, such as Buchy, the opposite may have happened, and the change in coaching message might have been too much to adapt to and get back to his normal game.
Finally, as previously mentioned, he is only a young 30, meaning he still could and likely does have a lot of good hockey left in front of him. It was a season of turmoil for Buch for many reasons, all of which would individually be justifiable explanations for a step back in production, let alone compounded.
The center position doesn't allow for as many goal-scoring opportunities as being a winger does, so there is reason to believe his goals can jump back to the 25+ mark we are familiar with Buch sitting around. This deployment, plus all of the reasons previously listed, gives real reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season for Pavel Buchnevich.