Sometimes here at Bleedin' Blue, we call our shot and ace it. Pius Suter, now 29 years old, made perfect sense for the St. Louis Blues at the outset of free agency, and GM Doug Armstrong did not disappoint. We've fawned over Suter before and how perfect of a fit he is for the Blues roster, slotting in as a center behind Robert Thomas or on the wings in the middle six to help relieve the load on captain Brayden Schenn. It's a match made in heaven, and our expectations are pretty high as a result.
Last season, with the Vancouver Canucks, Pius Suter played 81 games, scored 25 goals, and registered 46 total points. He filled in admirably in a top-six role after the Canucks traded JT Miller to the New York Rangers and center Elias Pettersson missed the end of the season due to injury, but Suter's best suited in a team's middle six and not on their top line. Barring injury, that's exactly where Suter will slot on the Blues.
We expect comparable production from Suter this season, though maybe not as many goals; Suter had a career high 18.1 shooting percentage in 2024-25, which should regress closer to his career average of 13.1 percent. A 20-goal season is well within the realm of possibility and, pending his special-teams roles, he could eclipse the 50-point mark for the first time in his career. One area of concern, however, is Suter's faceoff percentage: his career average is 46 percent, and last year it was a dismal 42.7 percent. He should be closer to his average, but it's something to keep an eye on.
All in all, Suter is a perfect addition to the Blues roster and should be a key reason why they're able to return to the playoffs in 2025-26.