While still early, this season has had its fair share of ups and downs, but one player has been a pillar of consistency and quality play throughout the slow start. That player is a new face, one acquired in the offseason in a move that went a bit under the radar.
Pius Suter - The St Louis Blues' points leader
With the secondary assist on Dylan Holloway’s first period power play goal against the Flames on Tuesday, Pius Suter notched his tenth point on the season, the first in the Note to reach that benchmark this year. He has five assists and five goals in 17 games, reaching those marks on a multitude of line combinations and as both a center and at times on the wing.
Suter is a player with an exceptionally high hockey IQ and always finds himself in the right position on the ice. This is something that enables him to rack up offensive production while also making those that he’s playing with better, despite the lack of chemistry from those constantly changing forward lines that we see night in and night out.
Suter thrives in big moments
Suter’s production has come at some of the biggest and most important moments of the Blues’ young season. Against the Dallas Stars, Suter was able to score the much-needed 5-on-6 empty-net goal while splayed out on the ice to put that game away against one of the best teams in the league.
Against the Edmonton Oilers, Suter was able to collect and net the game winning rebound goal in the final 90 seconds to end the Blues’ seven game losing streak.
Suter is the kind of reliable forward this team has been needing for years, and at his current contract of $4.125 million AAV for 2 years he is a steal. If the Blues can continue to right the ship and get this season back on track, Blues fans all have Pius Suter to thank for keeping the team afloat during a very tumultuous first couple months in the Note.