Every September, it’s fun to make a few bold predictions over who will be a team’s breakout player and which rather obscure name league-wide will start to garner attention. For the St. Louis Blues, two names jumped out, with one of whom being a newcomer.
With such predictions, it also makes sense to try and determine which player will sink below expectations and, therefore, stumble. It’s someone Blues fans may be more than familiar with and one who has drawn a lot of criticism over the past year.
Sleeper: Philip Broberg
Philip Broberg has, without a doubt, struggled through his young NHL career, and I’m still surprised he ended up in St. Louis. No, it wasn’t a bad move at all to sign the former restricted free agent, but the reason I’m shocked to see him in Gateway City is because about six months ago, I was 1,000 percent sure the Edmonton Oilers were going to move him.
That didn’t happen, and now, with a team that isn’t expected to go anywhere in 2024-25, Broberg has not just a change of scenery but a fair chance to shine. It’s something he will do this season in Gateway City, and if he becomes a puck driver and sequence creator, he won’t need to put up 30-40 points this season to enjoy a sleeper campaign.
Breakout: Jake Neighbours
You can call Jake Neighbours’ 2023-24 season a breakout year, thanks to his 27 goals and 38 points, but I’m instead calling it a year of improvement and, overall, a sleeper season. Few saw Neighbours playing as well as he did last year, but it’s tough to call a 38-point campaign a breakout season.
This year should be the true breakout when Neighbours not only keeps up his physical play, but puts up a good 55-plus points. When that happens this season, look for 2025-26 to be the season when opponents look to start keying on him.
Stumbler: Jordan Kyrou
Overall, I have a lot of faith in Jordan Kyrou, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he outplayed this projection and even became a consistent forward. But if we’re talking about players who are most likely to stumble this season - young players, that is - Kyrou is the most obvious candidate.
His production has been stagnant over the last two years, and Kyrou, while showing us stretches that he can be brilliant, has yet to get it together. So, judging from all of the Blues forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders who are 30 or under and most likely to disappoint the fanbase, it’s Kyrou.