With the 2024/25 NHL season just a couple weeks and change away, the St. Louis Blues enter their 57th season of play with one singular goal in mind- get back to the Stanley Cup playoffs, a return at least five whole years in the making.
St. Louis had a quiet offseason, not making too many major splashes in free agency or the trade deadline, instead choosing to recalibrate its already set lineups on both offense and defense. The question is, who are the top liners for the Blues heading into the second week of October?
Left Wingers: Brayden Schenn
The Blues' captain is 33 and may have only a few years left as the top man on a considerably old left-wing line, making a good season for him all the more important. The captain is the man on the roster who is often under the most pressure to produce and produce well, for that matter, so if Schenn has a lackluster 2024/25 campaign, it could throw the rest of the team's morale off.
Maybe I'm being a bit irrational, but if you think about it, Schenn has had three consecutive 20+ goal seasons going back to 2020/21, so it may be easier than some think for him to have a similar output here.
Centers: Robert Thomas/Pavel Buchnevich
The main driving force for the Blues that could get them back into the playoffs with great seasons, both Thomas and Buchnevich are stellar players with plenty of years left in their careers. And with their equally strong numbers last season, the former of which saw those numbers in question result in a first time All-Star nomination, these two superstars who are currently and undoubtedly the Blues' best would be just one reason why St. Louis gets back to the postseason in 2024/25.
It'll be a tough fight, as usual, in one of the NHL's most contested divisions, but with the right skills from Thomas and Buchnevich, things could pay off come mid-April.
Right Wingers: Jordan Kyrou/Jake Neighbours
The Blues' two best youngsters, besides Thomas, Kyrou, and Neighbours, have always had good seasons, statistically speaking, during their St. Louis tenures. Kyrou played in all 82 games last season with an incredible 31 goals and 36 assists for 67 points, while Neighbours played in 77 games with 27 goals and 11 assists for 38 points.
Those are the numbers you want on offense if you're a team that's looking to play postseason berth spoiler. Newcomer Mathieu Joseph could also be one to watch alongside his brother Pierre-Oliver, who might not have the talent Mathieu has but could be with enough playtime down with St. Louis' AHL affiliate in Springfield.
Defensemen: Nick Leddy and Philip Broberg; Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk
The biggest question mark for the Blues this offseason was how to address an aging defensive core. St. Louis added defensemen like crazy this offseason to help support players like Parayko, who may be the best available starting D-man, with the news of veteran Torey Krug being put out the entire 2024/25 season. The defense needed the biggest retooling, and it could still be the Blues' way to once again miss the postseason, with Krug being a huge puzzle piece missing.
The St. Louis Blues' 57th NHL season looks intriguing with their slightly rebuilt offense and blown-up defense. Whether or not this experiment results in a postseason berth remains to be seen, as their first obstacle is finishing strong in a seven-game preseason stretch that continues until the end of this month.