Ranking the St. Louis Blues forwards from worst to first for the 2024-25 season
The St. Louis Blues forwards group could be stronger than we think in 2024-25 if the youngsters take yet another step in their respective games.
The St. Louis Blues forwards didn’t always look consistent in 2023-24, but general manager Doug Armstrong added some help this summer, even if they weren’t what you would call “prize” acquisitions. Still, you don’t need to continually add elite talent to dramatically improve the team, not with solid scorers already in the lineup and more to come shortly.
So, where do the current forwards rank in the Blues lineup, and how will they best serve the team in 2024-25? Note that this list will not include those who are still considered prospects, so Zach Dean and Zack Bolduc, for example, won’t be ranked even if there is a good chance they end up in the Blues lineup come the season-opener in October.
15 - Hugh McGing
Let’s give the former fifth-round pick credit for at least working his way into becoming rather high-end organizational depth. But that’s about all you’re going to get from Hugh McGing in 2024-25, as Zach Dean and Zachary Bolduc will, without a doubt, rank higher once they’re both on the big club for good.
14 - Nikita Alexandrov
Like Hugh McGing, Nikita Alexandrov will likely end up as organizational depth while Dean, Bolduc, and perhaps even Dalibor Dvorsky lap him in these rankings when we conduct them again. But for now, we’ll put him at No. 14 on our list.
13 - Nathan Walker
If neither Dean, Bolduc, nor Dvorsky wind up with the big club, look for Nathan Walker to be that first extra forward on the team while McGing and Alexandrov battle it out to become the 14th forward should the Blues keep that number in the lineup. That said, Walker won’t serve in anything more than a part-time role while playing fourth-line minutes.
12 - Alexandre Texier
Alexandre Texier may have logged middle-six minutes during his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but he figures to be more of a lower-liner with the Blues. He put up 23 goals over the past two seasons (114 games), including 11 in 36 contests in 2022-23, hinting that he could end up as a depth scorer in St. Louis.
11 - Kasperi Kapanen
Like Sundqvist, Kasperi Kapanen’s numbers are nowhere near the most impressive of the lot, but if he logs quality shifts, that’s all the Blues need from who should be a lower-liner this season. That said, we shouldn’t be surprised if Kapanen works his way into a higher-quality role in Gateway City; he put up a promising 14 points and eight goals during the final 23 games of the 2022-23 season, so he’s shown some potential in this lineup.
10 - Alexey Toropchenko
I didn’t want to rank Alexey Toropchenko so low, as few can play the same type of quality minutes, but a pair of recent acquisitions forced my hand. Still, the physical youngster - 165 hits last season - provided a sound depth scoring option with 14 goals, and he also pitched in for seven assists. A defense-first mentality may define Toropchenko’s game, but if his productivity increased offensively, should we be surprised?
9 - Oskar Sundqvist
Oscar Sunqvist is nothing more than a defensive forward who can give a team middle-six to bottom-six minutes, but he’s someone with plenty of championship-winning experience, imposing size, and veteran leadership. As the Blues get younger, look for Sundqvist to provide one of the most well-respected voices in the locker room, and that will serve the retooling roster well long-term.
8 - Radek Faksa
Like Oskar Sundqvist, Radek Faksa also brings an imposing demeanor, and one who will more than fuel the Blues lower lines. Faksa has received numerous Selke votes in the past, including a seventh-place finish for the award in 2017-18. He brings a physical brand of play, and he’s more than reliable in the faceoff circle.
7 - Mathieu Joseph
Mathieu Joseph was a sneaky good acquisition, and while you may think I ranked him too highly here, I like what he did last season with the Ottawa Senators. Joseph finished the year with 11 goals and 35 points, with 16:28 of average total ice time, plus 105 hits and 69 takeaways. He has more talent to work with in St. Louis, so if Joseph broke into the top-six, it shouldn’t surprise a single fan.
6 - Brayden Schenn
Brayden Schenn has proven to be a consistent player over his seven seasons with the Blues, and 2024-25 should be no different. No, putting up 46 points last season was not his best outing, but Schenn remains a 20-goal scorer and one of the team’s most physical players who hustles in all three zones.
5 - Jake Neighbours
You can call Jake Neighbours the Blues breakout player this past season after he put up a whopping 27 goals and earned a full season of play for the first time in his career. No, he didn’t log as many minutes, nor did he finish the year with as many points as Brayden Schenn, but he gets the top-five nod thanks to potential and the likelihood that he successfully builds on his encouraging 2023-24 campaign.
4 - Brandon Saad
Brandon Saad remains one of the Blues most consistent scorers, and he’s logged a 15-plus shooting percentage in each season since he decided to call Gateway City his home. He was one of the Blues hottest scorers last season, so every fan will be asking whether Saad can repeat the success he enjoyed in 2023-24.
3 - Jordan Kyrou
The 2023-24 season marked Jordan Kyrou’s third straight with 67-plus points, and he’s also becoming a routine 30-plus goal-scorer. He’s someone who will remain in the Blues top-six from now until he’s well past his age-30 season, but his knack for finding the puck and disrupting opponents to help the Blues regain possession is what impresses me more than anything else.
2 - Pavel Buchnevich
The St. Louis Blues won big when they re-signed Pavel Buchnevich to an extension, and with a more lucrative deal, Buchnevich could be in line for his greatest season yet in Gateway City. And yes, it’s okay to expect 25-plus goals and 40-plus assists from someone who is in the middle of his prime heading into 2024-25.
1 - Robert Thomas
Consistency will be key for Robert Thomas this season, but although he wasn’t the Blues top scorer, his 60 assists scream playmaker. And that number, plus the fact that he’s also more than capable of solid defensive play, are two major reasons he graced the top of our rankings in the 2024-25 offseason.
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