3 reasons why the St. Louis Blues promoting Drew Bannister was a good decision

Bannister’s promotion brings continuity to the Blues

One of the biggest mysteries with bringing in a new head coach is that you don’t know if the players, fans, and media will take to them. If that wasn’t the case with Drew Bannister, he wouldn’t be the full-time head coach heading into the 2024-25 season.

And while you can make a compelling argument questioning his promotion, there is little denying that the players bought into his style. This puts the Blues ahead of most organizations who have hired new coaches to lead their respective teams, and there won’t be many unknowns heading into next season. 

Sure, Bannister must still figure out how to get the best out of his scorers, and that wasn’t something we saw much of last season. The Blues still averaged just 2.94 goals for per game (241 across a hypothetical 82 contests) under him, and if that continues next season, they won’t be playing hockey in May 2025. 

But there is at least stability and a sense of familiarity between the Blues, Bannister, and Doug Armstrong. If he didn’t finish the season 30-19-5 (65 points), that stability doesn’t hold as much ground. That’s good for a Blues team, especially when they may keep restructuring the lineup with a few players who should see their first respective full seasons in Gateway City.