St. Louis Blues: Being Average in the Central Division Won’t Cut It

While being a 92-point team might earn you a playoff spot in other divisions, the Central Division is loaded with talent.

From the star-filled Colorado Avalanche to the team-built Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets, mediocre play will not earn a playoff spot in the Central Division.

The St. Louis Blues must make some changes to compete next year

Changes need to occur for the St. Louis Blues to compete against their division rivals. Granted, such changes don’t have to be drastic, but the team obviously needs a better combination of talent and players.

The Blues must add small pieces to the puzzle to achieve success.

Although Robert Thomas and Jordan Binnington have impressed the Blues fans, additional talented players are needed to compete with the division's teams.

Whether it be free agency, a crafty trade, or the decision to bring up prospects, the St. Louis Blues lack defensive play and scoring and need assistance immediately.

Jordan Kyrou is a good player, but his statistics have decreased. Pavel Buchnevich has shown the most consistency, apart from Thomas and Kyrou.

Drew Bannister has quite the job. He is faced with the reality that his roster has reached its maximum talent potential, and he needs to push the younger players on the team to perform better.

St. Louis Blues: Building on the Upsides

The St. Louis Blues are well-positioned in goaltending. On the other hand, the team’s defensive abilities are lacking, highlighting the need for support.

If there was one key area GM Doug Armstrong needed to concentrate on, it is most likely defense.

Both Torey Krug and Justin Faulk came to St. Louis with rather large contracts and have performed well but not to management’s desired expectations.

A massive contract to a pending free agent will not work. Therefore, it begs the question of whether Armstrong should consider bringing in proven veterans to compete at the defenseman position at near-league minimum deals.

This methodology could work, as it would allow significant contracts, such as Krug’s and Faulk’s, to disappear over time while also essentially planning for future FA markets.

A complete rebuild is impossible with commitments to players like Krug, Faulk, Kyrou, and Colton Parayko.

Armstrong has a proven track record of winning and building competitive teams.

He knows well that average isn’t cutting it. Expect no significant trade, as the market is weak for any Blues player outside of the untouchable Robert Thomas.

If the St. Louis Blues are going to compete, they must use their existing roster and a few clever, affordable additions.