St. Louis Blues: Comparing Jordan Kyrou to Vladimir Tarasenko
By David Crum
The Blues have strategically centered their team around the promising talents of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, placing high expectations on both.
Kyrou has performed relatively well, earning an All-Star appearance last year. However, legitimate concerns exist, as his numbers have decreased in the previous two years.
How does Jordan Kyrou statistically rank when comparing him to former St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko?
Of course, stats can’t tell the whole story, but in sports analytics, they do indicate progress. Vladimir Tarasenko was a star player, currently sitting at No. 5 in Blues history in the category of all-time goals scored.
In his first few years in the league, Tarasenko played more games than Kyrou.
Therefore, to compare each player fairly, we will evaluate their first three full seasons playing in at least seventy games.
Vladimir Tarasenko
2014-15: 37 goals, 36 assists, 73 points in 77 games.
2015-16: 40 goals, 34 assists, 74 points in 80 games.
2016-17: 39 goals, 36 assists, 75 points in 82 games.
Jordan Kyrou
2021-22: 27 goals, 48 assists, 75 points in 74 games.
2022-23: 37 goals, 36 assists, 73 points in 79 games.
2023-24: 31 goals, 36 assists, 67 points in 82 games.
Jordan Kyrou is performing well
Kyrou’s performance over the past two seasons, notably his dropping stats in the last two years, may discourage some Blues fans. However, Tarasenko’s numbers also decreased, notably in 2017-18.
Compared to Tarasenko, Kyrou performs at a steady level. Kyrou exceeds Tarasenko in the assist category. Tarasenko is more of a scoring threat, though Kyrou fared very well in the 2022 season and put-up numbers resembling those of Tarasenko.
Kyrou just turned 26 and is undoubtedly an important part of the Blues future. Can he be a star? Absolutely. His youth proves so. He needs to score more, and if he can resemble his talent of 2022, the Blues have a player who could continue to be a difference-maker.
Statistically, Kyrou is ranking quite well in Blues history. Despite all the criticism he has thrown at him, Kyrou has maintained respectable numbers.
If Kyrou remains in St. Louis for the years to come, don’t be surprised if you see him in the record books.