St. Louis Blues: Did the 2024 NHL Draft Solidify that the team is rebuilding?
With nine picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, the St. Louis Blues were busy, especially early on. Was the draft able to confirm that there is an ongoing rebuild in St. Louis?
Rebuilding or not, the St. Louis Blues were busy in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Blues selected nine prospects in the event, notably 5 selections in the early rounds.
Add this to last year's draft, highlighted by the three first-round selections; Blues fans might think the team is undergoing a massive rebuild.
Are the St. Louis Blues rebuilding?
The Blues nearly missed the playoffs last year, which begs the question, did they outperform the expectations of GM Doug Armstrong?
With a roster that has seen the stars of Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Alex Pietrangelo depart over the last few years, the Blues were led by Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Pavel Buchnevich in 2023-24.
Analyzing the current roster and recent draft selections, it's fair to say that the Blues aren't completely rebuilding.
Rather, Armstrong has realized there are some underperforming players on the roster, such as Torey Krug and Justin Faulk. From the outside, it looks like Armstrong is acknowledging his team's weaknesses and realizing he can still be competitive with the talent within. At the same time, knowing contracts expire in the next few seasons, Armstrong has drafted skilled prospects planning for the future.
If the Blues were rebuilding, they'd probably trade away other star players like Jordan Binnington and Colton Parayko.
The youth from the 2023 and 2024 draft, along with Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours, and Jordan Kyrou, are the team's future, no doubt.
Armstrong wants his team to be competitive now, with high expectations, and even more talented in the future.
Due to limited cap space, the focus seems to be on building through the draft rather than free-agency this offseason.
Don't anticipate any major trades right now, indicating that the roster will probably resemble last year's, with a few new players joining soon as either young prospects or limited free-agent deals.
It's fair to say the Blues aren't necessarily rebuilding, but they are actively planning and preparing the team's youth to enter the NHL in the next few years.
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