St. Louis Blues: Drew Bannister has every reason to be confident for 2024-25
Drew Bannister and his St. Louis Blues were close to making the playoffs but fell short this year. Several reasons exist for Bannister and his team to remain confident going into the 2024-25 season.
With a new GM in training appointed in Alexander Steen, Drew Bannister of the St. Louis Blues might be slightly nervous about his job security.
However, Bannister signed a two-year deal, which positions himself well to get to know the future GM Alexander Steen.
Bannister has a few reasons to be confident heading into the next season with all eyes on a playoff return in 2024-25.
Goaltending
Simply put, the Blues have one of the most impactful goaltending tandems in the NHL. Joel Hofer's .914 SV% and Jordan Binnington's .913 SV% stand out as some of the best in the entire league.
Granted, both stay healthy and play at a similar level, goaltending is the most promising part of the current St. Louis Blues team.
Binnington is a leader within the locker room and has a Cup to prove his worth. He will undoubtedly serve as a mentor to Hofer and assist in building him up to be a star like himself.
Youth
Ask any hockey pundit familiar with Drew Bannister, and they will point you to his success in the AHL ranks. He won and developed younger players, including Blues star Jordan Kyrou.
The youth within the current team, highlighted by Kyrou, Robert Thomas, and Jake Neighbours, falls into Bannister's expertise.
But further promising players, such as Dalibor Dvorsky, Theo Lindstein, and Jimmy Snuggerud, who are anticipated to make an NHL entry sooner rather than later, have got to excite Bannister.
Bannister's reputation tends to focus on building up skillful young players. With the current roster, he has every opportunity to succeed in doing just that.
His Philosophy resonated with Blues players
From Robert Thomas to Jordan Binnington, who nodded in approval of Bannister's approach and success, post-season interviews made evident that the locker room leaders not only respected Bannister but also gave him their verbal blessings.
For any skeptical fan, watch the interviews of the locker room leaders. Sure, answers vary when cameras and microphones are put in your face, but not one of the leaders had to publicly praise Bannister—but almost all did.
The comments from Thomas and Binnington speak volumes about his job performance in 2023-24.
Bannister's approach of trust and accountability responded with a locker room, struggling to find its way. Thomas came out of the year as the statistical leader, and now further expectations grow around his name to put up similar numbers next season.
Bannister's team is full of talent, including some wildcards, like Jake Neighbours' game on the rise. He also has two All-Stars, Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou, who, if further developed, might lead the Blues to the postseason.
Bannister may be nervous about the Steen hire, but he can make his mark and bring the Blues back to the playoffs.
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