No, winning shouldn’t be on the menu for the St. Louis Blues in 2024-25, and while that may sound ridiculous to some, overall, it’s the best way forward. Why? Because the Blues aren’t going anywhere this year, even if they have some talent in all three major position groups.
But some of that talent is aging or about to age. One player, Torey Krug, won’t even suit up this season, so really, why even do this with the current players? If you’re the Blues, you have some young talents like Dalibor Dvorsky who, if he proves himself ready, should just find himself in a sweater with that timeless music note on the front.
Earlier in the year, general manager Doug Armstrong snatched Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway from the Edmonton Oilers, and this came a few months after he gave an extended look to youngsters Zach Dean and Zack Bolduc. Plus, he’s got a fantastic young goaltender just waiting to see more time between the pipes.
It’s one thing if none of the above are ready for the demands that the NHL brings, but nearly all of them, sans Dvorsky, have experience in the big league. That means they could be ready to roll, and while it means growing pains in the short-term, it’s not like the Blues are in the same league as the Chicago Blackhawks were over the past few years or the San Jose Sharks were last season.
St. Louis Blues should stock the lineup with as many youngsters as possible
Few executives in the NHL have run organizations better than general manager Doug Armstrong, and it looks like he was wise enough to make this “restructuring” effort a slow, steady one. Armstrong didn’t tear down the organization overnight like you see from some executives, and it’s probably why the Blues kept fans watching late last year amidst a down campaign.
The 2024-25 season will be another one, and reality will set in for the Blues regardless of whether they’re rolling with younger talent or if they’re looking to keep more experienced players around. This isn’t saying that they should be paying a buried cap penalty or anything like that to make room for youngsters, but it does mean Armstrong should try to move a few players elsewhere to create space.
While this strategy could backfire and go down as one of the worst rebuilding situations in hockey, it’s more likely it won’t be the case should they find ways to move players who are on full no-movement clauses, something I talked extensively about in August.
Thinking long-term, Armstrong must find a way to get as many of the “kids” onto the big club as possible if they can handle it. If not, that’s one thing, but there’s no way I’d accept going forward with what is still an older team if I already know what they’re going to give me. Move those players if you can and bring up some youngsters.