3 St. Louis Blues players who surprised fans this season

Few saw Jake Neighbours threatening to hit the 30-goal mark

It’s too late for Jake Neighbours to hit 30 goals this season, but you can’t help but credit him for getting close when few, if any of us, saw it happening. Just last year, Neighbours played in 43 contests, but scored 10 points and six goals, not even remotely foreshadowing what he’d accomplish in 2023-24. 

While he has just 38 points in 77 contests here in the final week of this season, he’s also scored 27 goals. If you’re keeping track, it means Neighbours increased his goal total by 21 in April 2024, and you can only wonder what the future holds. 

While there is a chance he could revert into the low-scoring player he was, Neighbours is just 22, and he’s got a lot of hockey to go in Gateway City. If he keeps up his strong play next season, especially down the stretch, an extension is inevitable, and rightfully earned. 

We also need to mention that his increased goal-scoring total has not come with a dip in his defensive play. Neighbours crossed the century mark in hits with 138, and he recorded 39 takeaways. He is a brewing three-zone player who fans will look forward to watching from now and throughout the decade.