Staying Strong: Why the St. Louis Blues Shouldn't Rebuild

Players come and go in the NHL, and roster changes occur frequently.

Like any other team, the St. Louis Blues experience the ebb and flow of player changes. However, their goal remains steadfast: to field a competitive and dependable roster.

The Blues are average in almost all stats, leading to the question of whether to rebuild or maintain their current roster.

The St. Louis Blues have the existing talent to compete

First, both goaltenders and, notably, veteran Jordan Binnington played well this season. Binnington deserves to be acknowledged as one of the best goalies in the NHL. He demonstrated his value through his performance in 2023-24.

Robert Thomas earned his first All-Star appearance and concluded the season with 86 points. General manager Doug Armstrong must be excited to see if Thomas can replicate his success this upcoming season.

Jordan Kyrou may be the dilemma. Although Kyrou has been recognized as an All-Star in the previous few seasons, his performance in terms of total points has taken a downturn. His open criticism of former head coach Craig Berube also resulted in him losing the support of several fans.

If Kyrou can rediscover his drive and talent from the year 2022, the combination of Thomas and Kyrou can potentially be extremely dangerous.

A Complete Rebuild could hurt the existing roster

Kyrou is 26, and Thomas turns 25 this offseason. If Armstrong committed to a complete rebuild, this would hurt both anticipated stars.

Rebuilding takes patience and time. The Chicago Blackhawks are a perfect example of this. While there is optimism about their future, it is projected that Connor Bedard, who will be 19 in July, will play a pivotal role in shaping their roster.

If the St. Louis Blues decide to revamp their roster and focus on younger players, the Kyrou and Thomas duo could be pushed to the side, and the Blues might miss out on their prime years. 

Rather, the best measure is to focus on Thomas as the centerpiece of the roster and build around him now.

Shortly, the roster could see the addition of young talents like Dalibor Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud.

Assuming Armstrong maintains his current plan and roster, prospects will have opportunities to join the team as existing players depart through free agency.

Armstrong had hoped for a different outcome involving Kyrou. Nevertheless, if Kyrou could replicate his performance from 2022, then waiting for him was a worthwhile gamble.

I don't expect a rebuild; it makes little sense.

The Blues should focus on filling in the gaps and building on their strengths.