The ultimate checklist for the St. Louis Blues in the 2024 offseason
The St. Louis Blues are close to making the playoffs in 2023-24, but it looks like they will land just short, making the 2024 offseason an important one for Doug Armstrong.
If there is one team that can take many different directions here in the summer of 2024, it’s the St. Louis Blues. General manager Doug Armstrong could choose to set the stage and go ‘all-in,’ or he could further dismantle a team that will probably fall short of the playoffs and implement more of a rebuild, which would make sense if he doesn’t plan on keeping head coach Drew Bannister around.
Anyway, regardless of which strategy Armstrong uses, there are a few common denominators he must not ignore. This means Armstrong must be thinking forward, even if he ends up more interested in building for the present.
It would be great to see him add another forward and put the team in a better position to make a postseason return following a probable two-year layoff, but if it comes with trading away high-end prospects or draft picks that would add more talent to the pipeline, it’s a risk not worth taking.
St. Louis Blues must focus on three main factors this offseason
The so-called rebuild mentioned earlier, however, might be too much hyperbole. So getting rid of some top talents with soon-to-be expiring contracts but keeping the younger (and a few older) pieces could bode well for the three offseason factors listed in this slideshow.
For one, Armstrong isn’t short on draft picks, and there is already a core to go with a few older players with lengthy contracts. Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Alexey Toropchenko, Zachary Bolduc, Zach Dean, Jake Neighbours, and Nikita Alexandrov make up a high-potential forward group, and they are all currently 25 and under.
Joel Hofer is a youngster who has impressed at goaltender behind Jordan Binnington, while Matthew Kessel is one solid asset on the blue line, with Tyler Tucker and Scott Perunovich showing promise. Veteran leadership on the blue line is big, as is Brayden Schenn at forward, rounding out the core.
So how can this team A, win long-term and B, perhaps stay competitive in 2024-25 with a successful offseason? Let’s explore three points that make up this organization’s ultimate checklist.
Keep the door open for ‘graduating prospects’
This was something I briefly discussed in the 3 strategies piece linked to the previous slide, and if Armstrong believes there are a few more prospects in the pipeline that weren’t mentioned in that last slide who deserve a chance in the NHL next season, this is a strategy that must happen.
Zachary Bolduc and Zach Dean will most likely no longer wear the prospects label, but others may join them with the big club at some point next season. Jimmy Snuggerud, for example, could sign following the next collegiate season and get a trial between March and April following what will be his junior season in 2024-25.
Dalibor Dvorsky is another one to watch, as while he will likely return to Sudbury for another year, an impressive camp could change everything. While it seems unlikely, let’s remember that Zach Benson (13th overall for the Buffalo Sabres) was a longshot to make the team this past year, and he ended up spending the full season in Buffalo.
Given Snuggerud’s and Dvorsky’s potential to play for the big club at some point, Armstrong must avoid bringing in players who could ultimately block them. Further, if the Blues aren’t in serious contention come March, why not try and trade the likes of Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich to guarantee room for at least Snuggerud if he signs?
Bring in a proven head coach
Drew Bannister hasn’t been ultra-successful with the Blues despite his 29-18-4 mark following Wednesday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks. Not a bad mark, but there are better options out there who would be more than good fits for the Blues.
Take Gerard Gallant, whose track record with the Vegas Golden Knights and the New York Rangers was nothing short of successful. We know how well Gallant performed behind the bench in Vegas when he was tasked with the role of leading an expansion franchise, and for a lineup going through more potential changes, his previous experience should make him a frontrunner.
Lindy Ruff is another one whom Doug Armstrong should reach out to despite his shortcomings with the New Jersey Devils. But you also can’t deny Ruff’s immense success and longevity, and he is still a well-respected figure who should still get plenty of interviews this summer.
Gallant and Ruff are just two examples of coaches who have fared well with either a lineup reshuffling or in the former’s case, taking on a seemingly insurmountable challenge. There will be other coaches out there, and just because we’re using the term ‘proven,’ it doesn’t mean former NHL head coaching experience is a prerequisite.
Instead, any coach who has proven to work well with a situation similar to what we are seeing in St. Louis would work. It shouldn’t matter if they are currently an assistant coach, or coaching in the AHL.
Draft defense, defense, and more defense this summer
Okay, let’s talk about the NHL Draft and why Doug Armstrong must focus on defense, defense, and more defense early and often. The prospects pipeline isn’t anywhere near as deep with NHL talent as the forward group, even if there are some promising names there like Theo Lindstein and Paul Fischer, but forwards have dominated the team’s pipeline rankings.
Blueliners like Zeev Buium, Adam Jiricek, and Aron Kiviharju, could also be there when the Blues pick in the middle of the first. But, it can’t stop after just one round. As long as the pick isn’t a blatant reach, then Armstrong must address the issue and turn the weaknesses at the blue line into a strength.
If Armstrong can focus on the blue line and perhaps find one more goaltender in the draft, the Blues prospects pool should rank well within the top 10 for 2024-25.
feed