The St. Louis Blues have had a fairly positive 2024-25 campaign, and it has started to make its dramatic conclusion. There is still a lot left on the table, with 14 games, a possible playoff berth and the possibility of seeing some of the Blues next generation make their way up to the big stage.
Record-wise, the Blues are 33-28-7 for 73 points. That is still tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. With only a handful of games left, and a double-edge sword in their possession, where can this team end up at the end of the year?
Let's discuss.
Central Division Standings
The Central Division is a very competitive one. There are a ton of teams with solid records, and the division as a whole will be represented nicely in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With or without the Blues.
Currently, the top three teams in the division are as follows, the Winnipeg Jets at 98 points, the Dallas Stars at 87 points, and the Colorado Avalanche at 85 points. The Minnesota Wild control the first wildcard spot at 79 points, and the Blues at 73 points. With 28 points up for grabs, and the Blues meeting with Colorado two more times, there could be a seismic shift in the playoff seeds.
Crazy to think, that even though there is a 12-point differential between the last wild-card spot and the third place in the division, such a thing could happen. If the Blues go on a run, and sweep the final two games of the year against Colorado, and Colorado happens to hit a dry spell, things could change. Of course, the Wild will also need to be tamed as well.
Realistically, the Blues will stay in the wild-card hunt. As for Minnesota and Colorado, who do not meet again this season, they could swap places. For now, let's mark down the Blues as a fringe playoff team.
Playoffs?
The playoffs, did you say playoffs? The Blues, the team that couldn't win more than two games in a row until recently had a chance at sneaking in. That wouldn't have been a thought back in late November.
Now, it is an entirely different story, with a new narrative that this team is a potential contender. The next 14 games are going to be a wild ride, and it could be beneficial on both ends of the spectrum. They either make the playoffs and try to go all the way to the end with this roster. Or, they just miss the cusp and start to play the bright stars of the future, by calling up Dalibor Dvorsky for instance.
I say this is a playoff team. They have fought hard enough to make it to the big dance, and they absolutely could be a Cinderella story if they make it.