St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg will face a certain type of pressure this upcoming season. The 25-year-old will be starting the first year of a six-year pact paying him $8 million per campaign. When Broberg signed the deal, it looked a little pricey. But with the way salaries have moved this summer, the deal doesn’t look nearly as onerous as it once did.
Still, the Blues are going to be paying Broberg to be a top-pairing defenseman. So, the pressure will be on for the former first-round pick to prove his a legit number-one NHL blueliner.
That’s a bit of a tall order for Broberg. His overall numbers suggest he could enter the conversation among the league’s top defensemen. He plays over 20 minutes a night, he gets tough defensive assignments, and he has gradually earned Jim Montgomery’s trust.
However, the underlying numbers prove there is still a long way to go. Broberg’s offensive numbers last season six goals and 34 points in 81 games, aren’t really becoming of a number-one defenseman. Today’s NHL expects high-end blueliners to put up higher offensive totals, generally in the 60 to 70-point range.
Broberg’s lack of offense could be due to his usage. His 47.0 Corsi shows he spends a lot more time in the defensive zone. So, you would have to think that if the Blues deploy Broberg more in an offensive role, while also increasing his power play time, those numbers could climb.
Last season, Broberg spent a little over a minute of power-play time, compared to nearly 2:30 minutes of time on the penalty kill. If those numbers switched around, there may well be a substantial uptick in Broberg’s offensive numbers.
What would next step for Broberg look like?
The next step for Broberg would be a mix of quantitative and qualitative shifts.
Objectively, the next step for Broberg would show him consistently playing 22 or 23 minutes a night. He would log the lion’s share of power-play time, while also seeing an increase in offensive output. Perhaps double digits in goals and 60+ points would be a major signal.
Subjectively, the next step for Broberg would see him become “the guy” in all situations for Jim Montgomery. Broberg would also earn a larger leadership role on and off the ice.
At this point, the ceiling for Broberg is similar to that of another Swedish blueliner, Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. If Broberg can turn into a high-end blueliner like Dahlin, Broberg could well be on his way to becoming the next great St. Louis Blues defenseman.
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