With Robert Thomas suffering a fractured ankle in the game against the Winnipeg Jets and expected to be reevaluated in six weeks, the St. Louis Blues will need players to step up in his absence to stay in the fight to make the playoffs.
Jordan Kyrou
The most likely and obvious answer here is Jordan Kyrou, and that is because of the offensive impact he can have. With Thomas being out six weeks at the minimum, Kyrou can show he has an extra gear to his offensive game that the fan base believes he possesses. Kyrou's start to the season has gone well, producing seven points in seven games.
However, he only has one point in his last four games. Kyrou's biggest knock has always been his consistency. He will light it up for a two to three game stretch and then go silent for his next four games. For the season to not go the wrong way, the St. Louis Blues need Kyrou to be their offensive catalyst and the team's best player on a night-to-night basis.
Thomas showed last season that he can be the team's best offensive player. It is time for Kyrou to show that his offensive game is on par or above what Thomas has shown, especially with the two being the team's highest-paid players.
Jake Neighbours
On the back of his contract extension and pay raise, this may be the perfect opportunity to show that Jake Neighbours can build upon his breakout 2023-24 campaign. Neighbours finished last season with an incredible 27 goals, and while many of the fanbase saw the goals coming one day, I doubt many assumed it would happen so soon.
With those 27 goals, he only finished last season with 38 points. With Thomas out, the St. Louis Blues need Neighbours to step up and will have the opportunity to do just that. With a spot open on the team's top powerplay unit, Neighbours is the most likely candidate to fill that void until Thomas returns from injury. Neighbours proved to the league last season that he can score goals, and being added to the top power play unit, what is stopping him from 30 goals this season, or potentially even more?
Dylan Holloway
One of the two major offseason acquisitions of the St. Louis Blues thanks to the Edmonton Oilers declining to match their offer sheets to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. Broberg has already hit the ice running with his play so far this season, looking like the St. Louis Blues made the right decision to pry him away from the Edmonton Oilers.
It is time to see what Holloway has to offer. Holloway will have an opportunity to center the third line, with Brayden Schenn moving up to the first line to replace the hole left by Thomas. Holloway will potentially have more opportunities to play some powerplay minutes, with Neighbours moving from the second powerplay unit to the first.
The St. Louis Blues and the fanbase are eager to see Holloway's offensive ability in the NHL, having shown in college with the University of Wisconsin and being taken 14th overall in the 2020 NHL draft. Holloway has yet to prove that he can be a full-time NHLer, but this may be his opportunity to show the St. Louis Blues that they made the right decision to give him that offer sheet.