With the St. Louis Blues' season over and the playoffs underway, it's time to reflect on what happened to a team that came seconds away from advancing to the second round about this time last year. In aggregate, the season should be viewed as a failure, from poor coaching decisions to roster issues that started at the top. The players, of course, carry most of the blame, and these three were woefully inept this season. Here's hoping they can bounce back next year to be part of the solution--if they're even still with the team.
Cam Fowler: 4 goals, 26 assists, 30 points
General manager Doug Armstrong looked like a genius when he rescued Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks last season, with Fowler putting up an outstanding 9 goals, 27 assists and 36 points in 51 games with the Blues. He looked every bit the part of a top-pair defenseman, sporting a sparkling plus-19 goal differential. Oh, how the might have fallen: in a full 82 games this season, Fowler only managed a paltry 30 points, and his minus-11 was the third worst marker on the team. Regression hit the 34-year old blue liner hard, and the Blues may be stuck with him: Fowler has a four-team trade list that becomes a full no-trade clause on July 1 when his three-year, $6.1-million AAV contract extension kicks in.
Pavel Buchnevich: 20 goals, 28 assists, 48 points
Armstrong likes to lock players up to long-term contracts well before they sniff free agency and, much like Fowler ahead of Buchnevich on this list, it's burning the Blues. Buchnevich's $8-million AAV contract runs through 2031 and, at 31 years old, it's highly unlikely he winds back the clock to when he was producing like a forward with that kind of value. He turned it on late, making it six season straight with 20-plus goals, but the Blues will need more if they hope to turn this ship around quickly.
Jordan Kyrou: 18 goals, 28 assists, 46 points
On the surface, there is no doubt Kyrou regressed this season: it's the first time he hasn't broken the 30 goal mark since the 2021-22 season, his his 46 points is his lowest since his sophomore season. However, at 27 years old, there's reason to believe Kyrou can get his game back on track, if given the appropriate opportunity. He grades out exceptionally well, his 59.74 xGF% leading all Blues skaters, and other statistical models love him as well. Kyrou's 10.4 shooting percentage--well below his career average of 13.2--is likely part of the offensive drop off, but he also only put the puck on net 173 times in 72 games this sear. That's well off his 82-game average of 214. Kyrou is poised for a bounce back next season, and the Blues should keep that in mind if they're considering trade offers for the winger.
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