The St. Louis Blues have lost game seven against the Winnipeg Jets, ending their 2024-25 season. It was an exciting first-round series, with hits galore, storylines throughout, and a pleasant surprise for Blues fans who thought this team was dead in the water prior to the season.
This first round exit may be considered a blessing in disguise. Let’s talk about why.
Learning experience
The number one thing to learn from this go around, is that this was all a learning expiernce. Nobody expected the Blues to play any kind of meaningful hockey, Nevermind a playoff series.
This was a beautiful way to introduce this squad and show them the kind of potential they have. Taking the Presidents’ Trophy winners to the final game of the first round shows that this team is for real.
The lack of superstardom was answered twofold. Robert Thomas evolved into what everyone thought he could be, and Jordan Kyrou improved significantly. Then came the surprise from mid-season acquisition Cam Fowler, who was incredible in the postseason. The Blues now know that they have a significant group of players, and now they have a grade-A head coach in Jim Montgomery to glue it all together.
Bright future
The future is very bright for the Blues. After it is all said and done, the silver lining for the 2024-25 season is that it was not a waste. For 82 games, every puck drop had a purpose.
General Manager Doug Armstrong’s decision to bet on this team worked out swimmingly. Not buying or selling at the trade deadline helped the future of this organization by not giving up meaningful draft picks or taking on unnecessary contracts that will fill up cap space.
Instead, players like Jimmy Snuggerud benefited greatly from the end of the season and first-round matchup. He helped the Blues into the playoffs and was a solid replacement for the injured Dylan Holloway. That would not have happened had Armstrong gone for a top-six forward at the deadline.
Revenge tour incoming
The final blessing in disguise from the Blues' first-round exit is that this heart-sinking loss will burn holes in every player's heart for the entire summer. Once training camp starts again, you should expect the 2025-26 season to be a revenge tour, not only on the Jets but the rest of the league.
Goaltender Jordan Binnington will head that tour. The way he played all series, being considered an MVP for both sides, and how it all ended will not go away easily, not for someone as emotional and devoted to this organization as Binnington.