The St. Louis Blues season is leaning toward ‘lost,’ if you’ve been keeping track lately. Sitting with a below-0.500 points total and 55 points, all signs point to the Blues packing it up and going home following their season finale in April.
But just because the playoffs have reached pipe dream mode, it doesn’t mean you should give up on your favorite hockey team just yet. The Blues are still getting younger and that means a veteran player or two will finish the season in a different uniform, but that also means more opportunity and ice time for younger talent.
This is what makes the Blues one of the more interesting teams from my perspective. You know more ice time for youngsters who’ll comprise the team’s next great core will struggle some, but they’ll also grow as the season winds down. And growth should be the next great accomplishment on the itinerary.
Look for the St. Louis Blues to prioritize growth after the 4 Nations Face-Off
Players like Dylan Holloway have taken the next step this season, and he can still climb another rung on the ladder before the 2024-25 campaign ends. Jake Neighbours is someone I’ll be watching closely, and so far I’ve found his campaign disappointing, especially when compared to Holloway.
Neighbours has just 13 goals and 25 points in 56 games compared to Holloway’s 16 goals and 40 points in the same number of contests. They’ve been almost equally physical, but Holloway’s developed a knack for stealing the puck in ways Neighbours hasn’t.
Zachary Bolduc is another forward I’ll be expecting to grow. And if the Blues traded a forward or two like Brayden Schenn, Bolduc should get more ice time. So far, he’s generated six goals and 18 points in 46 contests, playing mainly bottom-six minutes. I can see him jumping to the middle six should a trade occur.
Blues fans should demand growth during the final third of the season
Many eyes will be on Philip Broberg, who jumped out of the gate this season but has cooled off since. So far, he’s got 17 points and four goals in 43 contests, but if he can return to playing the same type of game we saw from him earlier this season, he’ll build a lot of momentum for both himself and the fans heading into 2025-26.
Joel Hofer is the final name on my list and while his numbers aren’t on pace to be what they were last season, he’s still been okay, with a 0.500 quality starts percentage, a 2.88 GAA, a shutout, and a 0.903 save percentage. Overall, I’d like to see those numbers increase, but if the Blues got younger during the remainder of February and at the trade deadline, if he held even, it’d be an accomplishment.
These five players are on my shortlist to improve if the Blues are to consider this season a step in the right direction. Yeah, it might be painful to watch, especially without as much veteran guidance should that prove to be the case, but watching the younger players grow should be the prerequisite heading into a better 2025-26 season.