The new style of play in St. Louis under head coach Jim Montgomery is as exciting to watch as the results would indicate. The style of play is partially predicated on having capable forwards who can assist with defensive contributions in addition to their offensive games. Noteworthy skaters Dylan Holloway, Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and new addition Pius Suter, among others, all make defense an important part of their game.
This style of "backwards hockey" has some traction around the league and is one of the many reasons the Florida Panthers are currently so successful.
Could one of these forwards have a chance to become a finalist or outright win the Selke this season? Let's analyze each case
Jordan Kyrou
Kyrou finished tied for 37th in Selke voting last season, receiving one fifth-place vote. This put him at the bottom of the list, meaning it would take quite a jump to land in the top 3.
Kyrou spent the offseason and regular season really honing his defense and showed his best improvement of his career up to this point. Defense had never been a strength of Kyrou's until this past season, when it suddenly became one of his greatest assets.
However, for Kyrou to land in the top-3 of Selke voting, that would be a massive jump. It is highly unlikely Kyrou will win a Selke this season, but the improvement could mean one is coming into his future.
Jordan Kyrou has been steadily improving every year and has not yet entered his prime as a skater, meaning we could still see development to come with the young skater. At this point, while his defense is terrific, it is not yet Selke-caliber. But who knows, perhaps that next step will come next season as Kyrou continues to improve.
Pius Suter
One of the newest additions to the Blues this season, Pius Suter, is an excellent defensive forward. Suter will likely play a middle-six role on the team and should offer strong defensive contributions.
Suter also finished tied for 37th with Kyrou, receiving one fifth-place vote. However, Suter's ascension on the list is much more likely.
Suter is entering his age-29 season, meaning he is just hitting his prime, and will have consistent minutes and deployment with the Blues this season. As a defensive forward, Suter will benefit greatly from playing on an excellent defensive team like the Blues, versus his last situation with the middling Canucks.
The deployment and surrounding cast will all be helpful to Suter, but his own defensive abilities should shine with the Blues as well. Under the coaching of Jim Montgomery, Suter's defense should only become more impactful as he fits so perfectly into this system of hockey, further bolstering his Selke candidacy.
I don't know if it will be enough to finish as a finalist for the award, and his deployment as a middle-six player instead of a top-line skater could drag him down the voting a bit, but I think a top 15 or top 10 finish for Suter is not out of the question at all.
Dylan Holloway
A potential dark horse for the award is winger Dylan Holloway. Holloway finished tied for 26th with two fourth-place votes. This puts him 11 spots ahead of his teammates and the second-highest Blue on the list.
Holloway immediately impressed in his debut season with the Blues as both an offensive and defensive threat. He received more recognition for his efforts with the two fourth-place votes, and is quickly gaining respect around the league as one of the better defensive wingers.
It is difficult for a winger to win the award who is not on the top line, but there is always the chance that Holloway earns top-line minutes or plays enough on the second line as an impressive depth option.
For Holloway to win the award would be a big step to take for next season, but there is an outside shot. Furthermore, this only strengthens his candidacy and chances of finishing as a finalist or winning a Selke for the future of his career.
Robert Thomas
The best case, by far, is with Robert Thomas. Thomas placed 21st with one third-place vote, one fourth-place vote, and two fifth-place votes.
Thomas is a top-line player with real defensive ability and earned more recognition from around the league, even getting one vote to be a finalist for the award.
Thomas is also still developing as a very young skater, and his defense is coming along nicely. The limits of his ability have yet to be determined, and there is a chance Thomas is on his way to becoming one of the greatest defensive forwards in the league, in an unlikely outcome.
What is likely is that Thomas is still improving and that his defense is already great, but could become even greater. He has the ice time to become a finalist for the award, he has the role as a first-line center, and he has the ability to improve to the level that would be required of a Selke finalist.
It's all in front of Thomas to go out and achieve it, but if he puts his mind to it and focuses on making defense a highlight of his game, I could envision several potential futures where Thomas finishes as a finalist or even wins the award.
The Selke award for best defensive forward is typically awarded to players who have earned the name value around the league, so for someone other than Thomas to win the award would be kind of a long shot. That isn't to say it's impossible, but the Selke is not usually an award with a lot of upsets or surprising decisions.
For more thoughts on the Blues candidates for Selke as well as for other awards, check out the most recent episode of my podcast, the Note News Podcast:
Having another Blue earn the award for best defensive forward since Ryan O'Reilly in 2019 would be an exciting outcome for the Blues, and I think that while it is a long shot, the number of candidates and potential for the Blues this season makes it a realistic outside chance.