The St. Louis Blues will meet their Central Division opponents 26 times in 2023-24, including four matchups against the Arizona Coyotes. While last season didn’t go as planned, the series against the Coyotes was even worse. After struggling with a 1-2-1 record against St. Louis during the 2021-22 season, the Arizona squad bounced back in a big way one year later.
Here’s a look at how the two division opponents stack up against each other heading into the 2023-24 season.
2022-23 Season Review
- Season Record: 28-40-14 (70 points)
- 7th in the Central Division
- Goals For: 228 (28th of 32), Goals Against: 299 (25th of 32)
- Season Series Against St. Louis: 2-0-1
Biggest Blues Killers
Powered by a hat trick during their first matchup of the season, Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz led all players with 10 points (five goals, five assists) against the Blues last season. The 27-year-old fell one goal shy of tying a career-high 23 goals in 63 regular-season games set during the 2021-22 season.
Along with Schmaltz, the Blues also had their fair share of fits and frustrations with Coyotes racking up points. Forward Clayton Keller produced six (three goals, three assists), while forward Barrett Hayton and defenseman Juuso Välimäki both produced four points in three games as well. Despite outshooting Arizona 112 to 80 over the three games, the Blues were doubled up on goals 16 to eight, allowing an average of 5.33 goals against per game.
Though St. Louis experienced their fair share of offensive outages throughout the season, this was a troubling trend for a team that only averaged 3.17 goals against per game. If the team is unable to fix the defensive woes that they experienced throughout the 2022-23 season, they could have a difficult time containing the offensive weapons that Arizona was able to secure in the offseason.
Key Arrivals for the Coyotes
- F Jason Zucker
- F Nick Bjugstad
- F Alex Kerfoot
- D Sean Durzi
- D Troy Stetcher
Related: Blues Should Consider Trade for Coyotes’ Clayton Keller
Arizona has started to load up on veteran talent to sprinkle in among the youthful pool of prospects making their way to the NHL. The incoming players are all on short-term deals and have the ability to either play their way out of Arizona, potentially to a playoff team, or onto a new contract in the offseason, while the Coyotes can recoup assets from any trade in the meantime.
Key Departures
- F Christian Fisher
- F Zack Kassian
- D Patrik Nemeth
- D Connor Mackey
For too long, the Coyotes have been stuck in a state that presented itself as an underwhelming franchise, constantly churning out losing season after losing season. The club was always looking to the future and bringing in new prospects while never looking to take the next step in the rebuilding process.
The decision to part ways with some of these players allowed the team to look to free agency and the trade market to bolster their roster from top to bottom. They are beginning to turn the page from being the consistently mediocre squad to a team with a top 15 prospect pool and a hopeful Stanely Cup contender in the near future. Difficult decisions had to be made, especially for players like Christian Fischer, who spent their entire career with the organization. However, these decisions needed to be made for the overall health of the organization.
2023-24 Head-to-Head Projection
Both clubs have a growing pool of young talent and will be looking to use their individual talents and energy to begin turning the direction of the franchise in a hopeful playoff push.
The Blues could win three of four matchups or split the season series if the Coyotes surprise again. With changes to the St. Louis coaching staff during the offseason and an opportunity to reflect and reset on their first losing season since 2007-08, the two clubs may be in an interesting battle in the hunt for a wild-card berth.
