As the St. Louis Blues head into this season, there are several things to look forward to as they try to improve from a lackluster 2022-23 season. Even without wholesale changes throughout this summer, the Blues have a roster that can compete for a playoff spot this season.
Several trends from last season must flip the other way for the Blues to succeed this season, and I think that’s possible. They have a solid roster and plenty of continuity to go along with it. Let’s get into five things to be excited about for the Blues 2023-24 season.
Brilliance of Pavel Buchnevich & Robert Thomas
The Blues have a couple of high-level forwards in Pavel Buchnevich and Robert Thomas, and they are the two best players on the team, in my opinion. I always thought that Buchnevich would perform well in St. Louis after being traded by the New York Rangers, but I didn’t think he would be this elite. He’s one of the best wingers in the game, and there are several stats to back that up.
Buchnevich has had a lot of success in his two seasons with the Blues, posting 143 points in 136 games. He hasn’t stayed healthy in either season, but he’s played over 60 games in each and has clearly produced at an elite level. His versatility makes him extremely valuable to the Blues, as he can play alongside anybody and produce. As for Thomas, he didn’t produce as much last season as he did in 2021-22, but he’s still the Blues’ top center. He’s due for a bounce-back season with another 70-plus point season. The brilliance of Buchnevich and Thomas will be something to behold this season.
Blues’ New Assistant Coaches Bring Fresh Perspective
Both the special teams’ units and blue line failed the Blues last season, and it led to the firings of assistant coaches Mike Van Ryn and Craig MacTavish. To replace those two, they brought in Mike Weber and Michael Babcock. Both Weber and Babcock are young and will bring a fresh perspective to the room for the Blues. They needed new voices behind the bench alongside head coach Craig Berube, and this should accomplish that.
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Weber is 35 years old and has experience as an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) over the past three seasons. He’ll be responsible for running the Blues’ defensive unit, and it will be a tall task after being one of the worst units in the league last season. Weber’s recent experience as an NHL defenseman and reputation as a coach should be a great asset to Berube’s staff.
As for Babcock, he’s the son of Stanley Cup-winning head coach Mike Babcock, who is about to enter his first season back in the league with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s just 28 years old and spent a couple of seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Saskatchewan before working for the Ottawa Senators last season. His role with the Blues is labeled as the skills coach, and I’m sure he’ll have his hand in a little bit of everything on this staff. The Blues needed a change behind the bench alongside Berube, and both of these hires look great on the surface.
Kevin Hayes’ First Season in St. Louis
The Blues’ biggest move of the offseason was trading for center Kevin Hayes from the Philadelphia Flyers, sacrificing just a 2024 sixth-round pick to do so. It’ll be interesting to see who Berube puts him on a line with and how he fits into the system. Hayes clearly needed a change of scenery after it didn’t work out in Philadelphia, and that is a big reason why I believe he will play well in St. Louis.
Throughout his career, Hayes has been a solid point producer with seven of nine seasons above 40 points, including 54 points last season. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong has a great track record of offseason trades over the past few years with deals that landed him Buchnevich, Brayden Schenn, and Ryan O’Reilly, and Hayes could be the next to succeed.
Scott Perunovich & Jake Neighbours Are Breakout Candidates
With proper opportunity, Blues youngsters Scott Perunovich and Jake Neighbours will have the chance to break out this season. Both have struggled to stay healthy early into their NHL careers, especially Perunovich, who has missed a lot of time over the past two seasons.
Perunovich is likely to be a key playmaker on either of the Blues’ power play units this season with his overall prowess as a puck mover. If he stays healthy, he will score a lot of points and give the Blues a reason to hand him the keys to the top power-play unit over Torey Krug. As for Neighbours, he will be in the Blues lineup on opening night, but it remains to be seen what kind of minutes he will receive. I don’t think he’ll be a high-level scorer in the NHL, but his potential as a power forward is high. It would not surprise me to see both Perunovich and Neighbours become key contributors for the Blues this season.
A Full Season for Goaltender Joel Hofer
Don’t be surprised if Joel Hofer surpasses Jordan Binnington on the Blues’ depth chart of goaltenders sometime this season. He has produced at every level of his hockey career, including limited time in the NHL over the past two seasons. At 22 years old, Hofer is poised to become the full-time backup for the Blues and could elevate himself further as his career rolls along.
Last season, he made six starts and had a save percentage (SV%) of .944 in his first four games before struggles in his final two appearances. He’s developed a lot over the past few seasons, and I expect that to be evident as he gets more opportunities this season. I think Hofer has the potential to be the Blues starting goaltender at some point this season if Binnington can’t regain his form and he plays well.
Overall, the Blues will be one of the most interesting teams in the NHL to evaluate this season as they try to get back into the playoffs. They have a quality mix of youth and experience with opportunities to flourish in the Berube system. Even with the Blues roster being in a retooling phase, there is still a lot to be excited about before the 2023-24 season begins.