ST. LOUIS BLUES
Last season: The St. Louis Blues had a 43-33-6 record and missed the playoffs.
COACH: Drew Bannister (30-19-5 as midseason replacement for Craig Berube).
SEASON OPENER: The season opener is scheduled for October 8th at Seattle.
DEPARTURES: The team said goodbye to C Kevin Hayes, D Marco Scandella, LW Jakub Vrana, and D Torey Krug (injured).
ADDITIONS: The Blues added D Philip Broberg, F Dylan Holloway, F Radek Faksa, F Alexandre Texier, F Mathieu Joseph, D Ryan Suter, D Pierre-Olivier Joseph, and assistant Claude Julien.
GOALIES: The goalies are Jordan Binnington (28-21-5, 2.84 GAA, .913 save percentage) and Joel Hofer (15-12-1, 2.65 GAA, .914 save percentage).
BetMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: The Blues have 60-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup.
What to expect
The Blues are aiming to make a return to the playoffs after missing out in the last two seasons. General manager Doug Armstrong made several moves to enhance the team’s depth by bringing in new players through trades, free agency, and offer sheets. Holloway and Broberg joining the team from the Edmonton Oilers were significant offseason surprises and are expected to make an immediate impact. Players like Faksa and Texier have also been valuable additions. The core players like Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, Colton Parayko, captain Brayden Schenn, and Binnington will play crucial roles in ensuring the Blues compete in the tough Central Division. Krug will be out for the entire season due to ankle surgery.
Strengths and weaknesses
The Blues excelled last season in defense and keeping the puck out of their net, and the addition of Suter will strengthen the blue line further. Binnington has faced criticism for inconsistency but remains a talented goaltender who can steal games. Thomas, a dominant player, is expected to lead the team. However, scoring goals was a struggle for the team last season, and improvements are needed in the power play and penalty kill. Bannister will need to address these issues for the Blues to become playoff contenders.
Players to watch
Kyrou and Thomas are players to keep an eye on, with Kyrou expected to take a more dominant role. Broberg, Faulk, and Perunovich will be key in compensating for Krug’s absence, and Binnington will be crucial in goal. Binnington’s performance will be closely monitored, especially considering a potential role in the upcoming Olympics.
Source link
