All signs are pointing up. After a rocky start with injuries and a swift coaching change once Jim Montgomery became available, the Blues struck high notes for the rest of the season. Under Montgomery, the Blues had the seventh-best points percentage, their offer sheets for Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway worked out beautifully and Cam Fowler fit like a glove.
The Blues also made some smart moves again this off-season, finding a very qualified No. 3 center in Pius Suter, adding size to an already very big bottom six with Nick Bjugstad and injecting some youth on their blue line trading for Logan Mailloux.
There are no big holes in the lineup, and what the Blues lack in an elite superstar – Robert Thomas comes closest, but he’s a few cuts below – they make up for with the balance of their roster. Going Thomas, Suter and Brayden Schenn down the middle is quality depth, and their wingers are deep.
Start with Jimmy Snuggerud, who showed instant chemistry on the top line and a front-runner for the Calder. Jordan Kyrou is an underrated even-strength player and ranks 15th in even-strength goals over the past two seasons. Pavel Buchnevich can finally stay on the wing and put an end to the doomed experiment of playing him at center, and Dylan Holloway thrived under Montgomery. That’s pushing Jake Neighbours, who can be a second-line player on any other team, to the third line.
THN Yearbook & Fantasy Guide projects four forwards to score at least 60 points, one more with at least 50 and two more with at least 40. Thomas, obviously, is projected to be the leader with 88 points.
I’m not convinced Fowler will score at a 57-point pace like he did last season, but that their entire top four is potentially worth rostering again speaks to the Blues’ quality depth. Which defenseman has the most value will depend on who quarterbacks their power play – my guess is Fowler – but Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk and Broberg can all score 30 points and provide either 100 blocks or 100 hits or both.
There might be some questions in net, but after the 4 Nations, I think it’s clear Jordan Binnington can be an excellent goalie. His antics can detract from his play, and at times he’s been very unreliable, but in an Olympic year, Binnington should be very motivated to play his very best. The Blues have a great insurance plan in Joel Hofer, but I would be very surprised if Binnington doesn’t get at least 50 starts. It’s really interesting that Binnington has not won 30 games since his sophomore season; I’m betting he sets a career high in that category, especially with the goal support he can get.
Prediction:
It’s unfortunate for the Blues they’re stuck in such a tough division, but they’ll make the playoffs quite easily. The momentum they built with Montgomery continues, and Thomas’ play is so stellar he plays his way onto the Olympic team with Parayko and Binnington.
Snuggerud challenges the Habs’ Ivan Demidov and the Caps’ Ryan Leonard all season as the top rookie forward and finishes with a 25-goal, 50-point season, and Holloway eventually gets recognized for his banger league value with at least 30 goals, 150 shots and 150 hits. Speaking of which, the Blues are a gold mine for options; Nathan Walker and Alexei Toropchenko are good fourth-line players for hits, and Jake Neighbours combines both hits and goals.
The Blues surprise everyone and finish third in the Central behind the Stars and Avs, planting the seeds for a return to elite status in the coming seasons.
All stats courtesy of naturalstattrick.com, moneypuck.com, hockeyviz.com, allthreezones.com, hockey-reference.com, eliteprospects.com unless otherwise noted.