LOUIS, MO — Near the end of a disastrous 2022-23 campaign, St. Louis Blues General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Doug Armstrong declared that the club would embark upon a “retrench” as opposed to a “rebuild”.
Robert Bortuzzo #41 of the St Louis Blues is escorted to the penalty box after a fight with Zack MacEwen #17 of the Philadelphia Flyers
The stated plan was, according to Armstrong, to add players in the mid-20’s age range with some remaining contract term. The idea seemed to be that by adding new blood with time and something to prove, the Blues might find some much-needed chemistry. By moving beloved captain Ryan O’Reilly and fan-favorite Vladimir Tarasenko, Armstrong found himself in the enviable position of three first round draft picks in what was widely regarded to be one of the best-stocked drafts in recent memory.
Taking the GM at his word that this would not be an “eight-to-ten year process”, the Blues’ fan base seemed to believe that some or all of those picks would translate to trades for NHL-ready players. Instead, Armstrong used each pick to draft for the future – and, apparently, not a “near” one as many had hoped.
So where does that leave the Blues? Well, compared to last season they have no where to go but up. But what if this season becomes merely a placeholder year, and they have simply nowhere to go? A logjam at the blue line with long term contracts nearly impossible to unload, underperforming stars, and roll-of-the-dice pick ups may make this season a frustrating one for hockey fans in the Gateway City, especially those who had hoped to see some kind of marked improvement.
Blue Line Blues
Entering the 2023-24 season, the St. Louis Blues still have a defense weighed down by age. The top four of Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, Tory Krug, and Nick Leddy are all 30 or over. Even half of the projected platoon at five and six – Marco Scandella and Robert Bortuzzo are over 30 as well. All of this “experience” comes at a cost, namely $23.5 million for the top four this year alone. Added concern is the fact that the earliest any of these top four contracts can come off the books – except for a trade – would be thee 2026-27 season when Nick Leddy is scheduled to become a free agent. Armstrong did his best to alleviate some of that pressure by trying to trade Tory Krug this summer. When Krug exercised his No Trade Clause, which many of the defensive corps now have, the Blues were forced to face the fact that such clauses may be an albatross around their neck for the foreseeable future.
While there is hope that often-injured Scott Perunovich may find a groove and come into his own enough to earn consistent playing time and that Calle Rosen can continue to shine, the focus remains on the top two pairings.
Barring an in-season trade, the Blues must hope that the aging group can somehow bounce back and put behind them the failings of last year be they on the ice or, in the case of Krug, the trading block. History and the relentlessness of time do not seem to lean in the team’s favor.
Worth the Price?
Last season rumors swirled that there was some unrest in the locker room with regard to the huge contracts dolled out to both Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, young players who appear to have the makings of true hockey superstars. However, none of that came to fruition with each disappointing in different ways.
Thomas, a true playmaker, opted to pass more times than not rather than shoot even when he had the clearest view or best angle. Conversely, Kyrou, a Blues’ All-Star, seemed intent to frustrate fans by appearing to only concentrate of offense while lagging at best of slug footing at worst in his defensive play. With the exception of players like Brayden Schenn and Faulk, the de facto leadership tends to be ascribed to the big contract players. While that didn’t manifest in terms of the defense, it was even more apparent on scoring lines with goal production slowing to a crawl in the waning weeks of last season.
Nowhere, though, was the question mark of worth more glaring last season than when 2018-19 Stanley Cup hero Jordan Bennington slid between the pipes. Under contract for $6 million a year through the 2026-27 season, Bennington’s play has dropped off considerably since hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup four years ago. In fact, during the 2021-2022 season, he looked in danger of losing his role long-term to Ville Husso. Outstanding playoff appearances, cut short only by injury in a notorious collision with Nazim Kadri, and Husso signing with the Detroit Red Wings bought Bennington more time in the net last year in front of aging veteran Thomas Greiss.
Unfortunately, inconsistent play and at-times outlandish behavior became his hallmark when victories and a steady hand were needed. If Bennington is not able to return to form this year, Joel Hofer is waiting in the wings and can expect to see as much, or even more, playing time than the once-beloved net minder currently in front of him.
New and Familiar Faces
This year, Thomas and Kyrou will have to show marked improvement if the Blues are to have any chance of staying off the bottom of a very deep pool of talented teams in the Central. Such pressure comes with all of those zeroes on the paycheck. Still, others behind the Blue Note like Schenn, Brandon Saad, and arguably the Blues most consistent player Pavel Buchnevich will have to continue chipping in as well.
Add to them up and comers like Jake Neighbours and Alexi Toropchenko, there is reason to believe that the offensive can produce, but how consistently is the question. Perhaps the answer lies in late season pick-ups Jakub Vrana, Sammy Blais, and Kasperi Kapanen who will have this season to prove that they have something to offer long-term – either to the Blues or someone else – before each becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent next season. That seems to have been the plan Armstrong laid out in late Spring addressing the additions of Kapanen and Vrana: “We brought in two players that are very hungry and on one-year deals. They’re going to want to maximize their summer and their next season, and we could be the benefactors of that…”
Offseason pick-ups of fan-favorite Oskar Sundkvist and former Flyer Kevin Hayes can provide hard-charging energy and veteran sensibility respectively, both elements sorely missed by the team for much of last season.
To add to the upheaval woes, this will be the first season in 15 that Blues fans will go it without longtime broadcast favorite Darren Pang who, perhaps seeing the financial writing of the wall of the Bally Sports Franchises, signed with the rival Chicago Blackhawks. Panger’s replacement is no stranger to the St. Louis as former Blues’ defenseman Jamie Rivers will take over behind the mic with John Kelly.
For many this was the bridge too far for this transitional season.
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Could the St. Louis Blues make the playoffs? It’s hockey, so anything can happen. Still, this year, it seems the best they can do is keep their heads above water, and unless something drastic happens, long-suffering Blues fans who spent decades acclimating themselves to “just good enough” might be in for another long season of the same.
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