Central Division Preview Series 2.0: St. Louis improves, but still singing the Blues
The St. Louis Blues had a quiet offseason, with much of their talent departing the team this summer. With their two goaltenders healthy, they look to be a threat in the Central Division again. Here is the season preview for the St. Louis Blues.
The St. Louis Blues have been the Dallas Stars' rivals over the last couple of seasons. Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington have given the Stars a run for their money whenever they are between the pipes. You can expect both goaltenders to be a thorn in the Stars' butt this season again. However, they had one of the toughest offseasons out of the Central Division out of all the teams this offseason.
They lost a lot of talent as multiple cornerstone players left the organization. Ville Husso, Charlie Lindgren, and David Perron all took their talents to new teams over the summer. The Blues have a lot of holes to fill if they want to remain competitive in the Central Division, which will be one of the toughest divisions to play in again this season. Could the Blues end up in the bottom of the basement of the Central Division this season? Let's look at some of the departures and critical additions to the team.
St. Louis Blues Preview 2.0: Key Losses
Kevin Hayes
Sammy Blais
Marco Scandella
Jakub Vrana
St. Louis Blues Preview 2.0: Key Gains
Ryan Suter
Radek Faksa
Matheau Joesph
Alexandre Texier
Pierre-Olivier Joseph
St. Louis Blues Preview 2.0: Analysis
The Blues rely on prospects to fill in the remaining holes on their roster. That could backfire against them in a very competitive division. The Central Division is one not to rely on up-and-coming prospects to compete during the season. While a couple of prospects are okay, the Blues might end up in 6th place in the Central Division this season. I don't know if they did enough to crack the top three of the division this season.
However, keep your eyes on Dalibor Dvorsky and Zachary Boldu when the Stars and the Blues play on Thursday night. They are two prospects who could crack the NHL Opening Night roster for the Blues this season. Both will be competitive like Lian Bichsel will with one last shot to prove that they belong in the NHL this season.
Hofer and Binnington will be relied on to keep them close in divisional games this season. Teams like the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars will eat them alive on offense with who they have returning. While the Blues are certainly moving in the right direction, they will have another rough season this upcoming season. I wish them all the best moving forward, but this season will not be the year they won't break through and become a threat to the Central Division.
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