The St. Louis Blues are in a state of transition. The club opted to part ways with multiple franchise cornerstone players like Vladimir Tarasenko and former team captain, Ryan O’Reilly. As a result, the organization is currently without an official team leader and will likely crown their 22nd team captain in franchise history before next season.
Here’s a look at three players on the club’s current roster that could serve as the next captain of the Blues.
Justin Faulk
While the Blues have multiple players that could see themselves in the position of team captain, one of the players with previous experience, Justin Faulk, could be a logical choice. Before officially being named captain, he served as an alternate captain from 2015-2017. After 20 months without one, the Carolina Hurricanes named Faulk and Jordan Staal co-captains on Oct. 5, 2017. He continued to serve in this role during the 2017-18 season before returning to his alternate captain status the following year prior to his trade to the Blues.
Faulk has been a mainstay in the Blues lineup seeing an increase in his offensive point production every season he has been with the team while also becoming a key member of the organization. Despite never officially receiving an alternate captain title, his leadership on and off the ice has been beneficial to the team and remains an under-the-radar option among fans for the Blues’ next team captain.
Robert Thomas
Among the top candidates, Robert Thomas could be the most logical choice as the franchise’s next leader. The decision to extend Thomas to his eight-year contract worth $65 million on July 13, 2022, became the largest contract in team history. The agreement solidified their dedication to him and their belief that he is the future of the franchise. They now have the opportunity to double down on this decision by naming him team captain roughly a year later should they elect to go this route.
Should he be named as team captain, the decision would not come as much of a surprise among the NHL and Blues fans. With the absence of O’Reilly from the lineup, Thomas was always one of the players on the ice leading warmups, a player relied upon in critical situations, and among the most consistently available players to the media to discuss the current state of the club on a nightly basis. He has become one of the key faces of the franchise and slapping the “C” on his sweater would come as a well-deserved promotion. His captaincy would make him the youngest captain the franchise has had since 1997 when Chris Pronger was given the title at 23 years old.
Brayden Schenn
A third candidate for the next Blues team captain has embodied the classic blue-collar style of Blues hockey that fans have enjoyed watching for not only generations but on a nightly basis from Brayden Schenn. The 31-year-old veteran has consistently embodied a 200-foot game, looking to excel in all areas of his game. With this mindset, he has averaged just under 19 minutes of time on ice through his six seasons with the club.
Like his teammate, Thomas, Schenn is consistently relied upon in all situations, proving his reliability on a nightly basis. Due to his age and veteran leadership abilities, Schenn may be considered a favorite to land the title of team captain. His eight-year contract still has five years remaining on it, expiring after the 2027-28 season. The Blues could opt to move forward with a player who has over 850 regular season games in the NHL, while Thomas continues to grow and mature.
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While all three candidates are worthy options, the Blues will have their work cut out for them with the decision they have to make. The organization is fortunate to have multiple players on their NHL roster that have veteran experience and the ability to lead their team. With the Blues in a retooling phase and desiring to be a playoff team sooner rather than later, they will have an abundance of leadership on and off the ice at their disposal.