When it comes to talent, Jordan Kyrou can be a game-changing player. But like many others, there is an expectation around him that he has yet to meet this season. Even though the St. Louis Blues are only 28 games into 2023-24, his slow start is quite alarming. Having struggled to produce consistently when on the ice, there has been some concern with Kyrou and his ability to turn the corner. However, there might be some hope after the Blues announced that they would be relieving Craig Berube of his duties as head coach.
The 2022-23 season was abysmal as the Blues struggled to compete against the easiest of teams, and the unpredictability of what to expect made everything that much worse. The only positive from last season was the production that came from the likes of Kyrou and Robert Thomas who, before the season, signed eight-year extensions.
Averaging just under a point per game last season, there were very high expectations for both Thomas and Kyrou. Hoping that they could be the faces of the franchise, the Blues locked them up long-term. However, thus far, it seems as though Thomas is the only one who has taken a step up. Having struggled to put up points consistently this season, there’s now some concern regarding Kyrou.
Jordan Kyrou’s Start in the NHL
Dating back to 2020-21, Kyrou has done nothing but produce. His game-changing speed and elite puck-handling skills make him arguably the Blues’ most talented. The thing that separates Kyrou from other players in his tier, however, is his talent to execution ratio. Not all players — even though they have all the talent in the world — can execute and produce on the ice. Kyrou seems to be able to produce and execute, but he does have a couple of big flaws in his game, the main one being his penchant to start slowly like has has in the past two seasons.
In the last two seasons with the Blues, Kyrou has played in 153 games. In those 153 games, he has 64 goals, and 84 assists for a total of 148 points. Averaging just under a point per game in that time, he has earned the right to be considered a building block.
Last season, given where the Blues finished in the standings, Kyrou appeared to have a lot more leeway in terms of his role. He was making more plays, controlling the pace of play, and shooting the puck. This season, Kyrou hasn’t been the same. It could be due to his lack of leeway or maybe it had to do with a change of structure that he had to play in. Nonetheless, the question remains: how is Kyrou valued in the organization given his unpredictability?
Jordan Kyrou’s Slow Start
This season has had a lot of ups and downs for the Blues and their inconsistent play has led to a lot of confusion as to where they are at. Are they a team competing for a playoff spot or are they just out there biding their time and hoping to get a top selection in the 2024 Entry Draft? When the Blues’ goaltending is on, and they are playing inside their structure, they win with ease. However, despite having a plethora of talented players, they fail to play the game the right way night in and night out. When do things change for the Blues? When they don’t score first.
When the Blues score first, they are 12-1-0 while in games they don’t, they are is 1-14-1. The bottom line is that the offense is a huge part of the team’s success. For that reason, making sure all players are producing needs to be a focus for the Blues coaching staff. Furthermore, it’s important to keep the team’s young superstar in the mix.
Doing some research regarding the Blues and their record when Kyrou obtains a point shows just how important he is. Kyrou has at least one point in 10 games this season. The Blues’ record? 8-2-0. Given they only have 13 wins on the season, there appears to be some correlation. Although it should be an easy feat getting a player as talented as Kyrou going, it isn’t.
Looking back on the 2022-23 season, Kyrou struggled to get going. In October last season, he played in eight games. In those eight games, he only tallied three points, all goals. As for the defensive part of his game, Kyrou’s plus/minus was -13, which is not a high-quality start. As for this season, Kyrou has played in 28 games. In those 28 games, he has five goals and 12 assists for a total of 17 points. Furthermore, he also has a plus/minus of minus-9.
Finding a reason as to why Kyrou has struggled to get going the last two seasons isn’t hard: a lack of confidence. If you look around the league, it’s not uncommon for a player to start slow in the NHL. Even looking at this season, arguably the best player in the NHL, Connor McDavid, started the season slow in terms of production. However, the one thing that we’ve seen from McDavid this season that we haven’t seen from Kyrou is the confidence built when he finally buries the puck. It’s for that reason getting Kyrou’s confidence back up needs to be at the top of interim head coach Drew Bannisters’ to-do list.
Jordan Kyrou’s Lack of Confidence
Kyrou, as stated above, is a huge part to the success of the Blues. However, as also stated above, talent doesn’t always mean execution. That hasn’t necessarily been a problem with Kyrou historically, but this season is a different story.
Looking back on the previous seasons, Kyrou has been known for his ability to take the puck from coast to coast and make flashy plays. This season, he hasn’t had the same level of confidence in himself to make those types of plays. In the past, Kyrou’s self-confidence has been the key to his personal growth. When he makes a bad play, he generally rebounds quicker than some other players in the league.
This season, he has seemingly held back from making jaw-dropping plays in an attempt to minimize the number of turnovers he has had in the past. Furthermore, he hasn’t been using his speed to his advantage. Those are both big parts of Kyrou’s identity and since he has eliminated those aspects of his game, he has become unrecognizable on the ice.
Getting the most out of Kyrou has everything to do with enhancing his confidence by trusting him to use his skill set to make those highlight reel plays. If you watched Blues games before Berube got relieved of his duties, you’d notice that his offensive structure is getting pucks in deep and making plays in front of the net. That’s where there is some disconnect. Kyrou’s best plays materialize from controlling the puck and cycling it. That style of play is not at all how Berube structured his offensive scheme. Additionally, he liked physicality and Kyrou couldn’t be further from that type of player. The lack of size and physicality makes it hard for him to be present in the forecheck and back check. As for his play in the defensive zone, he is timid when it comes to taking away shooting lanes and blocking shots which leads to a lot of pucks getting to the net.
Related: Blues Lock Up Breakout Star Jordan Kyrou
When it comes to playing in the NHL, blocking shots is a part of the game and there is no escaping it. If you want to be a superstar player, you must do the little things and Kyrou has yet to grasp that. Earlier in the season, there were glimpses that Kyrou was becoming more physical. However, as the season has progressed, he has slowly been shying away from play along the boards which has led to a lot of turnovers in the offensive zone and odd-man rushes.
How to Get the Most Out of Kyrou
Getting the most out of Kyrou isn’t as difficult as many may think. To get the most out of him, you have to let him play his game. Let him play a game built around speed, carrying the puck up the ice in transition, finding open ice, and cycling the puck in the offensive zone. That’s Kyrou’s game and it’s no secret. However, we have to talk about the elephant in the room — is Kyrou truly a long-term building block for the Blues, or should they consider trading the young forward?
If you are general manager (GM) Doug Armstrong, you have to be listening to trade offers on Kyrou. The only reason to put off trade conversations would be the coaching change the Blues just made. However, it also depends on who they are going after as the long-term head coach.
When deciding who the long-term head coach should be, Armstrong and the front office need to find one who is going to help improve the offense. With budding superstars Thomas and Kyrou recently signed to long-term extensions, they are the two players that have to be built around. But, Thomas’ play style and frame allow him to fit into any offense. He plays on the penalty kill and power play and is the first-line center. Kyrou on the other hand, doesn’t play a 200-foot game and therefore is harder to build around.
If the Blues can find an offensively-minded head coach who has experience developing younger players, Kyrou could truly turn his season around. The talent is still there, but he has to have a coach who knows how to build players up, not break them down. That’s not to say that’s what Berube did, but given how important confidence is to a player’s success, getting Kyrou’s confidence up should’ve been a priority.
