The St. Louis Blues will enter the 2024-25 season with more roster changes than expected. General manager Doug Armstrong hasn’t made any gigantic moves, but he’s quietly put together a better roster than last season.
There are upgrades at every level of this roster and that can’t be disputed. They took calculated risks in order to improve the roster and have a chance to sneak into the playoffs this season. I don’t know if this will prove to be the best long-term strategy, but at least Armstrong did something. Let’s look at the upgrades and what the lineup could look like.
Blues Added Forward Depth
At the forward position, the Blues added Dylan Holloway, Radek Faksa, Alexandre Texier, and Mathieu Joseph. Three of those additions were made via trade and Holloway was signed to an offer sheet to depart from the Edmonton Oilers. None of these are flashy top-six forwards, but it’s likely that all four will be in the lineup on opening night. This is my current projection for the opening night lineup:
| LW Jake Neighbours | C Robert Thomas | RW Jordan Kyrou |
| LW Brandon Saad | C Pavel Buchnevich | RW Dylan Holloway |
| LW Brayden Schenn | C Radek Faksa | RW Mathieu Joseph |
| LW Alexandre Texier | C Oskar Sundqvist | RW Alexey Toropchenko |
It’s not the flashiest of groups, but there’s a lot to like. If they can get more consistent goal-scoring across the board, it would go a long way. The center position will be interesting to monitor as the season rolls on. Pavel Buchnevich hasn’t proven to be a true center and Brayden Schenn is not good enough to play second-line center minutes right now. If Holloway, Jordan Kyrou, Brandon Saad, and Jake Neighbours can each eclipse 20 goals, the offense will be just fine. I expect the bottom-six scoring to improve with the likes of Faksa, Texier, and Joseph in the mix. It’s going to be a fun preseason as head coach Drew Bannister puts the pieces together.
Blues’ Defense Will Be More Consistent
The Blues’ defensive unit has been an issue for the past several seasons. They just haven’t been good enough defensively to keep the team afloat. However, the additions in the offseason could help them find consistency. In this offseason, the club has added Philip Broberg, Ryan Suter, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.
I’m not sure P.O. Joseph will be in the lineup when the season kicks off, but Suter and Broberg will likely play large roles. With Torey Krug likely to be out of the mix this season, the left side of the defense can become more dynamic. The idea of giving Colton Parayko a better partner this season could go a long way. I think Suter could be better alongside Parayko than Nick Leddy has been. The best defensive pairings to start the season in my view are Suter-Parayko, Broberg-Justin Faulk, and Leddy-Matthew Kessel. While this leaves P.O. Joseph and Scott Perunovich out of the lineup, I think it’s the most well-rounded group overall.
Can This Roster Make the Playoffs in 2024-25?
It’s a toss-up in my mind, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blues sneak into the 2025 playoffs. The lineup will feature much more depth and if the goaltending performs similarly to last season, it could go quite well.
Related: Central Division Better Balanced Heading Into 2024-25
They could contend for either a wild card spot or even a top three spot in the Central Division depending on what teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, and Winnipeg Jets are this season. Armstrong took small risks but undoubtedly improved the roster for 2024-25.
