After some offseason changes, how will the St. Louis Blues fare in 2016-17?
Before the 2015-16 season, the St. Louis Blues had not been to the Western Conference Finals since the 2000-01 season. All that changed after the Blues beat the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round and the regular season Western Conference champion Dallas Stars in the second round. Under the leadership of David Backes (14 points), Troy Brouwer (13 points), and Brian Elliott (.921 save percentage), the Blues finally got over the playoff hump.
Entering the 2016-17 season, all three of those players are gone. The Blues are going to look mighty different without them, especially Backes, their captain for five seasons. Head coach Ken Hitchcock is in his last season as a head coach. Will the Blues be able to give him the ultimate parting gift – his second Stanley Cup?
Offseason Review
Here’s a quick review of what the Blues have done this offseason.
Additions: C Vladimir Sobotka (KHL), F David Perron (Ducks), G Carter Hutton (Predators), F Nail Yakupov (Oilers)
Losses: C David Backes (Bruins), G Brian Elliott (Flames), F Troy Brouwer (Flames), C/F Steve Ott (Red Wings), G Anders Nilsson (Sabres)
Retained: F Dmitrij Jaskin, F Scottie Upshall, C Kyle Brodziak, G Jake Allen, F Magnus Paajarvi, C Jaden Schwartz, F Alexander Steen*
*Contract won’t begin until after 2016-17 season
Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will replace Backes as the team captain. He’s a very strong choice, emerging as a leader in the Blues locker room and playing over 25 minutes per game. Backes will be tough to replace, but Pietrangelo is well suited to do it.
Vladimir Sobotka will be returning after spending the past two seasons in the KHL. However, an injury during the World Cup of Hockey could complicate his return. He’s expected to join the Blues at some point this season. David Perron will replace Brouwer in the lineup. Perron has more skill in his game than Brouwer and should be a slight upgrade over him. His game fits the Western Conference style of play.
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After trading Elliott to the Flames, the Blues needed a backup goaltender. They went with a familiar foe in former Nashville Predators backup goalie Carter Hutton. In 2015-16, he set a career high with a .918 save percentage while appearing in 17 games. Hutton will be backing up Jake Allen, who’s now the official starting goalie for the Blues with Elliott gone.
Eric Nystrom is another former Predator who might contribute to the Blues, though they aren’t lacking in forward depth. Mike Weber could serve as the team’s extra defenseman should he earn a spot on the team. Jaden Schwartz will likely play a huge role in replacing Backes in the lineup. Schwartz had 22 points in 33 games last season.
Credit: Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
Player Spotlight: Vladimir Tarasenko
While Alex Pietrangelo might be the St. Louis Blues captain, he is not their most significant player. Nor is he their best player. Both of those honors go to the 24-year-old Russian forward Vladimir Tarasenko. Over the past two seasons, Tarasenko has the highest even strength points per 60 minutes rate of any forward with at least 1,000 minutes played. The only two forwards with more even strength points than him since the start of the 2014 season? Sidney Crosby and Jamie Benn.
Among forwards with at least 100 power play minutes, Tarasenko finished fourth in power play points per 60 minutes. While his possession numbers aren’t eye-popping, he’s still a positive influence (2.5 percent relative CorsiFor percentage at even strength in 2015-16). With both Backes and Brouwer gone, expect Tarasenko to be the focal point of the Blues power play moving forward.
Tarasenko scored 40 goals in 2015-16, but what’s perhaps most impressive about his game is his lack of giveaways. In 80 games, Tarasenko only had 34 giveaways, which is impressive for someone who handles the puck as much as he does. Tarasenko and Hitchcock haven’t always seen eye to eye on things, but now they seem to have a mutual respect for each other. That relationship will be key in 2016-17, as Hitchcock will be trusting Tarasenko more than ever. If you want a dark horse to win the Art Ross Trophy, Tarasenko is a great choice.
2016-17 Outlook
Replacing Backes and Brouwer on the ice will be a difficult thing to do. However, the St. Louis Blues have suitable replacements in Schwartz and Perron. Factor in Pietrangelo’s leadership and the Blues aren’t going to miss Backes and Brouwer too much. A healthy Sobotka could also go a long way in helping the Blues replace Backes.
The biggest issue that the Blues will face in 2016-17 is replacing Elliott. Allen isn’t a scrub, but he hasn’t led the league in save percentage twice like Elliott has. In 2015-16, Allen set career highs with a .920 save percentage in 47 games. It will be up to him to handle at least 50 games a season moving forward. Credit the Blues for extending Allen before he got too expensive, a lesson that they learned from Elliott.
While the Central Division has improved quite a bit, the Blues are still one of the best teams in the division. A playoff berth seems like a lock. With their playoff demons exorcised, they have a good chance of winning the Stanley Cup.
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