NHL Preview: St Louis Blues

Can St Louis return to the playoffs for the first time since 2004? Charlie Boccanegra weighs the pros and cons.

The St. Louis Blues have been a team in rebuilding since the last NHL lockout in 2003. Every year it seems experts expect them to turn the corner with their youthful talent and contend for the post season.

This year the oddsmakers would agree with that theory because they have put the Blues season point total at 93.5. Going OVER that number would probably mean put St Louis the top 8 in the Western Conference.

However. I am not buying into the hype and would be very inclined to bet UNDER the NHL betting line of 93.5 points and give St Louis virtually no chance to win the Stanley Cup. The Blues have not had over 93 points since 2004. Asking them to go over is a big ask.

The predominant reason I don’t believe this Blues team has turned the corner comes on the backend. Last year they traded away Erick Johnson, the Blues’ best overall defenseman, for forward Chris Stewart. While Stewart is a good offensive player it doesn’t make sense to make a stronger area of a team stronger at the expense of a weaker area. Defense, in this case.

Barret Jackman is St Louis’ only solid stay at home shut down defender. There is some upside with the likes of Shattenkirk and Pieterangelo who can move the puck, but they are not solid enough to been mainstays in the top four for a playoff caliber team. Colaiacovo, Polak and Huskins are all decent depth defenseman but should not be relied upon to play big top four minutes; something they could be forced into doing.

The only way this team will have a chance to make the postseason is if Jaroslav Halak can remain healthy and play at the same level he did for the Canadiens two years ago when he backstopped the Habs to the Eastern Conference Finals. Problem is that the Blues don’t have the same structure as the Canadiens did. Furthemore, it’s the first time Halak expected to carry the goaltending load playing 50+ games, and he could become fatigued later in the season.

Offensively this team will be just fine because they have a great collection of forwards. Chris Stewart is a legitimate power forward who has a chance to score 40+ goals. David Backes is not to far behind and has yet to live up to his full potential. Oshie and Berglund bring a bit more skill and speed to the table, complementing the young power forwards. McDonald and Steen are both good playmakers on the wing that can play with any of the kids.

In addition, St Louis added two quality veterans in Langenbrunner and Arnott in the offseason. Although both are past their primes they could provide some great leadership and be very effective on the third line giving the team tremendous depth and rolling out three lines that can score.

With a weak defense and question marks surrounding Halak in net combined with a stellar offense look to bet OVER the total in Blues games all season long.