The St. Louis Blues will enter the 2024-25 season under new full-time head coach Drew Bannister and a few changes to the roster.
The Central Division isn’t the best in the NHL, but it’s probably not going to be the worst either. The Blues will likely end up somewhere in the middle. Let’s look at how they stack up with the other seven clubs in the division.
Chicago Blackhawks
- Forwards: Blues
- Defensemen: Blues
- Goaltending: Blues
I’d give the Blues an advantage over the Chicago Blackhawks in all three categories, but I think the forward group and defensive units are quite a bit closer than they were last season. The Blackhawks went out in the offseason and added Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi to their forward group as well as TJ Brodie and Alec Martinez to their defensive unit.
However, the Blues still have better forwards overall and a slightly better defensive unit, but maybe I’m just being overly biased here.
Colorado Avalanche
- Forwards: Avalanche
- Defensemen: Avalanche
- Goaltending: Blues
I think this is a pretty easy matchup to score. The Colorado Avalanche are the better overall team and that’s been the case for at least four straight seasons.
The Avalanche have a far stronger forward group with superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen at the top and a quality defensive core led by Cale Makar. The Blues’ advantage is in net, where Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer clear Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen. Overall, Colorado has the better team in 2024-25.
Dallas Stars
- Forwards: Stars
- Defensemen: Stars
- Goaltending: Stars
The Dallas Stars are the biggest mismatch for the Blues on paper heading into the upcoming season. They have the edge in all three groups, but it’s not that big of a gap overall. They have one of the better teams in the league combining elite youth and experience. The Blues should strive to build what general manager Jim Nill has in Dallas over the past few years. They are consistent and always in the mix.
Minnesota Wild
- Forwards: Even
- Defensemen: Blues
- Goaltending: Blues
I think the Blues are better than the Minnesota Wild. They have much better goaltending and a slightly better defensive unit. The forward groups are fairly similar, so putting those as even was an easy choice. St. Louis had five more points last season and finished a spot ahead of them in the Central.
The higher ceiling between these two teams belongs to the Blues. I’d be surprised if Minnesota doesn’t end up in a rebuild over the next few seasons.
Nashville Predators
- Forwards: Even
- Defensemen: Predators
- Goaltending: Blues
This is a tough one to judge given the changes made by the Nashville Predators this summer. They’ve added a bunch to their lineup, including Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. However, I think the Blues have the deeper forward group, so calling it even is fair. The inevitable pairing of Skjei and Roman Josi is far better than anything St. Louis can offer.
Related: NHL Rebuild Rankings: 2024-25 Preseason Edition
Goaltending comes down to the combined strength of Binnington and Hofer over Juuse Saros and Scott Wedgewood. I think Nashville will have the better record this season, but the matchups between the two will be fun to watch.
Utah Hockey Club
- Forwards: Blues
- Defensemen: Blues
- Goaltending: Blues
In their first season in a new state, the Utah Hockey Club made a few major changes, including a big one to their blue line with the additions of Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino. However, it’s hard to know whether they will take a real step forward or not in 2024-25. I think the Blues are better than them in all three groups, but the margin isn’t large in any of them.
Winnipeg Jets
- Forwards: Jets
- Defensemen: Jets
- Goaltending: Jets
On paper, the Winnipeg Jets are as bad of a matchup for the Blues as the Stars. They have balance in all three groups and were one of the better teams in the Western Conference for parts of the 2023-24 season. I think the matchups between these two will be closer than usual this season, but Winnipeg is better.
Can Blues Make the Playoffs?
This is a tough question to answer. The Blues can make the playoffs, but I wouldn’t bet on it. They have a fine roster, but not a roster that can contend for the Stanley Cup. It’ll be interesting to see how they mesh under head coach Drew Bannister. Either way, it’ll be an interesting season.
