ST. LOUIS BLUES
COACH: Craig Berube (268-176-71 over seven seasons, 1 Stanley Cup title).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 12 at Dallas.
DEPARTURES: G Thomas Greiss, F Logan Brown.
ADDITIONS: C Kevin Hayes, F Oskar Sundqvist, G Malcolm Subban.
GOALIES: Jordan Binnington (27-27-6, 3.31 goals-against average, .894 save percentage), Subban (spent 2022-23 in AHL) and Joel Hofer (3-1-1, 3.22 GAA, .905 save percentage).
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK STANLEY CUP ODDS: 50-1
LAST SEASON: The Blues failed to make the playoffs after four straight postseasons. Only five teams gave up more goals per game than St. Louis' 3.63, and the penalty kill was third-worst in the NHL at 72.4%. Goalie Craig Binnington was not at his best in the second season of his $36 million, six-year contract, and the Blues were disappointed with a drop in young forward Robert Thomas' production after getting a lucrative new deal. General manager Doug Armstrong traded away pending free agents who were big parts of the 2019 Stanley Cup run: captain Ryan O’Reilly and winger Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues acquired Jakub Vrana, reacquired Sammy Blais and claimed Kasperi Kapanen off waivers all before the offseason.
STRENGTHS: The Blues should be able to score more goals this year after getting Hayes for almost nothing in a trade with Philadelphia. Pavel Buchnevich is one of just 36 NHL players to average more than a point a game over the past two seasons and is only 28. Armstrong and Berube are counting on Thomas and Jordan Kyrou to lead the way offensively, followed by new captain Brayden Schenn. There's also plenty of motivated players around, most notably Vrana, Blais and Kapanen.
WEAKNESSES: Goaltending and defense are again big question marks. Hofer could be the franchise's future in net, though Binnington still has the No. 1 job. Colton Parayko was among the underachieving players last season, and he is key to the blue line that is much smaller but also should be able to score. Sundqvist and Blais coming back should make St. Louis tougher to play against, too.
WHAT TO EXPECT: The Blues are among a handful of teams again on the bubble in the Western Conference. If Thomas and Kyrou live up to expectations, Binnington bounces back and the blue line holds things together, St. Louis can challenge for a spot in a crowded mix in the Central Division behind Colorado and Dallas. That's a lot of things that need to go right.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Vrana is a low-risk, high-reward player if he can recapture his scoring prowess. The Czech winger hasn't produced since a trade in 2021 from Washington to Detroit. St. Louis is a fresh start for Vrana, who went through the player assistance program and was waived by the Red Wings before landing with the Blues. He had 14 points in 20 games with them last season.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
The Associated Press