We’ve now made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful for. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, things are just getting underway. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for with the league approaching the one-quarter mark of the season.
What are the Blues most thankful for?
A strong start to the season from Justin Faulk.
It was only a year and a half ago that GM Doug Armstrong surprised many by trading for Faulk, giving them a big upgrade on their back end. Or so they thought. The 28-year-old struggled mightily with his new team and after being brought in to bolster their offense from the defense, he had the worst statistical year of his career. Instead of serving as insurance in case they couldn’t re-sign Alex Pietrangelo, Faulk’s $6.5M contract extension signed at the time he was acquired ultimately was instrumental in the former captain heading elsewhere.
As it turns out, Pietrangelo’s departure has been a boon for Faulk. Now entrenched in a top role that he was accustomed to, he has been much better in the early going this season. His production has rebounded a bit and he’s leading the team in ice time at just under 24 minutes a night. This is what they were expecting from him when they acquired Faulk – it just took him a while to get there.
Who are the Blues most thankful for?
Their new captain, Ryan O’Reilly. He has been exactly what they were hoping for when they acquired him (for what has turned out to be a very minimal return) from Buffalo and has established himself as a legitimate top-line center. He had a career year offensively in his first season with the team, matched what was his previous career high last season despite the pandemic, and is off to a quick start this year where he’s just under a point per game. He’s a reliable defensive pivot with two straight top-three Selke finishes (including winning in 2018-19) and is as dominant as ever at the faceoff dot. O’Reilly has quickly become a key cog for the Blues who remains under contract for two more years after this one.
What would the Blues be even more thankful for?
Finding the right fit for a Vince Dunn trade. The blueliner is clearly out there in trade talks and while he’s now in his fourth NHL season, he hasn’t really been able to work his way into a more prominent role. At 18:12 of ATOI per night, he’s only fifth on the Blues among their defenders and that’s basically where he has been for most of his career. He’s coming off a quieter year offensively and that resulted in a one-year deal over the offseason. He’ll be arbitration-eligible next summer where his offensive numbers will play a bigger role so a trade seems like the likely outcome at this point. With a cap hit that’s affordable this season, they should be able to find a taker for him and still get good value in return.
What should be on the Blues’ wish list?
Vladimir Tarasenko getting healthy and staying healthy. He has resumed skating, albeit lightly, as he tries to work his way back from his latest shoulder surgery. This has been a lingering problem for years which has taken away their top pure offensive player for extended periods of time. If he can stay healthy, St. Louis will add a capable top-liner to their lineup for the second half of the season which would be a huge boost as they look to secure one of four playoff spots in the West Division.
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