Blues’ Standouts of the Week: Binnington, Thomas, and Stenberg

In nine games, Stenberg has five points, all assists. This past week, he recorded two assists and was a positive presence in the offensive zone. Although he did not generate any shots on goal, his skating ability serves as a reminder of his bright future on the team.

Standout #2- Robert Thomas

Robert Thomas had a week of “highs, lows, and some gruesome moments”. The week started with a “so-so” game on Monday against the Buffalo Sabres, a 4-2 loss. The former All-Star recorded two assists, but also missed the net on a breakaway late in the game with the team trailing by one. Things did not get any better in Wednesday’s 6-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Thomas was a minus-2 on a night when the Blues trailed 4-0 just four minutes into the game.

However, the weekend ended on a high note for Thomas. In the team’s last two games, Thomas was a plus-1, won 22 of 42 faceoffs, and scored a shorthanded goal as the Blues closed the week with back-to-back wins.

Thomas is the Blues’ most valuable player. It is not often he struggles as he did in the middle of last week. Hopefully, this is the start of a hot streak.

Standout #1- Jordan Binnington

On Dec. 31, Jordan Binnington was named to Team Canada for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Despite his struggles this season, he may get another opportunity to showcase his game on the big stage, as he’s done before, in 2019 when the Blues won the Stanley Cup and last season in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

In addition to Olympic honors, Binnington started two games last week. His first was the rough 6-1 loss to the Avalanche. While Binnington was in goal for all six goals, the team’s defense struggled in front of him, allowing a few Avalanche players to get close to the net for better looks. Binnington made 37 saves on a night when he was constantly peppered with shots.

Binnington’s second and final start of the week went much better, making all 25 saves in the team’s fourth shutout of the season, a 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. This was Binnington’s first shutout of the season and the 19th of his career. He was feeling good about things after the game:

“Yeah, definitely that feels better for sure. We played hard, good win at home, some good special teams, a good short-handed goal. Some guys had some big games. It’s obviously a better outcome.”

Many are already wondering if Binnington will be the starter or even get to play at the Olympics with three goalies on Team Canada’s roster (along with Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals and Darcy Kuemper, LA Kings). Many also remember how Binnington’s 4 Nations performance last February sparked the Blues’ playoff run. Could something similar be in store this season? Or, could a strong Olympic performance add fuel to the trade rumors?

The Week Ahead

The Blues play three games this week, all on the road. Most notably, on Wednesday, the Blues visit the rival Chicago Blackhawks. It will be the team’s first visit to the United Center in the regular season since 2023-24.