Blues’ Standouts of the Week: Broberg, Snuggerud, and Buchnevich

Saturday was easily the worst game of the week for the Russian. In the tight loss to the Nashville Predators, Buchnevich had three giveaways, which led the Blues. The turnovers came at critical moments, stalling zone entries and ending offensive-zone pressure earlier than they should have. For a team that is struggling to score, this rough game stood out.

At 31, Buchnevich may be in decline. The Blues don’t need him to be the 25-plus goal scorer he was in the past, but they need stability from the forward. Last season showed he can still contribute to the offense even when he isn’t playing his best. This suggests there is more in the tank, and the Blues need to see it.

Standout #2: Jimmy Snuggerud

Jimmy Snuggerud recorded only one point this past week: a goal on Saturday. However, the young forward was everywhere in the offensive zone. He recorded nine shots over the three games, leading the Blues. He was constantly on the hunt and testing opposing goalies. For a team that struggled to score this week, this play was exactly what they needed. Yes, he scored only one goal, but it came from persistence and hard work. If he keeps this up, more goals will come.

At the time of last week’s article, Snuggerud was on pace to score 48 goals. After these last three games, he is now on pace for 44. If he keeps skating as he has been, this is very much a possibility.

Standout #1: Philip Broberg

Philip Broberg has become the Blues’ workhorse. He logged just over 83 minutes of ice time this past week, consistently recording over 27 minutes a game. His consistent entries into the zone helped set up scoring chances, some of which led to him ending up on the score card. The Swede ended the week with a goal and two assists.

Thursday was perhaps the best example of Broberg being the workhorse. After setting up a Robert Thomas goal in the second period, Broberg skated into the offensive zone and fired a shot past Connor Hellebuyck to cut the deficit to one. Seconds later, Dalibor Dvorsky tied the game. He also recorded three shots on goal, showing his willingness to get the puck on net. This followed a four-shot performance on Tuesday.

I do not know if anyone expected Broberg to emerge as the clear number-one defenseman on the Blues. After Logan Mailloux’s emergence late last season and the excitement around Adam Jiricek, it wouldn’t be surprising if Broberg slipped to the back of people’s minds. However, he is showing he is the top defenseman in St. Louis. As each game goes by, the risk of tendering him an offer sheet looks more and more like a great move, and the contract extension becomes an even better investment.

The Week Ahead

The Blues return home this week. While they do not play until Tuesday, Monday is a special day for the organization. Keith Tkachuk will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His induction is long overdue, but what matters is that Big Walt is finally where he belongs. This will be a special day for the Tkachuk family and the Blues organization.

After a quick stop home on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings, the Blues briefly head back on the road to play the Utah Mammoth. The week will end with a home date with the Florida Panthers. The organization will honor Big Walt that night, which will be even more special with Matthew and Brady in town.

Check in with The Hockey Writers throughout the week for more Blues coverage.