Ranking 10 greatest St. Louis Blues of all time

Chris Pronger spent nine seasons in St. Louis in the middle of his career and was a star defenseman. Before he made a career out of dragging teams to the Stanley Cup Finals, he anchored teams in St Louis that struggled in the playoffs. He averaged 30:44 in 85 playoff games with the Blues. His first year after leaving the team was the first year they missed the playoffs for the first time in 25 seasons.

Pronger was a three-time postseason All-Star with the Blues and won his only career Norris Trophy for top defenseman and Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player in 1999-00. He is a member of the Hall of Fame and has his number 44 retired by the Blues.

#4: Al MacInnis

The second defenseman on the list, Al MacInnis rounded out his Hall of Fame career in St. Louis. He was dealt from the Flames after 13 seasons in Calgary and spent a decade with the Blues. He ranks in the top 10 in assists and points in franchise history and manned the blue line for some great teams.

MacInnis is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and has his No. 2 retired by the Blues. He was named to two postseason All-Star teams and won one Norris Trophy in his time with the Blues. He placed second in Norris voting in his second-to-last season at 39 years old.

#5: Brian Sutter

Another member of the 1980s Blues, Brian Sutter played his entire career with St. Louis. He remains in the top five of games played, goals, assists, and points in franchise history due to his 12 years of great production with the Blues. Sutter was the captain for the final nine years of his career. He then became the head coach, making the playoffs in each of his four seasons.

Sutter never won a major award and is not in the Hall of Fame but does have his No. 11 retired by the franchise. He won the 1991 Jack Adams Award as the top coach when he was behind the Blues’ bench.

#6: Garry Unger

The former NHL ironman, Garry Unger played every game in his nine-year stint in St. Louis. He remains on the franchise leaderboard in games played, goals, assists, and points. Unger came in after the team went to three consecutive Cup Finals in their first three years.

Unger is not in the Hall of Fame and does not have his number retired by the Blues. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2023.

#7: Alex Pietrangelo

Alex Pietrangelo gets the honor of having the most iconic photo in Blues history. The captain who lifted the Stanley Cup, Pietrangelo was a star defenseman for over a decade before the championship run. He racked up 16 assists and averaged 25:45 of ice time in the 2019 playoffs.

Pietrangelo was named postseason All-Star three times with the Blues. He left the Blues in free agency after 2020 and joined the Vegas Golden Knights. He won a second Stanley Cup there in 2023.

#8: Vladimir Taresenko

Continuing the run of modern players is Vladimir Tarasenko. He scored 30 goals in five consecutive seasons before losing consecutive seasons to injury. After the championship, Tarasenko played 34 games over two seasons to end his Blues career. He had a recent resurgence, winning another Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers.

Tarasenko was a two-time All-Star with the Blues but never won a major award. He was a key part of the title, with 11 goals in 26 games during that run. He signed a multi-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings in the offseason as he looks to get them back to the playoffs.

#9: David Backes

Another former captain, David Backes was the face of the teams that could not get over the hump in the playoffs. He sneaks into the top 10 in games played, goals, and points. He left St Louis for Boston and was a healthy scratch for each game of the 2019 Cup Final.

Backes never won a major award and will not be a contender for the Hall of Fame, but he is certainly an important player in Blues history. He spoke about the year the Blues finally beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs emotionally when he retired, which shows his passion for the city and team.

#10: Jordan Binnington

Goalie Jordan Binnington recently became the Blues’ all-time leader in wins and is second all time in saves. However, what he will be most remembered for is being the starting goalie for the Blues’ one Stanley Cup title in his rookie season. He led the NHL in games and minutes played in the postseason run. His biggest moment came in Game 5 when he stopped 38 of 39 shots in a critical win in Boston.