NHL Preview 2019-20: St. Louis Blues

(This year again, I will twin-post with my Collectibles Blog and write about a player who is related to my Preview post here. Today, it's St. Louis Blues former top prospect Robby Fabbri).

GM: Doug Armstrong (since 2010). 6/10
Coach: Craig Berube (since 2019). 8/10

2018-19 record: 45-28-9, 99 points (3rd in the Central Division, tied for fourth in the Western Conference). Playoffs: Won Stanley Cup

Departures: Patrick Maroon (LW), Jordan Schmaltz (D), Adam Musil (C), Nikita Soshnikov (RW), Jakub Jerabek (D).

Arrivals: Nathan Walker (LW), Derrick Pouliot (D), Jake Dotchin (D), Andreas Borgman (D).

Top forwards: Vladimir Tarasenko (70-80 points), Jaden Schwartz (55-70 points), Brayden Schenn (55-70 points), David Perron (50-65 points), Ryan O'Reilly (55-65 points), Robby Fabbri (30-40 points, depending how many games he misses to injury), Alexander Steen (20-35 points), Tyler Bozak (20-30 points), Ivan Barbashev (20-30 points), Oskar Sundqvist (30 points), Robert Thomas (20-30 points), Samuel Blais (20-30 points).

Must-improve forward: O'Reilly will likely not repeat his 2018-19 season and wait until his contract year to play balls-out again, so it'd be an investment for me to say he has the talent to be even better and call him out here ahead of time, but by God, Tarasenko failing to hit the 40-goal mark for the third straight year is unfitting of someone who is in the middle of an eight-year deal that carries a $7.5M cap hit, particularly when that represented roughly 10% of the team's cap when it was signed.

Top defensemen: Alex Pietrangelo (45-50 points), Colton Parayko (35-40 points), Joel Edmundson (15-25 points), Vince Dunn (10-20 points), Jay Bouwmeester (10 points).

Goalies: Jordan Binnington (85/100), Jake Allen (77/100).

Top rookies: Jordan Kyrou (21 years old, C), Jake Walman (23, D), Klim Kostin (20, C, 6'3", 212 pounds), Ville Husso (24, G).

Analysis:
Craig Berube got the best out of this rag-tag team of underachievers all the way to the Stanley Cup. Can he do it two years in a row? Of course not, no one could. The elements aren't in place to do so, the magic of a January last-place in the standings, the unbelievable run of a rookie goalie who stops everything, the hometown boy (Maroon) playing on a one-year deal at less than what was offered elsewhere just so he can play in front of his children, the child serving as the team,s inspiration for a once-in-a-lifetime run...

It was lightning in a bottle in a year where the Tampa Bay Lightning did so well in the regular season that their flame burnt out in the playoffs. And that's saying nothing of the Western Conference teams, the rise of the Colorado Avalanche, the frightening stability of the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights, the offensive juggernauts that make up the Calgary Flames, the Winnipeg Jets who are trying to do like the 2017-18 Washington Capitals and add by subtraction in the hopes of getting over the hump, and the two-year window the Dallas Stars have just bought themselves...

And if the Caps and Blues can bypass years of choking to end with the coveted prize, maybe the San Jose Sharks can, too.

So it's going to be a long, hard road, is what I'm saying. It was nice while it lasted, though.

Prediction: 4th in the Central Division, 13th in the NHL.

NHL Preview 2018-19: St. Louis Blues

GM: Doug Armstrong (since 2010). 6/10
Coach: Mike Yeo (since 2017). 5/10

2017-18 record: 44-32-6, 94 points, 18th overall.

Departures: Carter Hutton (G), Kyle Brodziak (C), Patrik Berglund (C), Vladimir Sobotka (LW), Tage Thompson (C).

Arrivals: David Perron (RW), Tyler Bozak (C), Patrick Maroon (LW), Brian Flynn (C), Chad Johnson (G), Ryan O'Reilly (C), Jordan Nolan (C).

Top forwards: Vladimir Tarasenko (75-80 points), Jaden Schwartz (55-70 points), Brayden Schenn (55-70 points), Alexander Steen (40-45 points), O'Reilly (45-65 points, probably closer to 60 since it's first year with the team), Maroon (20-30 points), Robby Fabbri (30-40 points, depending how many games he misses to injury), Bozak (20-40 points), Ivan Barbashev (20-30 points).

Must-improve forward: GM Armstrong got rid of the usual suspects (Berglund, Sobotka, even Paul Stastny at the trade deadline), which leaves the ghost of Alex Steen. He's being paid like a 60-point player but has not reached that level of production since 2014-15. He's 34, so chances are he'll never reach those numbers again.

Top defensemen: Alex Pietrangelo (45-50 points), Colton Parayko (35-40 points), Joel Edmundson (15-25 points), Vince Dunn (10-20 points), Jay Bouwmeester (10 points).

Goalies: Jake Allen (80/100), Johnson (65/100).

Top rookies: Jordan Kyrou (20 years old, C), Robert Thomas (19, C, 2017 first-rounder), Samuel Blais (22, LW), Jake Walman (22, D), Klim Kostin (19, C, 6'3", 212 pounds), Ville Husso (23, G).

Analysis:
Mike Yeo is not an NHL-caliber coach.

The Blues' players have a history of choking in high-pressure situations; the core used to be made up of Team USA chokers, now they're mostly just very experienced playoff under-performers.

Jake Allen needs an elite goaltending coach, someone whose goalies wins Vezinas, or else he's done as a starter. Johnson's not any better. In fact, he's among the lower tier of NHL backups.

Bouwmeester has looked like an already-retired defenseman at times last year, and it's not going to get any better for him this year.

The Blues have plenty of good pieces to build around in Tarasenko, Schwartz, the good Schenn, and Pietrangelo, but a bunch of uncoachable guys who just managed to get rid of Ken Hitchcock just got coach-killer and selfish star two-way center O'Reilly added to the roster. Look at his time in Colorado, look at his time in Buffalo: he's at his best on mediocre teams because he can't stand not being the best player around, and he gets jealous when he's not the de facto leader, then just stops trying altogether.

This could turn out to be a spectacular shit-show. Chances are Yeo and Armstrong won't be in town at this time next year.

Prediction: 5th in the Central Division.

NHL Preview 2017-18: St. Louis Blues

GM: Doug Armstrong (since 2010). 7/10
Coach: Mike Yeo (since 2017). 6.5/10

2016-17 record: 46-29-7, 99 points, 10th overall.

Departures: David Perron (RW), Jori Lehtera (C), Scottie Upshall (RW), Ryan Reaves (RW), Nail Yakupov (RW).

Arrivals: Brayden Schenn (C), Beau Bennett (RW), Chris Thorburn (RW), Oskar Sundqvist (C).

Top forwards: Vladimir Tarasenko (75-80 points), Jaden Schwartz (55-65 points), Schenn (55-60 points), Alex Steen (40-50 points), Paul Stastny (45-60 points, depending how many games he suits up for), Vladimir Sobotka (40-50 points), Patrik Berglund (30 points), Ivan Barbashev (25-30 points).

Must-improve forward: Berglund's 50-point seasons are way behind him, but on such a stacked team, even while centering the third line, he should have been able to reach 40 at least once these past six years.

Top defensemen: Alex Pietrangelo (45-50 points), Colton Parayko (35-40 points), Joel Edmundson (15-25 points), Jay Bouwmeester (20 points).

Goalies: Jake Allen (89/100), Carter Hutton (80/100).

Top rookies: Jodan Schmaltz (24 years old, D, 2012 first-round draft pick), Jake Walman (21, D), Vince Dunn (21, D), Tage Thompson (20, C, 2016 first-round draft pick), Ville Husso (22, G).

Analysis:
I'll be honest, I needed a team to take the fall. It was a toss-up between the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild to see which team would get hit by the injury bug and a string of bad luck, then would surprisingly fall out of the playoff picture, and I chose the Blues.

Part of it is because Mike Yeo was pretty awful with the Wild a couple of years back, part of it is because GM Armstrong is overrated and surrounded by the likes of Martin Brodeur and Bob Gainey (also Al MacInnis and Larry Robinson, whom I like).

But in this day age, one in which no one managed to score 50 goals last year, Tarasenko is among a handful of players who can realistically aim for that level of greatness. And Allen showed last year to be ready for the #1 spot between the pipes.

Or maybe I'm wrong.

Prediction: 6th in the Central Division.