Blues Have Young Stud Defenseman in Philip Broberg – Hockey Writers – St. Louis Blues

St. Louis Blues through six games of the 2024-25 season. The team has had its ups and downs, but has a 4-2-0 overall record with its most recent win coming against the Carolina Hurricanes.

One thing that stood out the most was the play of Philip Broberg, one of the team’s young defenders. The group added him with an application form that arrived in August. The Edmonton Oilers have opted not to sign or sign a waiver for forward Dylan Holloway. So far, the Blues are reaping the benefits of adding these two, especially Broberg. Let’s take a look at how well he’s played in six games and why there’s no reason to believe he can’t make it.

Broberg’s Point Streak Remains Alive

Broberg has six points in six games as a Blue. He is the ninth player in NHL history to have a point streak of at least this length at the start of his franchise tenure, per Jamison Coyle. It was great to see him play. He has a chance to keep the streak alive with tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. Another important thing to consider is that he leads the club in assists with five and is tied with Jordan Kyrou for the team’s leading score. A Blues defenseman being close to or even high in scoring has been a rarity throughout their franchise history.

It’s hard to overstate the difference between a blueliner like Broberg and what they’ve had the past few seasons. It’s not a match for players like Marco Scandella or Torey Krug, but the difference is very noticeable. He is an easy skater and there are very few holes in his game.

Broberg Needs More Ice Time

Broberg is already playing a little, but he should be playing a lot. He should average over 20 minutes per game of ice time. He has lacked that so far, so I expect it to pick up as the season goes on and he continues to play well. He averaged well under 15 minutes of ice time per game with the Oilers, so he’s already played more on average than before. He has a lot of talent – he was a top 10 pick in the 2019 Draft.

There is also a legitimate element of flexibility with Broberg where he can play with anyone. His pairing with Justin Faulk has been excellent. It was the clear leading duo on the blue line through six games. There’s no reason to change it right now, but I’d like to see how he’ll look next to Colton Parayko. I think he can make a serious impact either way. Head coach Drew Bannister and staff have put him in a good position to succeed.

What is Broberg’s Ceiling in 2024-25?

I don’t see why he can’t score over 50 points and make good defensive plays. He’s a point per game to six and that will slow him down, but it shouldn’t slow him down that much. He is an easy skater and his puck skills are much better than I expected. Maybe I didn’t watch him enough in Edmonton, but I was very impressed.

Related: Blues’ Jordan Kyrou Has His Redemption Season

The Blues have a young stud defender in Broberg. So far, signing him to a dangerous deal this summer was a good move by general manager Doug Armstrong. It has paid off in the best way so far and I hope it will continue.