How the Blues Matched All Division 7 Opponents – Hockey Writers –

St. Louis Blues will enter the 2024-25 season under new full-time coach Drew Bannister and several roster changes.

The Central Division isn’t the best in the NHL, but it probably won’t be too bad either. The Blues will probably end up somewhere in between. Let’s take a look at how they stack up against the other seven clubs in this division.

Chicago Blackhawks

• Main: Blues
• Defenders: Blues
• Goal: Blues

I would give the Blues a chance to surpass the Chicago Blackhawks in all three categories, but I think the forward and defensive units are much closer than last season. The Blackhawks came out of the offseason adding Teuvo Teravainen and Tyler Bertuzzi to their forward group and TJ Brodie and Alec Martinez to their defensive end.

However, the Blues still have better forwards overall and a better defensive unit, but maybe I’m being too biased here.

The Colorado Avalanche

• Frontrunners: Avalanche
• Defenders: Ice
• Goal: Blues

I think this is the easiest measurement to score. The Colorado Avalanche are the best team and have been for at least four straight seasons.

The Avalanche have a very strong forward group with veterans Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen up top and a quality defensive core led by Cale Makar. The Blues’ advantage is in net, with Jordan Binington and Joel Hofer clearing Alexander Georgiev and Justus Annunen. Overall, Colorado has a better team in 2024-25.

Dallas Stars

• Leading: Stars
• Protectors: Stars
• Scoring: Stars

The Dallas Stars are the biggest matchup of the Blues on paper for the upcoming season. They have the edge in all three groups, but it’s not that big of a gap. They have one of the best squads in the league with a mix of quality youth and experience. The Blues should strive to build on what general manager Jim Nill has in Dallas the past few years. They are flexible and always mixed.

Minnesota Wild

• Front: I mean
• Defenders: Blues
• Goal: Blues

I think the Blues are better than the Minnesota Wild. They have the best goals and the best defensive unit. The forward groups are the same, so putting those together was a breeze. St. Louis had five points last season and finished a place ahead of them in the Central.

The upper hand between the two teams belongs to the Blues. I would be surprised if Minnesota doesn’t end up rebuilding in the next few seasons.

Nashville Predators

• Front: I mean
• Protectors: Rapists
• Goal: Blues

This is hard to judge when you look at the changes the Nashville Predators have made this summer. They added a lot to their roster, including Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. However, I think the Blues have a deep squad going forward, so calling it even is fair. The inevitable pairing of Skjei and Roman Josi is better than anything St. Louis gave it.

Related: NHL Rebuild Rankings: 2024-25 Preseason Edition

The scoring came down to the combined power of Binnington and Hofer over Juuse Saros and Scott Wedgewood. I think Nashville will have the better record this season, but the matchup between these two will be fun to watch.

Utah Hockey Club

• Main: Blues
• Defenders: Blues
• Goal: Blues

In their first season in a new state, the Utah Hockey Club made several major changes, including a major one to their blue line with the additions of Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino. However, it is difficult to know whether they will take a real step forward or not in 2024-25. I think the Blues are the better of all three teams, but the margin isn’t huge for any of them.

Winnipeg Jets

• The frontrunners: The Jets
• Defenders: Jets
• Scoring: Jets

On paper, the Winnipeg Jets are as bad for the Blues as the Stars. They have balance on all three teams and have been one of the better teams in the Western Conference for parts of the 2023-24 season. I think the matchups between these two will be closer than usual this season, but Winnipeg is better.

Can the Blues make the Playoffs?

This is a difficult question to answer. The Blues could make the playoffs, but I wouldn’t bet on them. They have a good roster, but not a program that can contend for a Stanley Cup. It will be interesting to see how they stack up under head coach Drew Bannister. Either way, it’s going to be an interesting season.