A Retrospective and Outlook for the St. Louis Blues
The Blues (35-35-7) have mathematically been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff Contention. This was a year that was supposed to contend for them, give them at best another cup and at worst, a first round exit to a tough Minnesota or Colorado team, and then they could move forward. Here we will take a look at what happened, why it happened, and what the Blues need to do going forward to contend again. Expectations After the Blues lost in 6 to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche in the 2022 playoffs, expectations were high. Though they lost a few key players, namely David Perron, in the offseason, the Blues rode into the season as a consensus playoff team. They were widely predicted to be the 2nd or 3rd best team in the Central, and those who disagreed and put the Predators, Jets, or Stars, before the Blues were few and far between. The expectation for the Blues was to make the playoffs, have a long, hard fought series with the Wild, and if they did, attempt revenge ...