Team: 2023-24 St. Louis Blues

Initial Creation Date: Mar. 3, 2024

Published: Mar. 3, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

TLDR- the way I see it, this is STLs core. These are the guys we should be building around

Buch- One of the most underrated 2 way wingers in the league. Elite offensive skill paired with gritty forechecks and backchecks make him one of the best players for the blues, he would be a perfect mentor for Dvorsky. Lots of rumors about him being traded but I think I speak for everyone in STL by saying we don't want to trade him. If we do the "retool" is gonna be extended by at least 2-3 years while we wait for young guys to step up. Though his haul would be massive in terms of prospects and picks.

Thomas- ELITE. he's really come into his own this season as a bona-fide shutdown 1C. Excels in basically every aspect of the game and hes still young and probably hasn't reached full potential yet. He's already among some of the best blues to ever wear the sweater in terms of offence, but he's also extremely responsible in his own zone. he should be a Selke conversations because this team would suffer without him. Proven leader, also a piece of the stanley cup team.

Kyrou- This is a weird one for some, but there's no denying this kids offensive prowess. he's shown us little bits of what he can do, and its incredible. There's a reason he got a big contract. he catches a lot of flak for not producing like an 8 million dollar player should, and they're right, he does need to produce more, but a lot of those chances he creates are chances that nobody else on this roster could. In the D zone he's either on or off and there no in-between. sometimes he's feral and all over the puck carrier, but other times he's a pylon. As he gets older I predict this laziness and attitude will greatly diminish (at least i hope so) because he can be an incredible asset, or a liability on the ice.

Neighbours- nobody expected Neighbours to be anything special, just another late 1st who will probably bounce around the league and be a bottom 6 guy, but he's proving that he can be much much more. Once he started gaining traction people said "oh he's just the next barbashev", and that's partially true, but I think he's already passed barby in terms of impact. He plays the right game and works in the dirty areas which is something this team desperately needed. Hard nosed kid with an incredible motor that plays well, and already a top 6 guy. exactly who we want our young guys to follow and emulate

Toropchenko- Much like Neighbours, nobody expected a whole lot. He was a 4th rounder so he wasn't even expected to make the NHL. but he may very well be the hardest worker in the entire franchise. This kid puts his heart and soul into every game and you can see it. he's pesky on the forecheck, works like a clydesdale in his own zone. He uses his massive frame to his advantage wherever he can, especially in the corners. He will be a staple identity player for years to come.

Walker- STL's favorite little guy., He's feisty, and doesn't let his small size hold him back. He dumped Ryan Reaves like he was nothing 2 or 3 weeks ago lol. He's not the most skilled player by any means but whenever he's called up he always finds a way to contribute. I believe he's earned his spot on the NHL roster.

Sunny- STL loves hard workers, and sunny is one of them. he was on our Stanley Cup team and he means a lot to this city. He willingly took a league minimum contract to be back here. No he's not the most skilled, and no he's not the most disciplined at times, but he always puts in a good effort and tries to give his team any kind of advantage he can.

Parayko- another Stanley Cup staple. He used to be our most anticipated young defenseman, then the injuries came. His health held him back for a while after a couple great years. This led to lots of criticism and trade rumors. but coming back this season he looks incredible. He consistently holds the leagues best off and severely limits their impact. He catches some flak for not being the most physical guy, but he's proving to be more than capable without being a wrecking ball. He's a solid top pairing guy who works night in night out. this teams D would be non existent without him.

Binnington/Hofer- Binnington gets overlooked as a top goalie in the league. He's the soul reason this team doesn't get blown out of the water most nights. He consistently makes those hard saves to keep STL in games. His antics are hated by most people but honestly, it makes things interesting! not a fan of him getting physical though. carried this team to a cup and continues to be solid for them. Perfect starter while Hofer keeps building his confidence. They're a really good tandem and if our defense was worth the money we pay them maybe they wouldn't be so underrated.

Future- after last draft the future is looking bright for STL. a lot of young raw offensive and scoring talent who dominated at the WJC and continue to dominate on their respective junior/college/minor teams.

On defense things are a little scarce, one high end LD prospect and one solid RD who made a great first impression in the NHL. Would love one or two more high end D prospects to bolster the pool.

There's also Perunovich who has SO MUCH POTENTIAL but just hasn't been able to stay healthy. He's finally become more of a regular in the NHL so he's not really a prospect anymore, he's just learning the ropes still

There are plenty of other players that I didn't add but the blues prospect pool is looking pretty strong.