Up next in our 2023 Fantasy Hockey Team Preview series is the St. Louis Blues. After a poor 2022-23 season, the Blues are hoping to bounce back this campaign. They may not be the strongest team in the league, but they have good options for your fantasy hockey roster. Let’s go over some of their most notable players by position now.
St. Louis Blues Fantasy Hockey Preview
Blues Forwards
When looking at the Blues’ lineup, it is clear that their forward group is the strongest part of their roster. Fantasy managers have several worthwhile Blues to consider for their rosters. Pavel Buchenivich is one of them. The skilled winger had an excellent 2022-23 season, posting 26 goals and 67 points in 63 games.
Jordan Kyrou was excellent for the Blues as well. The Toronto native scored a career-high 37 goals and posted a team-leading 73 points in 79 games. He has point-per-game potential and still can get better as he gets more experience, so he’s a must-have for your fantasy team.
Robert Thomas is another notable Blue that you should consider in the middle rounds of your fantasy draft. In a bit of a down year for his standards, he still had 18 goals and 65 points in 73 games. Expect him to heat back up in 2023-24.
Captain Brayden Schenn, offseason addition Kevin Hayes, and winger Jakub Vrana are also worth keeping an eye on in the later rounds of your fantasy hockey draft.
Blues Defensemen
Defensively, the Blues have some expensive contracts but lack a true star. However, if we had to choose one defenseman to consider for your fantasy draft, Justin Faulk would be your best bet. He is coming off a strong season, posting 11 goals and 50 points in 82 games. Thus, he is worth looking at in the middle-to-later rounds of your fantasy hockey draft.
Torey Krug is an interesting player to watch this season. He had a rough 2022-23 season and rejected a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers this summer. It is clear that the Blues would like to get rid of his expensive contract. Perhaps Krug could use that as motivation to bounce back into the top-four offensive defenseman that he was for the majority of his career. Thus, maybe give him a look as a sleeper in the late rounds of your fantasy hockey draft.
Nick Leddy and Colton Parayko are two other Blues defensemen who could be worth taking a flier on, whether late in your draft or on the waiver wire.
Blues Goaltending
The Blues do not offer the best goaltending options. Jordan Binnington is coming off the worst season of his career. In 61 games, he had a 27-27-6 record, a .894 SV%, and a 3.31 GAA. He has been trending in the wrong direction over the last few seasons, so he is not a goalie to take until the later rounds of your fantasy draft, if at all.
If you want to take a chance on a breakout candidate, Joel Hofer may be worth a look. The 23-year-old is gearing up for his first full NHL season after a strong AHL season.
Alas, the Blues have some solid options for your fantasy hockey roster. Let’s see if they can turn things back around in 2023-24 from here.
Make sure to check out all of our Fantasy Hockey Team Previews as they roll out over the coming weeks!
Looking for more great fantasy hockey analysis? Check out our 2023 Fantasy Hockey Draft Kit for team previews, rankings, and all the sleepers you can shake a stick at.