For St. Louis Blues, Inconsistency is Status Quo

The St. Louis Blues have finally found their groove in the 2023-24 season, but it appears that the groove is inconsistency. While a gritty overtime win on Dec. 4 against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights showed what this team is capable of at its best, the stretch following that victory has been one of the worst of the team’s season. They allowed the Golden Knights to come from behind dramatically on Dec. 6, before dropping back-to-back games against two of the worst teams in the league: the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks.

Those kinds of results have become the hallmarks of a team in sixth place in their division, with a 13-13-1 record and 27 points. That puts the Blues on an 82-point pace — a very slight improvement over last season’s 81-point finish, but not a playoff result. Sure, there have been some improvements over last season, but inconsistency remains at the forefront of the Blues’ identity. So, what’s behind the team’s mixed results? Let’s take a closer look at some key factors.

Schenn and Other Veterans Not Delivering

The Blues appointed Brayden Schenn as their captain this summer, choosing him over a younger candidate like Robert Thomas. But early in the season, that decision has not been justified by results. Thomas is tearing it up, leading the team in points with 25 in 25 games. But Schenn started slow. Though he currently has eight goals and seven assists in 25 games, he is also a minus-9, and his metrics reflect a defensive liability. At 32, a downturn was somewhat predictable, but it’s not the example that the team likely hoped a new captain would set.

Schenn is not alone, though. Defensive veterans Nick Leddy and Marco Scandella have been far from reliable, though that probably was to be expected. Jakub Vrána has been a ghost and a shadow of the promising upstart he was after arriving with the Blues last season. The Blues were hoping for a big bounceback season from their veteran stars in 2023-24, and so far, in most cases, they haven’t gotten it.

Kyrou Not Playing Like a Superstar

Jordan Kyrou has experienced intense scrutiny this season and with good reason. In the first season on an eight-year, $65 million contract that ties him with Thomas for the highest salary on the team, he has not played like the superstar the Blues need him to be. Sure, he is third on the team in points, with 17. But he is a minus-6, in a tie for…