A quick word about the state of the St. Louis Blues

It's not dark yet, but it's getting there.

I think Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas are going to be a great team for a long time here in St. Louis. I haven’t watched enough hockey lately. The day job doesn’t exactly leave an abundance of free time. But in the highlights and games I have seen, these two are a fortress of potential.

Potential is a flexible word, especially being that each player has put together at least one very productive season, if not more. But being paired together with the fate of the season being unsure has only brought out the best in Kyrou and Thomas. Both are signed to eight-year contracts; both are going nowhere.

Playoffs aren’t a sure thing this season for the Blues. The causes are many, and the resulting changes could feel especially harsh. Be prepared. But also remember to soak in the good stuff. The worth of a season to a sports fan should never be measured completely in team performance. That’s the players, coaches/manager, front office, and the rest of the humans on payroll to figure out.

Take the last Cardinals season for example. Albert Pujols reached 700 home runs in a season that ultimately lasted two games. Now, do you dismiss the rush of those home runs and the wins during the season? As fans, we can’t dismiss those things. That’s our treasure.

It’s just a thought. The Blues and Blackhawks play tonight at Enterprise. Winning would also be a thought. A good one for a 16-16-3 team. For those who don’t get hockey result-keeping, it’s fairly simple. Wins-Losses-Overtime Losses; the Blues got a point in those three decisions, but lost in overtime or a shootout. In baseball terms, their overall record would be less than .500.

Let’s talk about that point total, the gathering that gets a point if the Blues force a game to overtime. The Blues have 35 points heading into tonight’s game, which puts them 13 points behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars. The Vegas Golden Knights lead the West with 50 points.

And then you have 50 fifty of crap, and then there’s the Blues. Sometimes, reaching to quote “Moneyball” is just worth it on my end. Doug Armstrong made roster choices and constructed a team against a still very-tight league-wide salary cap, but that doesn’t restrict criticism. Choices were made, and general managers’ jobs are determined by those inked finalities.

I doubt this team pulls it together. Love or hate Torey Krug’s play since joining the Blues, but his six-week (at least) sidelining injury hurts an already suspect defense. St. Louis ranks 8th in the NHL in goals allowed, and only slots in at 17th in goals scored. They’re an average team in record, even if their overall play makes them smell like a lesser squad.

There’s loads of time left, but it always starts to sprint when the calendar turns over. More of those decisions, aka choices, are going to have to be made regarding a couple fan favorites: Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. The latter is more likely to go than the former, but everything stays in the air while this team goes back and forth between wins and losses.

No one ever said following a St. Louis sports team was rosy, on the diamond or the ice. The 2022-23 Blues aren’t a waste of your time, but now would be the time to manage expectations for their second half.