Robert Thomas may have found the jolt the Blues have been waiting for.
St. Louis dropped a tight one to Minnesota on October 15, falling 5-4 after nearly pulling off a late comeback. The result stung, but the night ended with a bright spot that could matter well beyond one game: Thomas finally got himself on the scoresheet, collecting a goal and an assist late in the third period while trying to help drag his team back.
The question now is whether that performance is the start of something bigger when Nashville comes in on October 17.
Through seven games, Thomas hasn’t looked like the steady top-line force the Blues want from him. The first line has been uneven, and the version of it people hoped to see from last season has shown up only once so far. Thomas, wearing the “C” to lead the next era of Blues hockey, has been part of that frustrating start, while the second line and younger players have done more of the heavy lifting.
That kind of slow opening isn’t exactly new for him. Over a 10-year career, Thomas has had a habit of opening seasons quietly. In 58 October games, he owns a -7 and has produced six goals and 29 assists for 35 points.
The Blues need that to change, and they need it soon.
Mason McTavish, Connor McMichael, and Jonatan Berggren have provided secondary scoring, and Pius Suter has been a welcome surprise on the fourth line. But St.
Louis is not going to stay competitive without its top line pulling its weight. If Thomas gets going, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway can ride that momentum with him.
Joel Hofer’s goaltending has been strong, and the blue line has held up better than expected despite the injuries. Still, the offense needs its first line to become a real catalyst. That starts with Thomas.
He has to stack a few good games together. The Blues have the pieces to make some noise this season, even with the injuries piling up, but the captain has to lead the charge.
In Other News...
Blues Collapse Against Wild Exposed A Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Blues had enough offense to build a comfortable cushion against Minnesota, getting a multi-point night from Robert Thomas and three assists from Cam Fowler before the game turned sharply in the third period. St. Louis led 5-2 and looked in control, but the Wild kept pressing and eventually turned the night into a reminder that no lead is safe when the structure slips.
What stood out after the collapse was how familiar it looked. The Blues were again hurt by odd-man rushes and had trouble sorting out their own end once Minnesota found a rhythm, leaving Joel Hofer to face too much traffic and too many quality looks. Hofer made 33 saves on 38 shots, but the late breakdowns were the bigger issue, and they left St. Louis with a loss that felt avoidable long before the final horn. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Fans Wont Love Where This Franchise Favorite Landed
David Perron is back on the move, and this time the longtime winger is landing in a place that will not sit especially well with plenty of St. Louis fans. The Dallas Stars have brought in the franchise favorite on a one-year contract as he begins his 20th NHL season, adding a veteran presence to a roster that suddenly needs help up front.
For Dallas, the fit is obvious enough: injuries have thinned the forward group, and the Stars are looking for experience and reliability while they manage their depth. Perron has built a career by adapting wherever he goes, and now he arrives in a division rivals sweater with the kind of savvy that can still matter in a short-term role, even if the move will be easier to swallow in Texas than it is in Missouri. [Read more 🡒]
Berggren Is Forcing A Blues Decision That Could Cost Them Later
Jonatan Berggren has given the Blues something worth talking about early this season, and not just because of the production. In seven games, he has settled into a regular role with 14:42 of ice time per night, showing enough two-way growth to earn looks on the penalty kill while helping drive play at the other end. For a team always weighing present value against future flexibility, that kind of steady early return makes him harder to ignore.
The bigger question now is what all of that means when contract talks eventually come into focus. Berggren is playing well enough to force St. Louis into a real roster and salary decision, the kind that can shape how the next few seasons look if the club misjudges his value. The Blues have seen how quickly a productive young player can change the math, and the longer he keeps this up, the less room there is to treat him like a short-term piece. [Read more 🡒]