Blues power rankings: Doug Armstrong's hardball, Jimmy Snuggerud's points, Jim Montgomery

ST.

LOUIS A few weeks ago, I was asking St.

Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou a question.

I was trying to inquire about the vibe of the team, and I couldnt think of the phrase used by the younger generations.

Im about to turn 50 years old, and I could see the 26-year-old Kyrou starting to smile when I searched for the words.

Advertisement It finally came to me.

Well, sort of.

Vibe check.

How does the vibe check feel? I finally blurted out.

A vibe is a feeling.

It didnt make sense.

Oh well, lets just add that one to the long list of questions Ive fumbled over the years.

I thought of the Kyrou interview when I sat down to write the Blues power rankings.

Ill admit, I stole the idea from Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus, my colleagues at The Athletic .

Theyve been putting together the Blackhawks power rankings for a few months, and I thought it was something Blues fans would enjoy.

Essentially, its a vibe check.

How are people feeling about players, prospects, trades, coaching decisions and literally anything else surrounding the Blues? Well rank them in order of importance, Nos.

1-10.

The world is your oyster, Lazerus said.

That could be trouble.

Heres my first edition of the Blues power rankings.

1.

Doug Armstrongs hardball When the Blues announced last week that they and Brandon Saad were mutually terminating the remainder of his contract, I immediately thought back to a column I wrote in November.

The headline was, Doug Armstrong is going all in to fix the Blues and add to his legacy, feelings be damned.

The Blues general manager wasnt worried nor should he have been about the feelings of Edmonton GM Stan Bowman when he made the dual offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway.

He wasnt concerned about former coach Drew Bannister when he fired him in favor of Jim Montgomery.

And now Saad.

The Saad situation reminded me of the many times Ive talked to Armstrong about no-trade clauses.

Its been well-documented that hes given out a lot of them, including one to Saad, but hes always said that if its not working out with a player, there will be a way to move him.

That was the case with Saad, although the Blues could not have predicted nor been any more fortunate than to have the veteran forward walk away from $5.4 million on the remainder of his deal and avoid a potential buyout in the summer.

But at the end of the day, Armstrong was right in that he was able to part ways with a player who had a full NTC.

Advertisement The hardball approach concerned some Blues fans who worry about the ability to bring players to St.

Louis in the future.

But for many, Armstrongs aggressiveness is a welcome way to reshape the roster sooner than later.

2.

Jimmy Snuggeruds point total Blues prospect Jimmy Snuggerud leads all NCAA hockey players in points.

The University of Minnesota Golden Gopher added two more goals and four more points in a two-game sweep of Wisconsin over the weekend, giving him 20 goals (which ranks No.

3 in the country) and 41 points.

I recently spoke with Snuggerud about his season, and while both he and the Blues are excited about his chance of winning a national championship, he cant get to St.

Louis fast enough in the minds of fans.

Snuggeruds shot is what sets him apart from a lot of prospects, and its an element the Blues are missing.

His success in college doesnt guarantee that hes going to be a star in the NHL, but were getting closer and closer to finding out.

20+ Snuggy Snipes...

AGAIN He becomes the third Gopher EVER to score 20+ goals in each of his first three collegiate seasons.

#PrideOnIce pic.twitter.com/laW8Ht3rCi Minnesota Mens Hockey (@GopherHockey) February 1, 2025 3.

Jordan Binnington, Colton Parayko at 4 Nations Ive done a few radio interviews in Canada recently, and among the first questions asked are about Jordan Binnington and Colton Parayko.

Its not because those players could get traded to the NHL club they cover.

Its because the two Blues are about to put on the Team Canada sweater for the 4 Nations tournament .

Their participation in the tournament will be nice exposure for the organization, but for them individually, a solid showing could open some eyes around the NHL as far as how good they can be when theyre at the top of their game.

In those interviews I did on Canadian radio, the hosts seemed a bit skeptical about Binningtons ability as a potential starting goalie and even Paraykos worthiness of being on the roster.

I told them I felt both players were deserving of the opportunity and could fare well.

Advertisement With Parayko, itll be interesting with the recent news of former Blues teammate Alex Pietrangelo withdrawing from the tournament due to an injury hes been nursing.

Canada will be choosing a replacement for Pietrangelo, but could it mean an elevated role for Parayko, and if so, how will he handle it? Hes had a career year for the Blues this season, and he could add to it with his performance at 4 Nations.

4.

Jordan Kyrous spark on top line The Blues need their best players producing, and recently that hasnt been the case.

Going into Sundays game at Utah, Robert Thomas had one goal and Pavel Buchnevich no goals in their previous nine games.

Theyve played with Saad, Jake Neighbours, Zack Bolduc and Alexandre Texier in that stretch and couldnt find any offense.

So on Sunday, Montgomery moved Kyrou on the line with Thomas and Buchnevich a group thats seen a lot of ice time together in the past and the results were good.

According to Natural Stat Trick , they had nearly 13 minutes of five-on-five ice time against Utah and finished with an expected goal share of 66.77 percent.

They had eight scoring chances for and four against and scored a goal, which was the game winner in a 2-1 victory: Kyrou from Thomas and Buchnevich.

Afterward, Montgomery said he liked all four lines in the Utah game, so perhaps well see the same combinations against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night at Enterprise Center.

They should keep the top line for the simple reason that Kyrou brought a spark to Thomas and Buchnevich, and the Blues needed that.

Utah's PA announcer was still reading their goal and Jordan Kyrou's like "hang on I'm gonna interrupt ya" pic.twitter.com/RBasOsPTda St.

Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) February 3, 2025 5.

Jim Montgomerys process After a few of the Blues recent losses, Ive been asked by some fans if the players are trying to get the coach fired.

(I think these fans are being sarcastic because Montgomery has a five-year deal, and the Blues would look foolish if they fired another coach.

They are being sarcastic, right?) The reason I put this item in our inaugural power rankings is because its so important.

It could even be No.

1 on the list instead of No.

5.

Sure, the new coach is going to get disappointed with how the club plays at times, but he isnt looking for a quick fix.

Every drill he runs, every meeting he has and every decision he makes is about building the Blues the right way, whether it shows up in the final few months of this season, in 2025-26 or beyond.

Advertisement Its gotten to the point where when the St.

Louis media asks Montgomery about a specific area of the team, his response almost always includes the word process.

That may get old quick for some, but if theres visible growth and a continued response from the players, Montgomerys understanding and patience may be what allows him to lay a foundation that can be sustained over time.

6.

Tyler Tuckers importance There were some Blues fans, but not a lot, wondering when Tyler Tucker would get called up this season.

When he finally did in mid-December, the expectation was that hed be the defensive defenseman hes shown to be in his previous 52 games and drop the gloves a time or two.

In other words, someone who could help, but not necessarily someone you couldnt lose.

Well, when Tucker left the game Sunday in Utah with an upper-body injury, there was a high level of concern among the fan base.

Thats because in just 19 games since coming up from AHL Springfield, hes established himself as important part of the team with two goals, two assists, 34 hits and four fights.

The Blues were off Monday and didnt provide an update on Tucker.

The club did assign Matthew Kessel to AHL Springfield, which could be a sign Tucker is OK.

But well know more Tuesday, and for the Blues sake, the best update would be Tucker skating onto the ice for the morning practice.

Here's the Tucker injury, courtesy @FanDuelSN_MW pic.twitter.com/PQdUwpBSc4 Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) February 3, 2025 7.

Blues assets at the trade deadline Theres a little more than a month left before the deadline, and with the Blues sitting 7 points out of the second wild card in the Western Conference standings, odds of a playoff berth are looking bleak.

Normally, that would mean Armstrong and the front office would be engaging in a lot of trade talk as they unload any pending unrestricted free agents.

But the only two on the roster are forward Radek Faksa and defenseman Ryan Suter, and though their situations were mentioned on the Blues trade tiers , neither even appeared on The Athletic s trade board 5.0 .

So it seems the Blues will be quiet at the deadline, but with Armstrongs desire to address the roster needs and the boldness hes shown in the past, you can never count out anything.

The clubs prospect pool was ranked No.

14 in Scott Wheelers latest rankings , but the Blues GM said he wont be dealing from that group to improve the team this season.

Therefore, any moves might have to wait for the offseason when the team may have some more flexibility with trades, buyouts, etc.

Advertisement 8.

Chances at a top pick Though the Blues may indeed miss the postseason for the third consecutive year, there could be a reason to be excited looking ahead.

According to The Athletic s Dom Luszczyszyn , they have a 2 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 5 percent chance to receive the No.

1 pick in the NHL Draft.

According to MoneyPuck.com , they have an 11.3 percent chance of making the playoffs and 3.6 percent chance at the top pick.

Either way, it may be time soon to start studying up on the prospects in the draft, and The Athletic s Corey Pronman has you covered with his 2025 midseason rankings .

9.

Alexandre Texiers opportunity When Armstrong discussed the decision to put Saad on waivers, he mentioned he wanted to see Texier play more.

He took it a step further when he confirmed the club wouldnt be calling anyone up from AHL Springfield and said, If I want to see Texier play, the less options the coach has, the more likely hes going to play.

That got many talking about Armstrong and Montgomery being on different pages regarding Texier.

No one on the outside may know the truth, but when asked about Texier, Montgomery was complimentary.

However, after being promoted to the Blues top line with Thomas and Buchnevich against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, Texier lasted just one game there.

In 18:05 of total ice time, he had no points, one shot on goal and was a minus-2.

In 11:25 of five-of-five ice time with Thomas and Buchnevich, they were outshot 11-4, and the Avalanche had more scoring chances, 9-4.

It was no surprise when Texier was banished to the fourth line against Utah on Sunday, though he did redeem himself with a goal.

10.

Scott Perunovichs potential It didnt take long after the Blues traded defenseman Scott Perunovich to the New York Islanders on Jan.

27 one day, in fact.

Advertisement In his first game with his new team, Perunovich assisted on the Islanders game-winning goal in a 5-2 win over the Avalanche.

Hes now played four games and has two assists.

Heres the bottom line, which Armstrong said: The Blues didnt have any plans for Perunovich to be in the lineup regularly.

If he wasnt playing, he wasnt going to get better.

He may go on to be a great player for the Islanders, or someone in the future, but for his sake and the teams, it was time.

(Photo of Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich: Chris Nicoll / Imagn Images).

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.