最新杏吧原创

OK, so this needs to be the season it all comes together. There have been too many scoreless stretches. Too many floundered power-play opportunities. Too many questions about your tenacity on defense and on the boards. You鈥檙e a guy with extreme speed, exceptional hands and exquisite abilities when attacking the net. You鈥檙e now 26. Come into your own.

Oh, and only once have the Blues ever missed the postseason in three straight seasons. For your team to avoid tying that dubious mark, you need to maximize what鈥檚 inside your body 鈥� and your head.

And sorry to bring this up, but after 69 games played last season, you had just 21 goals. But in the final 13 games, you scored 10 goals with seven assists. So credit where credit鈥檚 due on how you finished 鈥� but how did you get to that point after 69 games in the first place?

I asked your coach, Drew Bannister, what a successful 2024-25 season for you looks like. He summed it up in one word (but then followed up with a bunch of them): 鈥淐onsistency. I think if you look at the last four to six weeks last year and how consistently he played, I think that we have to see that consistency in his game over 82 games. And that鈥檚 we know what he brings to the table offensively.

鈥淚 think we saw a concerted effort in his defensive game that maybe took away from his offensive game a little bit. And then I think in the last four to six weeks, he kind of put both of them together. And now we鈥檙e going to look for that for the next eight months.鈥�

As for the list of 14 Blues players who have scored 40 or more goals in a season at least once, it鈥檚 a fascinating fraternity you could join. Of course, you鈥檝e got your Brett Hulls and Brian Sutters and Brendan Shanahans. And there鈥檚 Wayne Babych鈥檚 famous 54-goal season from 1980-81 (he never scored more than 27 in any other season). But there are also some pretty surprising names on there. Tony McKegney scored exactly 40 in 1987-88. And Chuck Lefley had 43 in 1975-76.

Interestingly, only three times has a Blues player netted 40 in the 21st century.

Scott Young had 40 in 2000-01, your old teammate Vladimir Tarasenko had 40 in 2015-16 and Brad Boyes had 43 in 2007-08 (interestingly, the 2007-08 season was the third season of the only three-year span the Blues missed the playoffs).

As for your potential, I truly think you can be the fourth 40-goal scorer this century. But do you have the drive to do it?

鈥淛ust watching him out on the ice (in training camp), I鈥檝e been extremely happy with him in his competitive level,鈥� Bannister said. 鈥淪taying in battles, using his speed. I mean, all the things that we know he鈥檚 good at. I see a more focused player that鈥檚 ready for a breakout season. ...

鈥淚 mean, he can (score in bunches), but I think when he鈥檚 playing with confidence, there鈥檚 not a lot of downtime in his scoring. I think he becomes a consistent scorer. As an offensive player, when you鈥檙e feeling it, the goals come easy. But I think just with him, it鈥檒l just be more consistent play of what he did really well towards the end of last season for us.鈥�

As the Post-Dispatch writer Matthew DeFranks has pointed out before, you statistically fare pretty well in five-on-five play (notably when it comes to goals per 60 minutes). But the power-play production (or lack thereof) hurts you and the team.

I want to think that your best center pairing is Robert Thomas. For one, he鈥檚 the best player on the team. And you two are linked forever because of your mirroring contracts.

But I鈥檓 also intrigued by your connection with Pavel Buchnevich playing that center role. Late last year, you connected with Buchnevich and forward Brandon Saad.

鈥淚 mean, He鈥檚 an unbelievable player,鈥� Saad said recently during training camp. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we ever worried about him scoring goals. I think we know how talented he is and how much skill he brings to the team. I know through with playing with him that he can obviously shoot the puck and score goals. He鈥檚 a great player, and I think we all know he鈥檚 going show up for us.鈥�

And that鈥檚 the thing. You鈥檒l show up and finish among the team leaders in goals. But you have the ability to be among the league leaders.

Challenge yourself. Prove yourself.