For the last 21 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 22nd annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what we take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

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Gone – Kevin Hayes, Adam Gaudette, Calle Rosen, Marco Scandella, Sammy Blais, Jakub Vrana

Incoming – Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Ryan Suter, Mathieu Joseph, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Alexandre Texier, Radek Faksa

Impact of changes 

St. Louis made headlines this summer after poaching Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg from Edmonton through the art of the offer sheet. Aside from that high-profile move, the Blues had a relatively quiet offseason. They swapped out a few depth/complementary pieces, but most of the team's big names from last year will return for the upcoming campaign.

The Blues were the best non-playoff team last season, finishing 16^th in league standings with more wins than losses. Despite a decent record, St. Louis' advanced stats paint a bleak picture as they finished bottom-10 in expected goals for and bottom-five in expected goals against (via NaturalStatTrick). Although they received solid contributions from star forwards, the team was largely carried by strong goaltending from Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer last year. St. Louis' record improved after firing head coach Craig Berube in mid-December, but the team's underlying numbers didn't quite improve to the same extent.

Aside from Kevin Hayes, the Blues didn't really lose anyone of consequence this summer. Instead, they bolstered their bottom-six through additions of Mathieu Joseph, Radek Faksa, and Alexandre Texier. Dylan Holloway is another name we can add to that list if he ends up on the third line instead of the second. Joseph, Texier, and Holloway should provide a much-needed boost to the team's depth scoring, while Faksa helps out defensively. There are many possible configurations for the team's blueline, but Broberg seems like a fit for the second pairing, while Ryan Suter and P.O. Joseph might fall into third-pairing/seventh defenseman territory.

With only minor offseason improvements, St. Louis seems destined to be a middle-of-the-pack team again this year.

Ready for Full Time 

Among St. Louis' current crop of prospects, Zack Bolduc probably has the best chance of seeing a full-time role this season. He made his NHL debut last year, playing out the final quarter in St. Louis. Although Bolduc only managed four points in his first 20 appearances (skating 11 minutes a night), he tallied five points in his final five appearances (averaging nearly 16 minutes per game). Based on his play down the stretch, he'll have a good shot to start this season in the NHL. His goal-scoring talent makes him best suited for a top-six role, so if he isn't contributing offensively for long stretches, he may be sent down to the minors to help him develop and build confidence.

Drafted 23^rd overall in 2022, Jimmy Snuggerud has shown himself as a well-rounded player with high-ending shooting ability in the NCAA. The 20-year-old will be returning to the University of Minnesota to play out his junior year but should sign his entry-level deal once the college season ends. General Manager Doug Armstrong said himself that Snuggerud should feature in the Blues' lineup near the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

It’ll be a tall task, but 19-year-old Dalibor Dvorsky can earn a role with the Blues this season if he has a strong showing in training camp. However, more likely scenarios would have him spend this year in the AHL or OHL.

Fantasy Outlook 

Robert Thomas has averaged a point-per-game over the past three years, so it feels fair to expect more of the same this season.

At first glance, Jordan Kyrou's 2023-24 output seems like a step back from what he's done in recent years. However, a closer look reveals that he produced at a 76-point pace under coach Bannister last year. His overall output was dampened by a slow start under coach Berube, who might not have seen eye to eye with Kyrou in the latter stages of their relationship. Kyrou should be able to flirt with a 75-point pace again this season.

Pavel Buchnevich has produced at a high level for the past four years and seems primed to continue that pattern after signing an extension this summer. Although he's been a winger for most of his career, it sounds like he'll start the year as St. Louis' second line center. It's not a completely foreign position as he also filled that role down the stretch last season. This could give Buchnevich a boost in leagues that track faceoff wins, assuming he maintains his center/wing eligibility.

22-year-old Jake Neighbours will be in tough to match the 18.6% shooting percentage and 27 goals he posted last year, but a high volume of opportunity should help him remain relevant in fantasy leagues.

Relegated to secondary power-play minutes and starting out as third-line center, last year's 46 points seems more representative of Brayden Schenn's potential than the 65 he tallied a year prior.

With Torey Krug at risk of missing the season with an ankle injury, Justin Faulk and Scott Perunovich should step into elevated power-play roles this year. Despite showing offensive prowess in the NCAA and AHL, Perunovich is yet to have a significant impact in the NHL. This season could be an important one for him as he's a restricted free agent next summer.

As previously mentioned, Binnington and Hofer did an excellent job in net last year. Both have the individual talent to be valuable in fantasy leagues, but there are other goalies on better teams who might be safer bets.

Fantasy Grade: B- (last year was a B-)

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.