The St. Louis Blues are halfway through the season and still trying to sneak into a Western Conference wild-card spot. Their team is starting to show some identity, and their top players are showing more presence in the lineup. However, some players haven’t put up the numbers they thought they would and have found improvement in their games. With many new faces added to the roster this season and some familiar ones unlocking their full potential, it seems it has worked out positively. Let’s look at which three players turn themselves around this season.
Dylan Holloway
In his last two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Dylan Holloway finished the season with no more than nine points. However, he has become a new player with the Blues this season. In 49 games played this season, he has put up 36 points, which significantly exceeds his point production in the past two seasons, and he’s done it despite a scary moment earlier in the season where he was stretchered off after he took a puck to the neck.
Holloway has improved statistically and in the roles and positions he holds. Holloway rarely got top-line minutes before coming aboard the Blues via offer sheet, especially on the special teams. It makes sense, considering the Polers have players like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisatl, Zach Hyman, and others who fill those critical roles. The most minutes he played in a special-team role was 35:06 (on the power play in 2022-23.) Last season, his power-play minutes decreased to just under four. Performance-wise, he only had one point on the power play for his entire Oilers career.
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There has been a tremendous improvement in how Holloway has played on the power play with the Blues. He’s put up seven power-play points this season on the Blue’s first power-play unit, which is a significant role to have offensively. He’s playing top-six minutes with players like Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou, some of the team’s most-reliable forwards.
He’s found more comfort in playing with the Blues and it’s clear they are a team he can grow and thrive with because there is no pressure on him to succeed under elite talent like there was with the Oilers. The Blues franchise is looking to build an identity, and Holloway is part of it. After all, he’s 23 and has much potential to love up to his first-round status (14th overall, 2020.)
Colton Parayko
At 31 years old, Colton Parayko is showing he can still improve parts of his game. Specifically, his offensive performance has improved a lot. Last season, he had one the worst point production of his career in an 82-game season with 26 points in 82 games. This season, he’s put up 27 points in 49 games, which is quite impressive considering he’s been someone who hasn’t gone more than 35 points in a season. He is on pace for a career-high season.
For most of his career, Parayko has been known for being a shutdown defenseman who can block shots and prevent threats from getting to the net. Just last season, he led the NHL in blocks (218) and is still a top-four shot blocker this season (118.) Not only is he doing well offensively, but he is also staying consistent by providing an outstanding defensive performance.
Since the hiring of Jim Montgomery as Blues head coach and some roster changes in between with additions of Cam Fowler, Holloway, Philip Broberg, and several others, Parayko has much more talent and guidance to work with offensively. Montgomery, especially, has mainly been an offense-pushing coach who has brought out the offensive potential inside of Parayko (he did the same for Hampus Lindholm when he coached the Boston Bruins.) Both players have a similar style as defensive defensemen who don’t record a ton of points.
Cam Fowler
Fowler has started to become the defenseman he was during his Anaheim Ducks’ glory days. Since arriving in St. Louis, he’s been a tremendous veteran addition, is doing great offensively, and seems to have quickly adapted to the roster. With his 19 games with the Blues this season, he’s put up 13 points, much more than his four points through 17 games played this season with the Ducks before the trade.
Immediately after being traded to the Blues, Fowler was tapped for a top four role. He also he plays second unit on the power play and penalty kill.
With the Ducks, Fowler played 43:56 minutes on the penalty kill and 9:18 on the power play through 17 games. With the Blues, he has played 18:00 minutes on the penalty kill and 34:02 minutes on the power play. Fowler has undoubtedly thrived in his more-significant power-play role with the Blues, recording all three of his power-play points this season.
The Results Improvements Could Bring to the Roster
The Blues are just two spots away from a playoff position but haven’t been able to reach contention so far. However, their team’s improvement represent a big step forward and they could get into the Western Conference playoff conversation if they keep turning in successful performances. It will be interesting to see how they approach the 2025 Trade Deadline in March and if they’ll pull the trigger on a few more trades.
