In mid-December of 2014, the St. Louis Blues were on a hot streak. With a record of 21-8-2, St. Louis was battling the Nashville Predators and the Chicago Blackhawks for the number one spot in the highly-contested Central Division. Winners of five straight, most recently defeating the dreaded Los Angeles Kings 5-2, nothing could break the composure of head coach Ken Hitchcock’s club.
That was until Jaden Schwartz’s foot was shattered by the slap shot of Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, an injury “Hitch” described as “week-to-week” for the 22-year-old forward.
A major piece to the highly successful “STL” line, Schwartz was in the midst of a four-game point streak before his eventual ailment. Paired alongside Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera, the 14th overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft was on pace for a career-high year after a 56-point campaign in 2013-2014.
With one of their leading scorers out of commission for an undetermined amount of time, the Blues battled the California teams as well as Nashville on the road. The result? An 0-3-1 stretch for a team that hadn’t lost more than three in a row all season long. In total, St. Louis was 1-5-1 in the seven games Schwartz had missed, causing the Blues to fall to third in the Central, tied with the Winnipeg Jets with 47 points.
On Saturday night, #17 was now off the IR and back in the lineup for St. Louis as they took on the Sharks in the SAP Center. He tallied a goal and an assist in a 7-2 offensive onslaught of San Jose. Schwartz’s overall presence on the ice is felt in more ways in one, which can be easily explained by looking at traditional statistics. His 29 points in 32 games currently have him tied for third on the team.
Before the Saskatchewan native was injured, St. Louis put up 2.93 goals/game. Although when he was sidelined, the Blues averaged 2.42 in that regard. During the five-game winning streak right before Schwartz was hurt, he was a +4 in the respective contests while the team allowed 2.6 goals/game.
Without the ferocious winger, the Blues let in 3.6 goals/game while Tarasenko (+19 on the year) and Lehtera (+15) were minus players while Schwartz’s absence was in full swing. A power play percentage that had been flirting with best in the league dropped from 24.3% to 20% when Schwartz failed to suit up in St. Louis. They were 2-for-4 in his first game back with the man-advantage against the Sharks.
Last Saturday morning, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong spoke out about Schwartz’s impact on his club:
“He’s an important part of our team, obviously,” Armstrong noted. “But good teams overcome injuries, and we just haven’t played well lately. But it’s good to get him back in the lineup. I’m sure he’ll lend some stability to that Tarasenko-Lehtera line. I think it just spreads out the ice time a little bit more.
“He’s been an important part of our team now for a couple of years, and he’s a player that we’re certainly better when he’s in the lineup than without.”
Jaden Schwartz’s skillset goes far beyond gifted offensive talent. Although he is 5’10”, he’s still able to be tenacious on the puck while propelling his stick through passing/shooting lanes, an aspect of his game that forces turnovers crucial to springing the Blues offense.
With a career even-strength Corsi percentage at 53.6%, Schwartz creates space for his linemates while staying discipline and accountable with the puck. In fact, he’s only given the puck up nine times during 5-on-5 play this season. It’s not hard to believe that the Blues possess the puck more with him in the lineup, which is why his absence created a severe problem for a team looking to establish dominance in a tight Central Division race.
When his team is shorthanded, Hitchcock isn’t afraid to put his confidence behind Schwartz in an elevated role. His career Corsi percentage when his team is down a man is an astonishing 65.2%. For the Blues, a team whose penalty kill is ranked 19th in the National Hockey League, every minor penalty they take has to be met with players capable of clearing their own zone with ease and limiting shot opportunities.
There was never a doubt that Jaden Schwartz is a well-built and offensively sound player for the St. Louis Blues, but his significance on his team’s success is absolutely pivotal. His return to the lineup gives them added elements of great charisma as well as hockey intelligence. If the Blues want to finally break through in the postseason, they will need #17 suited up wearing the Note come April.
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