The 2022-23 St. Louis Blues kick off the season soon, with their preseason slate beginning Sept. 24 and their regular season starting a few weeks later on Oct. 15. After losing in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup champions and a disappointing offseason by most accounts, a new season full of new opportunities is about to begin. Here’s a guide to the must-watch games of the 2022-23 St. Louis Blues season.
2022-23 St Louis Blues Must-Watch Games
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022
With any luck, this will be the first time Jaden Schwartz, now a member of the Seattle Kraken, plays against his former team. He missed all three matchups between the two teams last season. He only played 37 games in his first season with Seattle, dealing with a hand injury and an upper-body injury. In 10 seasons and 560 games with the Blues, he had 154 goals, 231 assists and 385 points. He also played a big part in the Blues’ Stanley Cup run, with 20 points in 26 games in the 2019 playoffs, including two hat tricks.
Monday, Nov. 14, 2022
The Blues head to Colorado for a rematch of the second round of the playoffs, in which the eventual Cup champs Colorado Avalanche beat the Blues in six games. Beating the defending champs early in the season could give the Blues some confidence. With starting goaltender Jordan Binnington healthy this time around, it could be more fun for Blues fans than the end of the last series. But, two key parts of the series, forwards Nazem Kadri and David Perron, who both signed with new teams this offseason, will be missing. So, other players on both sides will have to step up offensively.
Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022
Next up is another rematch of a 2021-22 playoff series, this time with the Minnesota Wild. The Blues beat the Wild in the first round in six games. But, with the Blues team looking a little different after a few off-season moves, this game could look different. It’s a chance for young guys like Jordan Kyrou, who had four points in the Winter Classic against the Wild, and Robert Thomas, who just got a huge contract extension, to step up against the division rival.
Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023
This has less to do with the matchup with the division-rival Arizona Coyotes and more to do with the venue. The Coyotes will be playing in a 5,000-seat arena at Arizona State University for the next few seasons while they work on securing a more permanent home. This will be the Blues’ first trip to their new arena. It will be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like and if that affects the game.
Tuesday, March 2, 2023
Blues fans have to wait until March for the matchup they might be most anticipating. They will welcome home Perron for the first time since he signed with the Detroit Red Wings in free agency. In three different stints with the Blues spanning 11 seasons, Perron played 673 games as a Blue with 196 goals, 269 assists and 465 points. He also had 16 points in 26 playoff games when the Blues won the Cup. Not to mention, Robby Fabbri, Oskar Sundqvist, Jake Walman and Ville Husso will all return as well.
