The St. Louis Blues are in a retooling period and are getting younger. As the franchise transitions to the next era of Blues hockey, who on the team stands out as a future captain?
Oh Captain, My Captain
Brayden Schenn is the current captain of the Blues. He has four more years left on his contract. Despite the Blues retooling, Schenn has continued to produce. He scored 20 goals last season, the third year in a row he has scored at least 20 goals. The forward has been a leader on the team since coming over in 2018. In addition to being an offensive presence, Schenn is not afraid to be physical and stand up for his teammates.
As a result, Schenn is not in any danger of losing his captaincy before his time with the Blues is over. This is not like the Auston Matthews and John Tavares situation. In fact, a Blues captain has not given up the captaincy since Chris Pronger willingly did so to Al MacInnis due to injury.
While Schenn’s role is safe, the time will come where the Blues will need to select a new captain.
The Future of the “C” in St. Louis
As things stand right now, there are only two candidates to be the next captain. More could emerge over the next few seasons, either through growth in the league or a player is acquired. Until then, just two stand out.
Colton Parayko
Parayko is the longest-tenured member of the Blues. Ever since his rookie season, he has been a main piece in the Blues defence. In 2019, Parayko and Jay Bouwmeester were an effective shutdown defensive line. Playing with Bouwmeester appeared to bring another level out of Parayko. Despite a rough 2022-23 season, Parayko bounced back last season.
Parayko has been in the Western Conference Final twice. He has won a Stanley Cup. He has played alongside defenceman with Hall of Fame resumes. Furthermore, he has experienced losing. The defenceman has truly experienced it all in the NHL. This makes Parayko a candidate to be the next captain. He has the tenure and the experience. In addition, he has severed as an alternate captain the last few seasons, showing the organization sees and recognizes his leadership capability.
Robert Thomas
With the fullest respect to Parayko, Thomas is the current front-runner. Thomas has emerged as the face of the franchise. From a key member of the Blues third line in 2019 to an All-Star centre, Thomas has also done a great deal with the Blues. After an 86-point season last year, Thomas seems destined to reach 100 points in a season sooner rather than later.
What makes Thomas the front-runner is his ability to play in any situation for the Blues. He is the team’s top centre. He can play on both the power play and the penalty kill. In many ways, Thomas mirrors former players like Ryan O’Reilly and David Backes. Thomas may not be a true two-way forward, but he more than holds his own in the defensive zone.
Thomas does it all for the Blues. For a team that will be at the beginning of a new era of Blues hockey, that is a quality that would stand out as a captain. Like Parayko, Thomas has also served as an alternate captain.
Regardless of Captaincy, Everyone Can Lead
To be the captain is a honour for any player. However, it does not mean just that one player can lead the team. Any team hoping to contend needs leaders all over the lineup. As the Blues continue their retool and transition to becoming contenders once again, they will look for many leaders to emerge.
“A person always doing his or her best becomes a natural leader, just by example.” – Joe DiMaggio.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
