The 2022-23 St. Louis Blues season was an awful disappointment for fans and management alike, resulting in the team becoming a trade-deadline seller and eventually finishing up a draft lottery spot out of the playoffs. So, who is to blame for the team’s failures? And who succeeded despite the suffering of the team? That’s what we’ll be looking for in the 2022-23 Blues report card series.
Despite the decline in his overall point production, Blues forward Brandon Saad has been one of the most consistent scoring forwards of his time in the NHL. While he may not light up the world every night and score over 40 goals across the league, expecting close to 20 goals every season has remained a healthy, foregone conclusion each year for him.
The right thing: consistent consistency
The veteran striker remained, without a doubt, a consistent goal-scoring option for the Blues throughout his sophomore season. While his offensive production declined (more on that later), Saad continued to score at a steady pace throughout the year. He remained in the top penalty kick unit and was a veteran every night. We may be seeing the beginning of a decline in Saad Al-Nathari’s production and instead see more of a transition into a supporting acting role, which he succeeded in over the course of his time with St. Louis.
What’s wrong: Regression in producing points
While Saad has been one of the league’s most consistent scorers throughout his career, like many Blues players, he has seen production decline. While he saw a slight increase in his point totals Through the 2021-22 season, his goal scoring production is down 20.8% year-over-year, and his total point production is down 24.5%. In a season where the Blues needed consistency again last season, Saad has seen a downturn and appears to have slipped in his overall effectiveness.
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From a statistical point of view, his overall effectiveness in the power game also took a hit. After scoring eight goals and 13 points on man advantage during the 2021-22 season, he not only fell back to normal but below his career average as well. When reviewing his first year with the team versus his sophomore season, Saad’s health and production remained relatively flat. He played seven fewer matches during the 2022-23 campaign than in 2021-22, but saw his production and goal-scoring drop off significantly. When adjusted for his goal and total points total for a 78-game season (the number of matches he participated in during the 2021-22 season), he was on pace to score just one more goal (20), and four total points (41). The Blues will need the 30-year-old to not only play near nearly a full season again but also to pick up his performance again and swing around a 45-50 point total by the end of the season to justify the $4.5. million per season.
Basic stats:
- The shooting rate remained at 15 percent for the second year in a row
- It was dropped from a +8 rating to a minus -11 year after year
- 46.7 course percentage
- He scored two shorthanded goals during the 2022-23 season
Final score: c
Saad’s final score, like the majority of his teammates, Did not live up to expectations. His effectiveness even on the force, as well as on special teams, left a lot to be desired for a man who had recently crossed the thirty-year threshold. He’ll need to rebound next season to get back into the good graces of many fans to justify his time on the ice and signings.
What is Saad waiting for?
After signing a Five-year contract With the Blues in 2021, there have been plenty of questions about how old a player like Saad is and whether his current price tag is justified. With three years and an average annual value of $4.5 million remaining on his contract, he will remain one of the Blues’ veteran forwards next season.
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With a surplus of young forwards vying for a place in the line-up, he’ll be a key member of the roster who can help guide and direct the next wave of key players in the establishment. However, at his age, the Blues will need to be more than a mentor to younger players and regain their offensive production from the 2021-22 season. Looking ahead next year, he should be counted on as a player to once again score 15-24 goals and 35 or more points.