Young Blues lead the way in early going

A strong young core tends to be a hallmark of rebuilding teams - teams who don't evaluate their season by wins and losses, but by player development - yet the St. Louis Blues are seeing early successes from their youth as just one piece of an experienced, ready-to-contend roster.
As the Blues begin their 2021-22 season with back-to-back road wins, the major strong point has been their offense. Scoring five goals at Colorado on Saturday and following it up with seven at Arizona on Monday, the Blues have been able to put the puck in the net with high volume and from a multitude of sources.

So far, a standout of this League-leading offense has been 23-year-old Jordan Kyrou.
Kyrou leads a young Blues core that has come out of the gate aggressive and energetic in the offensive zone. Joined by Robert Thomas, 22, Klim Kostin, 22, and rookie Jake Neighbours, 19, Kyrou is building upon his breakout season last year - already notching six points in just two games, currently the third-most in the NHL.
During Monday night's 7-4 win in Arizona, Kyrou and Kostin scored four of the Blues' five goals in a 5:07 stretch in the second period - the third fastest five-goal span in franchise history. Thomas recorded an assist on Kostin's first goal, and Neighbours notched his first career NHL point with an assist on Kostin's second goal. The two goals by Kostin were the fastest by a Blues player in nearly 20 years - only 47 seconds passed between them.

The veterans have taken notice, showing strong support for their teammates - in actions and in words. Alternate captain Brayden Schenn has taken in Neighbours as he begins his NHL journey, allowing the rookie to stay with him and his wife as he gets his feet on the ground (or rather, skates on the ice). Other vets, like team captain Ryan O'Reilly and center Tyler Bozak, publicly sing praises for the young players.
"It makes you think of yourself back when you were that age," O'Reilly said before the season began. "You can see how excited (Neighbours) is to be around, and the energy he has. It's nice for us old guys to have, it gives us a little spark as well."
Bozak has noticed Kyrou's skill progression as he's gotten off to his hot start. "Just elite skill," is how Bozak described a particularly flashy goal during the second period onslaught in Arizona. "It's something we get to see every day in practice and in the games, and it's fun to watch. He can do a lot of amazing things with the puck, find ways to score and make something out of nothing. We're lucky to have him."

As the Blues settle into the long NHL season, the veterans will likely be able to use their experience to maintain consistency and be the top contributors. Forward David Perron has already made his presence felt, scoring two goals in the season opener at Colorado.
A balanced roster of young, hungry players building early confidence alongside seasoned veterans is a good recipe for success.
"It's a great young core there," Blues Head Coach Craig Berube noted on Monday night. "They look like they're growing this year and have gotten better. It's great for our team and our organization. It's going to help us win hockey games."
Versatility among individual players is important in any given hockey game, but it is also important across a team roster. An 82-game season carries many different challenges with it, and a team needs to be able to respond to those challenges with a variety of resources.
It's too early to make any guaranteed predictions for how this Blues roster will progress, but this initial spark by the young players can create real momentum to build upon all season long.