Blues Lean on Veteran Blue Line to Steady Playoff Push

As the St. Louis Blues prepare to open their first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, the team’s young forwards — including Jimmy Snuggerud, Zack Bolduc, and Jake Neighbours — won’t have to face playoff nerves alone. Behind them is the NHL’s most experienced group of top-six defensemen, and that veteran presence could prove crucial.

The Blues' blue line features a staggering 5,462 combined regular-season games — over 1,000 more than the next closest team, the Carolina Hurricanes. It’s a unit led by seasoned pros like Ryan Suter (1,526 GP), Cam Fowler (1,042), Nick Leddy (1,042), and Justin Faulk (980), with Colton Parayko and Philip Broberg rounding out a corps that’s also second in total playoff games played (465), trailing only the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights.

“It’s incredible,” said Bolduc. “We’ve got so much confidence in them. We know they’re there to clean up our mistakes, and it lets us play our game. It’s great to have them behind us.”

That calming presence is something the forwards, especially the younger ones, have leaned on as they enter the intensity of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time. Jordan Kyrou echoed that sentiment: “They’ve all been through it. It makes things easier for us knowing they’ve been in these battles before.”

Head coach Jim Montgomery sees the veteran group as more than just a comfort — he sees them as a reason for the team’s recent success. “Their experience has really helped us make smart reads and avoid giving up odd-man rushes,” he said. “It’s a big reason we’ve been playing solid hockey down the stretch.”

Goaltender Jordan Binnington, who won a Stanley Cup with Parayko in 2019, also benefits from the veteran blue line. With dependable defenders in front of him, he can focus on his own game, knowing the chaos will be kept to a minimum.

Blues captain Brayden Schenn called it a “luxury” to have such a composed group anchoring the defense. “They bring a calmness to our team,” he said. “They’ve won Cups, been through wars. They don’t make many mistakes, and when they do, they know how to recover fast.”

Cam Fowler, preparing for his first postseason since 2018, noted how vital composure can be during the emotional swings of playoff hockey. “There will be highs and lows,” he said. “But we’ve got guys who’ve been to the top, and that steady mindset can help the younger guys stay locked in.”

Compared to Winnipeg’s top six — who have 3,694 regular-season games and just 191 playoff appearances combined — the Blues enter the series with a clear edge in experience. Whether that translates into success on the ice remains to be seen, but it gives the Blues an identity and confidence as they step into a hostile Winnipeg “White Out” environment.

And for a team mixing youthful energy with veteran poise, that balance may be their biggest advantage.