Blues Have Young Stud Defenseman in Philip Broberg – The Hockey Writers St Louis Blues Latest News, Analysis & More

The St. Louis Blues are through six games of the 2024-25 season. The team has had its ups and downs, but they have a record of 4-2-0 overall with their latest win coming over the Carolina Hurricanes.

One thing that has really stood out is the play of Philip Broberg, one of the team’s newest defensemen. The club added him via an offer sheet that came in August. The Edmonton Oilers elected not to match the offer sheet he signed or the one signed by forward Dylan Holloway. So far, the Blues are reaping the benefits of adding these two, especially Broberg. Let’s get into how excellent he’s been through six games and why there is no reason to believe he can’t sustain this.

Broberg’s Point Streak Remains Alive

Broberg has six points in six games as a Blue. He’s the ninth player in NHL history to have a point streak of at least this length at the start of his tenure with a franchise, per Jamison Coyle. It’s been very impressive to watch him play. He has a chance to keep the streak alive with tonight’s showdown against the Winnipeg Jets. It’s also important to note that he leads the club in assists with five and is tied with Jordan Kyrou for the team lead in points. A Blues defenseman being near or at the top of scoring has been a rarity throughout most of their franchise history.

It’s hard to overestimate the difference between a blueliner like Broberg and what they’ve had over the last few seasons. It’s not a shot at players like Marco Scandella or Torey Krug, but the difference is very apparent. He is such a smooth skater and there are very few holes in his game.

Broberg Deserves Even More Ice Time

Broberg already plays quite a bit, but he should be playing even more. He should be averaging above 20 minutes per game of ice time. He has been just short of that so far, so I expect it to go up as the season rolls along and he continues to play well. He played well under 15 minutes of ice time per game with the Oilers, so he’s already played far more on average than ever before. He’s got tons of talent – he was a top-10 pick in the 2019 Draft after all.

There’s also a legitimate adaptability aspect with Broberg where he can play with anybody. His pairing with Justin Faulk has been tremendous. They’ve been the clear-cut best duo on the blue line through six games. There’s no reason to switch it up right now, but I’d be curious to see how he’d look alongside Colton Parayko. I think he could make a serious impact either way. Head coach Drew Bannister and staff have put him in a great spot to succeed.

What Is Broberg’s Ceiling in 2024-25?

I don’t see why he can’t score over 50 points and put up quality defensive performances. He’s at a point per game through six and that will slow down, but it doesn’t have to slow down that much. He’s such a smooth skater and his puck skills are much better than I anticipated. Maybe I didn’t watch him enough in Edmonton, but I’ve been quite impressed.

Related: Blues’ Jordan Kyrou Having His Redemption Season

The Blues have a young stud defenseman in Broberg. So far, signing him to a risky offer sheet in the summer was a brilliant move by general manager Doug Armstrong. It’s paid off in the best way possible so far and I hope it continues.