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The Central Division of the Western Conference in the National Hockey League is a stacked group of eight teams. The St. Louis Blues are a part of that bunch, and their current standing is more in the middle of the pack rather than at the top or the bottom.
When looking at what makes a great hockey team, it all starts with that top forward line. The three best at their position, with the best chemistry and knack for offensive ability, it all begins and ends with those three. The Blues have a solid one with Jimmy Snuggerud, Robert Thomas, and Dylan Holloway.
But how do they stack up against the rest of the Central Division? Do they have a chance to be among the top three teams in terms of best first lines?
Let's talk about it.
Comparing to rest of Central Division
Here is a table for each of the other seven teams in the Central Division.
| Colorado | Artturi Lehknonen | Nathan MacKinnon | Martin Necas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Jason Robertson | Wyatt Johnson | Mikko Rantanen |
| Minnesota | Kirill Kapizov | Joel Erikkson Ek | Matt Boldy |
| Nashville | Steven Stamkos | Ryan O'Reilly | Luke Evangelista |
| Winnipeg | Kyle Connor | Mark Scheifele | Gabe Vilardi |
| Chicago | Tyler Bertuzzi | Connor Bedard* | Anton Frondell |
| Utah | Lawson Crouse | Nick Schmaltz | Clayton Keller |
When looking at that table and the caliber of players on it, as well as the success each of those first lines has had, it is tough to put the Blues in the top spot. Colorado takes that easily, mainly because Nathan MacKinnon can basically achieve a point total for Thomas and Snuggerud by himself.
Behind Colorado, this gets a bit interesting. The recent re-signing of Jason Robertson puts Dallas in the second spot, and then the surprise from the Central Division kicks in. The Blues take that number three spot in terms of best first-line talent.
Thomas, Snuggerud, and Holloway are easily a better trio than Utah's top line, as well as the Minnesota Wild and their superstar left winger in Kirill Kaprizov. Nashville would have had the best first line in this division if they had a prime version of Steven Stamkos and former Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly.
The Blues can surprise many next season with the success of that top trio. Each has an edge to their game, and collectively, they were the best show on ice down the stretch last season. If that can translate to the beginning of the 2026-27 season and last throughout, there is a chance that they could jump Dallas by the end of the season in our rankings here.
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This article was originally published on bleedinblue.com as The St. Louis Blues have a chance to surprise in these Central Division first-line rankings.
