Coach Jim Montgomery Is Sending A Clear Message To The Blues By Healthy Scratching Jordan Kyrou
After another shocking and, quite frankly, embarrassing loss last night, coach Jim Montgomery is making a major roster decision that sends a clear message to the St. Louis Blues organization.
The play this season has not been nearly good enough. With a 4-8-2 record, the Blues sit in last place in the Central Division and 31st in the NHL. The Blues ended their seven-game losing streak on Monday against the Edmonton Oilers, but last night against the Washington Capitals, the persistent issues they’ve been facing were very apparent.
The Blues gave up six goals on 32 shots and managed to score just one goal, which came shorthanded. The defense and goaltending at 5-on-5 have just been far below the expected level.
Despite the struggles on the backend, Montgomery has elected to send his message to the team by healthy-scratching star winger Jordan Kyrou.
Kyrou hasn’t played poorly, but the Blues are hoping for more from their 27-year-old winger. In 14 games, Kyrou has scored four goals and eight points, while averaging 17:23 of ice time. Kyrou has also recorded the second-most shots on goal on the team, but he hasn’t recorded a point in four games.
This is clearly a message to Kyrou that his consistency needs to improve, but it’s also a message to the entire roster. No one is safe. If you aren’t playing at the level expected of you, you’ll be watching from the press box.
The Blues need both skill and grit to be apparent, and not enough players are showing either currently.
Kyrou’s healthy scratch against the Buffalo Sabres tonight will also likely reopen the trade rumors that circulated him in the off-season. His no-trade clause has kicked in this season, which means he’ll have to approve any trade.
The repercussions of Montgomery’s decision will be interesting to watch. How will the team and Kyrou respond to this move? Does the decision strike fear into the other players and improve their play, or will it have no effect? Will it ignite a fire under Kyrou, or could it put him one step out the door?
It’s a big play by Montgomery, but one that needed to occur.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
