Blues Soaring Forward Should Hit New Level

St. Louis Blues forward Jake Neighbours broke out in a big way for the Central Division club during the 2023-24 season. In 77 games with the Blues that season, he scored a career-high 27 goals and recorded 38 points. This was undoubtedly a nice breakout year for the 2020 first-round pick, as he proved that he could make an impact at the NHL level. 

Neighbours followed up his strong 2023-24 season was another good one in 2024-25. In 82 games last season for the Blues, he scored 22 goals and set new career highs with 24 assists, 46 points, and 173 hits. He also provided solid offense for the Blues during the post-season, recording six points in their seven-game first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.

Overall, Neighbours is continuing to head in the right direction with his development and is starting to emerge as a key part of the Blues' roster in the process. However, when noting that he is still only 23 years old and still in the earlier stages of his career, there is clear reason to believe that he can still hit another new level next season. 

When looking at what Neighbours has done early on in his career, it is fair to argue that he has the potential to emerge as a legitimate top-six forward at the NHL level. If he gets his offense up a bit more and continues to make an impact with his physicality, he could be a big piece of the Blues' core moving forward. It will be fascinating to see what kind of year the Calgary, Alberta native puts together for the Blues next season from here. 

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