When the St. Louis Blues acquired defenseman Philip Broberg via offer sheet this offseason, the expectation was that the young defenseman had promise but would take some time to develop. That was a fair assumption, considering his impressive Stanley Cup Playoff performance this past spring, but besides that small stretch, he never had much success in the NHL.
So far this season, Broberg has looked better than any Blues fan could've imagined. He's been a point-per-game player in the first five games of the season. His five-game point streak to start the new season is a new St. Louis Blues franchise record:
Philip Broberg came to St. Louis and immediately set a franchise record. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/JMckdupLId
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 18, 2024
Philip Broberg is also on an exclusive NHL list to start the season
Broberg and his pairing mate Justin Faulk are on an exclusive NHL list in the first five games of the season. They're both only two of only ten defensemen in the entire league that have not been on the ice for a 5v5 goal against.
Broberg looks very comfortable on the ice in the first five games. He uses his taller stature to keep the opponent off the puck, but he knows how to control his size. This balance creates a very calm yet unpredictable facet to his game. He also possesses speed, which lets him jump into the offensive rush.
Broberg has the potential to be the defenseman the Blues have been lacking
The Blues have been looking for a top-pair defenseman to play with Colton Parayko for years now. The last time Parayko had this type of player by his side was when he was with Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. We're closing in on almost five years that the defense has been a key issue for St. Louis.
It's only five games, but the hype for Broberg is already there, and he's earned it. It's only five games but acquiring him for a second-round pick is already looking like a steal.