NHL analyst slams St Louis Blues over Craig Berube's firing, reveals true reason for team's sluggish start

NHL analyst Jeremy Rutherford didn't hesitate as he recently criticized the St Louis Blues' decision to fire head coach Craig Berube. Rutherford believed that Berube's dismissal, just 28 games into the 2023-24 season, was unnecessary and misplaced, emphasizing that the team's struggles extended beyond coaching issues.

While acknowledging the inevitable changes that occur in coaching positions, Rutherford argued that Craig Berube's departure was premature, especially considering the Blues' recent Stanley Cup victory in 2019. He asserted that the root cause of the team's 13-14-1 record by mid-December lies in executive decisions and the underperformance of players on long-term contracts.

Jeremy Rutherford wrote in his column for The Athletic:

"Teams win the Cup every season, and even when it’s the franchise’s first like it was for the St Louis Blues, eventually coaches get let go."

"This was bound to happen at some point. But not 28 games into the 2023-24 season. Not two months after general manager Doug Armstrong ... Not when the No. 1 reason the club’s record is 13-14-1 in mid-December is because players on long-term contracts aren’t performing," he continued.

Rutherford explicitly stated the reason for the team's sluggish start:

"This was an executive issue and an execution issue, not a coaching issue."

Rutherford traced the Blues' problems back to the departure of key player Alex Pietrangelo, highlighting subsequent roster changes that failed to recreate the team's past success.

The recent 6-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, marking the Blues' fourth consecutive defeat, further exposed their defensive vulnerabilities and offensive shortcomings.

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TSN's Darren Dreger's insights on Craig Berube

TSN's Darren Dreger's insights on growing discontent within the Blues organization and the team's failure to adapt to management's expectations contribute to the narrative.

Dreger said on Insider Trading:

“There’s growing discontent and frustration there at all levels. The team just isn’t responding the way that management and ownership expected that they would to this point in the season."

Dreger added:

“This Blues team is not that hard-checking team that the organization is accustomed to seeing. So, the players either adjust and change, or management ... in this case Doug Armstrong ... is going to have to step in. And if they don’t change, if there isn’t an adjustment, you could see a very good coach, Craig Berube, on his way out.”

Rutherford points out ongoing issues, including a struggling penalty-killing unit and the underperformance of key players like Jordan Kyrou, who is yet to match last season's goal tally.

The firing of Craig Berube and the appointment of AHL Springfield coach Drew Bannister as an interim coach prompted Rutherford to question the logic behind the decision.