The St. Louis Blues enter the 2023-24 NHL season with something to prove. Last season, the team missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It marked just the second time since 2011-12 that the team failed to qualify for the playoffs. And it was the first time since the team took down the Boston Bruins in 2019 to win the Stanley Cup.

The Blues are not a bad hockey team. St. Louis has a rather interesting core of players, including Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours, and Robert Thomas. But the team also has a group of veterans that represent more of a mixed bag than a sign of hope.

The Blues certainly want a return to playoff hockey, but a lot has to go their way. With that in mind, here are four bold predictions regarding the St. Louis Blues ahead of their regular season opener on Thursday.

Pavel Buchnevich scores 40

The Blues swung a trade with the New York Rangers ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft for Pavel Buchnevich. And at the time, it seemed like a rather interesting bet on behalf of St. Louis. The Russian forward was coming off a 20-goal, 48-point career season. Buchnevich was good and seemed to have the potential to become even better.

His first season with St. Louis was absolutely incredible. He scored 30 goals and 76 points as the Blues made the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, he took a bit of a step back in 2022-23. Buchnevich scored 26 goals and 67 points while being limited to 63 games.

The 28-year-old is still a fine player, and he'll show that this season. He will score 40 goals in 2023-24, leading the Blues as they give other Western Conference contenders nightmares. But, he won't be the team's only 40-goal scorer.

Jakub Vrana scores 40, too

Back in March, the Blues linked up with their favorite trade partner, the Detroit Red Wings. St. Louis acquired forward Jakub Vrana from the Red Wings in what essentially amounted to a cap dump for Detroit. And much like he did when he originally arrived in Detroit, Vrana found success.

The 27-year-old Czechian forward played 20 games in St. Louis following the trade. He scored 10 goals and 14 points during that time. It became clear that Vrana had the talent to succeed. Whatever his issues with Detroit, they were of no concern to St. Louis. The Blues benefitted mightily, and they'll continue to do so.

Vrana will also score 40 goals this season. He'll need to find ways to stay on the ice this season for this to happen. He suffered a shoulder injury ahead of 2021-22 that forced him to miss time. And he entered the player's assistance program last season after just two games. However, with all that behind him, Vrana will thrive, and St. Louis will reap the rewards.

Joel Hofer takes over

Joel Hofer enters the 2023-24 NHL season as the backup to Jordan Binnington. The 23-year-old Winnipeg native has received some time in with St. Louis in the past. This will be his first true taste of action at the highest level in the game. And I believe he'll do more than hold his own.

Hofer has played well in the AHL and NHL over the last two seasons. He had a few lackluster starts down the stretch last season. But his first three starts saw the 23-year-old puck-stopper post an otherwordly .959 save percentage. Of course, he won't post those kinds of numbers this season. But it certainly inspires confidence he can thrive at the NHL level.

Contrast this with Binnington, who has not had the best run of things recently. Since debuting in 2019, his save percentage has steadily declined each season. This culminated in his posting a .894 save percentage in 2022-24. That marked his first season with a save percentage below .900 in any season.

Binnington certainly can bounce back, but it's hard to see it. He is not the goalie who inspired the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup. And that could become readily apparent this season. Don't be surprised if Hofer becomes the primary option in goal for St. Louis at some point in 2023-24.

Blues claim top wild card

The Blues have had a solid track record of making the playoffs in recent times. That's a testament to the team's they've built and the quality on their roster. St. Louis did not become significantly better this summer. But they didn't need to, as they'll surprise everyone this upcoming season.

The Blues will claim the top wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They'll certainly face stiff competition for the spot, without a doubt. The Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, and Seattle Kraken are all threats coming out of the Pacific Division. In the Central, the Nashville Predators are obvious contenders. The Arizona Coyotes are dark horses that St. Louis needs to respect.

The Blues will have their work cut out for them, but they are up for the task. How far St. Louis can go obviously remains to be seen. That said, the Blues should make the playoffs as the top wild card team in the West.