St. Louis Blues: Top 20 Goal Scorers in Franchise History
9. Wayne Babych
Babych is one of only three players in St. Louis Blues history to score 50 or more goals in a season, and it’s a shame that fans didn’t get to see more out of the skilled forward, who failed to convert on so much of his immense potential.
Babych, the third overall pick by the Blues in 1978, was immediately productive as an NHL player, surpassing the 20-goal and 60-point marks in each of his first two pro seasons. He broke out in a major way as a 22-year-old, scoring 54 goals and adding 42 assists while earning himself a spot on the All-Star team.
In an unbelievably unfortunate turn of events, though, Babych suffered a severely torn rotator cuff during the aftermath of a fight in a preseason game in 1981. He’d fail to score more than 20 goals again with the Blues, and with his exceptionally bad defensive reputation (minus-12 rating in 81-82, minus-24 in 82-83), he was waived and picked up by the Pittsburgh Penguins after the 1983-84 season.
Babych’s Blues career was quite similar to a player like Brad Boyes in that he flashed dominant scoring potential, but then was unable to sustain it due to extenuating circumstances. Considering that he’s part of such a select club of 50-goal scorers for the Blues, though, he earns himself a spot inside the Top 10.
Next: 8. The Handsome Swede