Blues’ Jake Neighbours Can Still Bounce Back Regardless of Role – The Hockey Writers – St Louis Blues

After recording a career-high 46 points in 2024-25, Jake Neighbours took a noticeable step backward in 2025-26. He recorded just 15 goals and 36 points. The drop-off wasn’t disastrous, and he missed 13 games due to injuries. However, the Alberta native will be looking to bounce back.

How he bounces back will depend on which line he plays on. Regardless of his role in the lineup, there is reason to believe Neighbours can rebound this season.

Neighbours Has Already Shown His Offensive Potential

When it comes to goal scoring, Neighbours showcased his potential in 2023-24. He scored 27 goals in 77 games and converted 18.6% of his shots.

The next season, Neighbours improved his ability to create chances for his teammates, recording 24 assists after just 11 the season before. In just two seasons, he showed he can contribute in more ways than one. He can put the puck in the back of the net while also setting up his teammates.

2025-26 Decline

While Neighbours scored only 15 goals last season, his shooting percentage remained high at 17.4%. This suggests the issue wasn’t an inability to convert on his chances, but the number of opportunities.

Neighbours recorded just 86 shots last season. He had 145 shots in 2023-24 and 122 shots in 2024-25. If he wants to bounce back offensively, increasing his shot volume should be one of his top priorities.

Even getting back into the 120-to-140 shot range could make a significant difference. Neighbours has converted 17.1 percent of his shots during his NHL career, so he does not necessarily need to become a high-volume shooter. He simply needs to give himself more chances to showcase his offensive abilities.

A Second-Line Role Could Unlock More Offense

A second line of Neighbours, Mason McTavish, and Connor McMichael has the potential to be strong, with each player complementing the other well.

McTavish could give the line a strong presence through the middle, while McMichael brings another scoring threat who can attack quickly and create opportunities off the rush. Neighbours wouldn’t have to be the primary puck carrier on that combination. Instead, he could concentrate on getting into the difficult areas where he has been most effective. His net-front presence would be a strong asset on this line.

A return to the 20-goal mark would be realistic. Given that Neighbours’ career high is 27 goals, it does not seem far-fetched that he could even reach 30 goals playing alongside McTavish and McMichael.

A Third-Line Role Would Present a Different Challenge

As of now, Neighbours is projected to be on the team’s third line, with Pavel Buchnevich playing on the second line.

While McTavish and McMichael would be consistent linemates on the second line, Neighbours’ third-line partners are less certain. Dalibor Dvorsky, Pius Suter, Jonatan Berggen, and others could factor in depending on the needs at a given time.

That kind of inconsistency challenges a player looking to bounce back. Chemistry can be harder to establish when linemates change. Furthermore, Neighbours may not receive quite as many offensive-zone opportunities as he would on the second line. His ice time may also stay around the 15-minute-per-game range.

However, a third-line role could offer some advantages. If Neighbours is on the third line, that means the Blues will have scoring depth. Opposing teams may struggle to match up against all three forward lines. Neighbours could face weaker defensive matchups than he would while playing consistently against another team’s best forwards.

The idea of Neighbours playing alongside Dvorsky is intriguing. Dvorsky is coming off his first full season and will look to establish himself as the third-line center. Neighbours’ physical ability could complement Dvorsky’s puck-handling skills, while Neighbours could be the beneficiary of chances created by Dvorsky.

Power-Play Role

Regardless of the line he plays on, Neighbours has the opportunity to bounce back by capitalizing on power-play opportunities.

Neighbours scored eight power-play goals during his 27-goal season in 2023-24 and six the following year. Last season, however, he scored only one power-play goal. Finding a consistent role around the net on the power play could help him regain several of the goals that disappeared from his totals last season. Even if his five-on-five role is technically on the third line, power-play opportunities could still give him the offensive minutes necessary to produce like a top-six player.

A Bounce-Back Season Is More Than Possible

The cleanest path to a bounce-back season for Neighbours is to play on the second line. If he does not, he can still find opportunities on the third line, especially if he develops a strong connection with Dvorsky.

The bottom line is this: the role may look different, but the production does not have to.