The Blues are heading into 2026-27 with a different look, and that change opens the door for a younger group to grab bigger roles. With Brayden Schenn, Jordan Kyrou, and Justin Faulk out of town and Mason McTavish in the mix, St.
Louis is leaning into a new era without giving up on the idea of contending. A heavier load could also land on Joel Hofer in goal, but the bigger question is which young players are ready to turn opportunity into production.
Three names stand out as breakout candidates.
Dalibor Dvorsky didn’t exactly light the league on fire in his first full season in St. Louis, but the runway is still long.
After putting up 45 points in 61 AHL games as a rookie, he followed with 21 points in 71 games for the Blues. The offense wasn’t fully there yet, but the 21-year-old still brings more to the table than scoring alone, and that gives him a real chance to grow into a top-six forward.
A true breakout would mean at least doubling last season’s point total, and with more ice time available after the departure of veteran forwards, he should have a better shot to do it. He has already shown he can handle pressure, too, with six points in six games for Slovakia at the Olympics.
Jimmy Snuggerud looks like the most obvious candidate to take off. The Blues forward already flashed what he can do after the trade deadline last season, piling up 11 goals and 15 assists in 21 games.
His 51-point rookie season in 2025-26 was strong enough on its own, but the late-season surge is what really jumps off the page. Over those final 21 games, he collected 26 points, and that stretch suggests what he might do with a full season of similar opportunity.
There is always the risk of a sophomore slump, but if Snuggerud carries that pace into 2026-27, the ceiling gets loud in a hurry.
Logan Mailloux is in a different spot, but the path is just as clear. The Blues didn’t get quite the immediate payoff they wanted after bringing him over from the Montreal Canadiens, yet his role expanded after the Faulk trade.
In St. Louis, he averaged well over 20 minutes per game, and that kind of workload could be waiting for him again over an 82-game season.
His defense still needs work, but if he tightens that part of his game even a little, he can hold onto those minutes. A full-time role on the second power play unit and more five-on-five ice time should give him a real chance to deliver a modest breakout.
In Other News...
Blues Could Be Headed For A Brutal Goalie Decision
A hypothetical 2027 expansion draft would force the Blues to start thinking well ahead about how they would handle their goaltending, and the conversation gets complicated fast under a 7-3-1 protection setup. St. Louis would already be juggling difficult decisions at several spots on the roster, but the net is where the tension really sharpens because both Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington would be part of the calculation.
Jordan Binningtons age and contract timeline make this more than a simple depth-chart debate, and the Blues could find themselves facing a choice between protecting short-term stability and preserving long-term value. If an expansion draft ever does land on that schedule, the front office may have to decide whether to move on from Binnington earlier rather than risk a scenario where he is left exposed and the Blues get nothing back. [Read more 🡒]
Blues May Have A Center Debate That Changes Their Future
The Blues have spent the offseason reshaping their forward group, and the additions of Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael give them a different kind of center depth than they had before. With Robert Thomas already anchoring the middle, the possibility of keeping Dalibor Dvorsky at center instead of sliding him to the wing suddenly looks less like a developmental footnote and more like a roster decision with real long-term value.
St. Louis wants a lineup that can flex through the middle with Thomas, McTavish and Dvorsky, rather than forcing one of its young pieces out of position just to make the puzzle fit. That approach would also let the Blues keep prospect Tynan Lawrence on a slower developmental track, while the bigger question remains whether Dvorsky is best served by staying where he is or taking on a new role for the sake of balance elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Entering A New Era With One Huge Leadership Decision Ahead
The Blues are heading into a rare stretch of uncertainty at the top of the organizational ladder, and it is one of the bigger signs that a new era is taking shape. For the first time since 1996-97, St. Louis will begin a season without a captain, forcing the club to decide how it wants to define its next leadership core as the roster continues to evolve.
Several names are in the mix, including Robert Thomas, Jake Neighbours, Philip Broberg, Jimmy Snuggerud and Colton Parayko, with a few others still lingering as long shots. The bigger question now is not just who gets the job, but when the Blues decide to make it official, since there is a growing sense around the team that a pre-season announcement would make sense if the choice is clear enough. [Read more 🡒]