The Blues have spent real time and energy stockpiling talent, and that work has them sitting in a promising spot. Their system is loaded with prospects and near-future NHL players, enough that 17 first-round picks are already in the league or close to getting there over the next few seasons.
Even so, Corey Pronman’s latest prospect rankings still put St. Louis only seventh overall.
That matters because the teams ahead of them include a Central Division threat that should make the Blues take notice: Chicago.
Pronman’s list gives the Blackhawks the second-best prospect pool outside of San Jose, and the names at the top tell the story. Connor Bedard is the obvious headliner, but he is hardly alone.
Chicago’s under-23 group also includes Artyom Levshunov, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, Roman Kantserov, and more. It is a deep, dangerous collection of talent.
That is the part that should concern St. Louis most.
The Blues’ own top-end prospects - Jimmy Snuggerud and Adam Jiricek - are strong pieces, but Chicago’s young core looks at least equal to that tier, if not better. And while Justin Carbonneau, Dmitri Buchelnikov, and Otto Stenberg could grow into regular NHL players, that outcome is still not certain.
The timing could be the real problem for St. Louis.
The Blues are projected to get back to “contending” over the next three seasons, though there is a small chance that happens as soon as this season thanks to Mason McTavish, Connor McMichael, Brandon Carlo, and whichever prospects survive a tough training camp. Chicago, though, may be moving even faster.
If the Blackhawks’ plan works, they could be back in contender territory before the Blues fully arrive. By then, Chicago would already be settled into life as a Central Division force and ready for postseason hockey.
That leaves St. Louis staring at a division opponent that could be ahead of schedule and hard to catch. Chicago’s youth movement could still miss the mark, but the direction is clear enough: the Blackhawks look like they are building toward trouble for everyone else in the Central, and the Blues are right in the line of fire.
These next few seasons should bring plenty of big matchups between the two clubs, with playoff stakes not far behind.
In Other News...
Blues Have A Real Tyler Tucker Decision Brewing On Defense
Tyler Tucker heads into the final year of his contract with a real fight on his hands for a place in the Blues blue-line picture. The organization has more young defensemen pushing into the conversation, and both Theo Lindstein and Arseni Koromyslov bring traits that could make the decision harder than it looked a year ago. Tucker has carved out a reputation as a physical, straight-ahead defender, but the room around him is getting tighter as St. Louis keeps looking for the right mix of size, mobility and puck movement.
Lindstein, a 2023 first-round pick, gives the Blues a different look with his skating and ability to move the puck. Koromyslov adds another layer of competition after coming over from the KHL, bringing a style that overlaps with Tuckers but with a cleaner first pass out of the zone. If one or both of those younger options seize roster spots, Tucker could quickly shift from a useful depth piece to a trade candidate, which makes this preseason battle worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Neighbours Has A Bigger Blues Role Than Ever This Season
Jake Neighbours has already become one of the more important voices in the Blues room, and the coming season should only deepen that role. Even with his scoring dipping from the level he established in his first two years, he still showed the kind of presence St. Louis leans on, and the club is now asking for more from him as a leader as well as a winger.
With Brayden Schenn and Justin Faulk no longer around, the leadership picture has shifted and Neighbours is among the players positioned to help fill that space. A letter on his jersey would be a natural next step, and the bigger question is whether a larger responsibility off the ice comes with the kind of offensive rebound that could push him back into 20-goal territory if he stays healthy. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Are Betting Big On An Offseason Plan That Could Backfire
The Blues spent the offseason trying to reshape the roster around a narrower playoff path, making a series of moves that signaled belief in a different mix of talent and timing. The most significant change was the swap that sent Jordan Kyrou out and brought Connor McMichael in, a move that shifts attention toward whether St. Louis has actually improved in the areas that matter most when the Central Division starts tightening up.
Jordan Binnington also stayed put despite plenty of trade chatter, leaving the goaltending picture as one of the biggest variables hanging over the season. Add in the pressure on Robert Thomas to drive the offense, and the Blues enter camp with a familiar kind of uncertainty: they expect to contend for a postseason spot, but the answer may depend on whether their biggest offseason bets pay off in time. [Read more 🡒]