The Blues’ season has barely gotten off the ground, and already the roster is being tugged in every direction. St. Louis is 1-1-0 for two points after opening with a win over Dallas and then getting overwhelmed by Colorado, and the first stretch has brought a little of everything: a strong performance in net, a rough night for the other goalie, and more injury trouble piling up.
Joel Hofer set the tone right away in the opener against Dallas, locking things down in a 4-0 shutout. He earned first-star consideration without much debate, and his early play has made one thing clear: he may be the most important player on this team right now. If the Blues are going to hang around in the Central Division race, Hofer is going to have to keep giving them that kind of steadiness.
The next game told the opposite story for Jordan Binnington. Against Colorado’s offense, he never really settled in, and the problems in front of him only made things worse.
The defense didn’t help, but Binnington also hurt himself with turnovers, and the result was a night that ranked among the worst of his career. It also raised a bigger question, at least in the way the source framed it: Binnington has been solid with time off, but the longer he sits, the rougher it seems to get once he’s back in the crease.
The injury list is growing, too. Alexey Toropchenko is going to injured reserve and joins Logan Mailloux and Tyler Tucker there.
The injury didn’t look encouraging as he skated off the ice, and the Blues will have to wait about six weeks to see what comes next. That opens the door for a few possible replacements, including a prospect who made noise during the preseason.
One of the names getting attention is Adam Jiricek. Injuries created the opening for his call-up, and he made the most of the moment with his NHL debut coming while his parents were in town, making it a special occasion. Blues coach Jim Montgomery has continued to speak highly of the young defenseman, adding even more confidence and expectation around his early NHL run.
And it’s not just Jiricek. The prospect pipeline keeps producing another week’s worth of encouraging reports, with the next wave of Blues players performing well at their respective levels.
Justin Carbonneau stood out most this week, and his NHL debut is said to be coming soon. Jiricek also turned in a strong week of his own, giving the organization plenty to track even as the injury news keeps stacking up.
In Other News...
Blues Could Help Solve An Oilers Problem With One Depth Move
The Oilers are still sorting through a forward group hit by injuries, and one idea floating around is the kind of lateral swap that tries to fix one problem without creating another. Edmonton has been exploring defense-for-forward trades instead of chasing a splashy addition, with Ty Emberson, Spencer Stastney and Shakir Mukhamadullin among the blue-line names in the mix and Mark Kastelic, Oskar Sundqvist and Kevin Stenlund listed as possible targets as teams weigh cap space and roster balance.
From the Blues side, that type of deal has some appeal because it could address a need on the back end without forcing a bigger shakeup elsewhere. St. Louis has its own blue-line injuries to consider, which makes a depth defenseman part of the conversation rather than just a throw-in, and the structure of these talks leaves enough room for a tidy fit if the sides decide the math works. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Power Play Problem Could Force A Change Fast
The Blues opened their 2026-27 season on a mixed note, beating the Dallas Stars before getting handled by the Colorado Avalanche, and the early concern has already shifted from the results to the power play. St. Louis went through the preseason without a goal on 18 chances, and the drought has carried right into the regular season, where the first two games have not produced a conversion.
At some point, the frustration can stop being a short-term slump and start becoming a lineup issue, which is why the Blues may have to look at their top unit if the trend continues. Philip Broberg is the name to watch as a possible answer, with his role potentially growing at Cam Fowlers expense if the club decides it needs a different look quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Robert Thomas Already Faces Pressure As Blues Captain
Robert Thomas has barely settled into the captaincy, and the Blues are already asking plenty of him. Through his first two games wearing the C, he has been logging nearly 20 minutes a night while the team works through early injuries and uneven goaltending, a reminder that St. Louis is leaning on its new leader for more than just clean shifts and steady habits.
The start has come in a mixed team environment, with a strong opening win over Dallas quickly followed by a rough night against Colorado. Thomas is expected to drive the offense as the season unfolds, which only sharpens the attention on his production and makes the early stretch feel bigger than two games usually would. [Read more 🡒]