The St. Louis Blues have stumbled out of the gate, and the problem keeps circling back to the same place: the top line and the power play are dragging each other down.
Through four games, the early returns are ugly. Jimmy Snuggerud has two assists.
Dylan Holloway has no points. Robert Thomas, the center of that line, also has a goose egg next to his name.
For a team that came into the 2025-26 season with real optimism after those two broke through after the trade deadline, that’s a rough opening stretch.
And yet, the issue isn’t as simple as picking one culprit over the other. The first line and the power play are tied together.
If the Blues get anything going in either spot, the whole offense can start to breathe again. Right now, though, they’re stuck in the kind of dry spell that can make every shift feel heavier than the last.
There is at least one reason for patience: the underlying numbers are better than the scoreboard. At five-on-five, the Blues’ top line is being outscored 2-0 through 39 minutes, but it also owns a 69.6% expected goals percentage, a mark that would put it among the NHL’s elite groups. That’s the kind of stat that won’t calm down frustrated fans, but it does suggest the chances are there even if the goals aren’t.
The line has already been shuffled around, with different combinations tried in search of a spark. So far, that hasn’t solved much. Snuggerud is the only one of the three who has seen any real payoff, and that came when he was on the ice for a five-on-five goal without his two linemates.
That’s where the Blues are living right now: close, but not cashing in. If they keep generating at this level, the goals should eventually follow. If they don’t, then this starts looking like a brutal stretch of bad luck for a trio that should not be this quiet for long.
The power play hasn’t helped. Jim Montgomery has a track record of finding offense, and most of his power-play units have finished above 20%.
Last season in St. Louis, though, the unit dipped to 17.6%.
The last time one of his power plays was this poor was in 2023-24, when the Boston Bruins opened at 11.7% through their first 20 games before he was fired.
That history is why there’s still some reason to believe the Blues can climb out of this. They’re sitting on an 8.7% shooting percentage, and their first line has managed only two assists through the first four games, with neither one coming while all three were on the ice together. It’s been a rough watch.
Still, the season is only four games old, and there are 80 left. Joel Hofer has given them a strong foundation with a .930 save percentage and a 1.68 goals-against average. The advanced numbers also point toward better days ahead for the offense.
So yes, panic is understandable. But if the top line starts finishing chances and the power play wakes up, the Blues could flip this fast.
If that happens while Hofer keeps playing at this level, St. Louis could very quickly look like a playoff team again.
In Other News...
Blues Enter Stretch That Will Show What This Team Really Is
The early part of the season has already told the Blues a little bit about themselves. They opened with a 4-0 win, then settled into the kind of mixed results that tend to follow a fast start, with losses to Colorado, Chicago and San Jose leaving more questions than answers about how steady this group really is. For a team trying to sort out its identity, the margin for error is getting thinner by the night.
Columbus is the first test in a stretch that feels like a separator, the kind of run that can turn an encouraging start into something more meaningful if St. Louis handles it well. The Blues also have to keep navigating a growing injury situation, with several regulars unavailable, and that only adds to the challenge of a schedule that is about to get much less forgiving. If this team is going to look like a playoff contender, it will have to start showing it right here. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Hit With Another Injury Setback As Depth Gets Tested
The Blues are dealing with another hit to their depth after forward Dillon Dube was sidelined with a neck injury, leaving the club to shuffle its lineup again as it tries to navigate a stretch already shaped by multiple absences. St. Louis has been leaning on its lower end of the roster more heavily, and the next wave of adjustments now includes giving Zach Dean a look on the fourth line while Justin Barron remains in the mix on defense for a second straight game.
It comes as the Blues are also working through a new defensive zone coverage system under assistant coach Greg Cronin, which makes the timing of the injuries even more demanding. With the lineup in flux and responsibilities spreading to younger or less established players, the next few weeks will give St. Louis a clearer read on who can absorb tougher minutes while the staff keeps sorting out the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Blues May Have A Rare Binnington Window They Can't Ignore
Jordan Binningtons contract situation has suddenly become one of the more intriguing storylines around the Blues, with his deal set to expire and his name now surfacing in speculation tied to the New York Rangers. For a team that has leaned on him heavily, the idea of moving a veteran goalie of his stature would be a major decision, but it is the kind of possibility front offices at least have to examine when the timing lines up this way.
The appeal is obvious from St. Louis side: if there is a real market, this could be a rare chance to weigh a substantial return against the challenge of filling the crease without a proven No. 1 in place. There is plenty to sort through before anything becomes concrete, though, and for now the situation remains in the realm of possibility rather than a confirmed move. [Read more 🡒]