The St. Louis Blues are heading into a shorter preseason in 2026-27, and the four-game schedule gives the first real look at what the next version of the team will start to look like.
The club announced its preseason slate earlier today, along with the schedule for those games. St. Louis will play two games against Chicago and two against Dallas as the team begins to ramp up for the new season.
With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association, the preseason has been trimmed down for 2026-27. The goal is to keep the total number of games the same when preseason and regular season are combined, while adding two more games that count in the standings.
That means the preseason is going to be more compressed, and the work done in training camp will matter even more. Head coach Jim Montgomery already said in exit interviews after this past season that camp would be more rigorous and competitive, and that approach has also been supported by the decisions made by General Managers Doug Armstrong and Alexander Steen.
The smaller schedule puts more attention on certain spots, especially the centers and the defensive lines. It also creates a tighter window for prospects trying to force their way into the picture.
Adam Jiricek and Justin Carbonneau are two names to watch closely in those four games. Jiricek has the best shot among the prospects to crack the opening-night roster on the blueline, while Carbonneau is in the mix for a winger spot. With fewer preseason games to make an impression, both will have to show quickly whether they can break through.
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