The St. Louis Blues have landed in the kind of situation every NHL team wants: real roster battles, real competition, and a camp that should actually mean something.
That matters because most clubs spend training camp and the preseason trying to patch together chemistry on a roster that already feels mostly settled. The Blues are different. They have enough young talent pushing up from below that the fight for jobs is going to shape the opening-night group, and maybe more down the road.
There is also a bigger sign pointing to what the organization has built. The Athletic’s Senior Writer for NHL Prospects, Adam Pronman, has the Blues with the seventh-best prospect pool. That is a strong marker for where things stand moving forward.
On the blue line, one of the clearest battles centers on Adam Jiricek and Tyler Tucker, with Theo Lindstein also in the mix after a good season in 2025-26. Lindstein’s NHL experience could put him ahead of Jiricek for now, which only makes that competition tighter.
Up front, the picture gets even more crowded. Otto Stenberg and Justin Carbonneau are among the bubble players with a realistic shot at cracking the opening-night roster, but the depth of the group goes well beyond that.
The Blues’ 2026 NHL Draft picks, Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Deganais, are already viewed as names to circle for 2028-29’s opening-night roster. Milton Gästrin, who came over in the trade for Jordan Kyrou as the sweetener, belongs in that same conversation too.
There is even a battle taking shape at second-line center. Dalibor Dvorsky, Mason McTavish, and Connor McMichael are all in the mix there, and Pius Suter can be added to that list as well. At the same time, there is a strong chance Suter could be moved before the season begins.
That kind of logjam should make for a fierce training camp and preseason. It is a true dog-eat-dog setup, and Jim Montgomery should have the kind of roster pressure every coach wants heading into the 2026-27 season.
In Other News...
Former Blues First Round Pick Leaves Montreal Fans Waiting
Zachary Bolducs first season stretch in Montreal gave the Canadiens enough to think about as they sort out their forward depth heading into the new year. The former Blues first-round pick came out of the gate well after arriving in the organization, and even as his production dipped later on, he still showed enough to keep himself in the discussion as Montreal looks for inexpensive help down the lineup.
Bolduc is still waiting on the next step, with his future tied to the Canadiens effort to bring him back before the season begins. He has made it clear he would like to stay in Montreal for the long haul, but for now the matter sits with his agent and team management, leaving one more contract question hanging over a club that could use another body up front. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Should Avoid Letting Patrik Laine Disrupt Their Young Core
Patrik Laine is still sitting in free agency, and with several teams keeping an eye on him, the conversation is starting to shift toward fit as much as talent. For the Blues, that makes this a worthwhile cautionary tale. Laine has the kind of name recognition that can tempt a team looking for a scoring boost, but his recent season was limited by injury and his offensive game has not looked like the same force it once did.
St. Louis is in a different kind of phase now, one that asks more from patience and development than from chasing a shortcut. Bringing in a high-profile scorer with recent performance concerns could complicate the path for the younger players the Blues are trying to grow into larger roles. If the organization wants to keep its young core moving forward, it has every reason to be careful about adding a veteran whose upside no longer outweighs the risk. [Read more 🡒]