The St. Louis Blues are getting thrown straight into the fire to open 2026-27.
Their first three games all come on the road, and the first two are a back-to-back - a rough enough setup on its own before you even look at who’s waiting for them. The schedule doesn’t exactly hand the Blues a soft landing.
Dallas comes first, and that’s no easy opener. The Stars may have bowed out of the Stanley Cup playoffs earlier than plenty of people expected last season, but they still loom as one of the league’s toughest teams.
Their Jason Robertson contract situation is still dragging on, and they’ve already had to part with Mavrik Bourque because of salary cap constraints. More moves may be coming just to get Robertson’s deal done, but none of that changes the reality: Dallas is still a heavyweight.
The next night brings an even bigger challenge. The Blues head right into a matchup with the Colorado Avalanche, the President’s Trophy winners from the 2025-26 season.
Colorado also had to trim salary to stay cap compliant, but the talent is still loaded. Nathan MacKinnon, Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson give them elite center depth.
Cale Makar remains one of the league’s premier defensemen, and the “lumber yard” in net - Scott Wedgewood and MacKenzie Blackwood - should be enough to keep Colorado in just about every game.
Then comes Chicago in the final road game of the trip, and that’s the one that could look like the chance to catch a breath. The Blackhawks still don’t project as a strong team on paper, and they’ll begin the season without Connor Bedard because of injury troubles. Even so, young players on that roster could still make life difficult, especially with the Blues coming off that brutal first two nights.
For St. Louis, the message is simple: start on time.
No slow opening stretch, no familiar early-season stumble. If the Blues handle this road trip well, it could say a lot about what’s ahead over the next 81 games.
If they don’t, the pressure could ramp up fast - and a coaching change could enter the conversation.
In Other News...
Blues Suddenly Face A Goalie Question Fans Cant Ignore
Joel Hofers rise has become one of the more interesting long-view questions around the Blues, especially after the way he handled last season behind a defense that did him few favors and an offense that did not always make life easier. In 46 games, he went 24-13-5 with six shutouts, a .909 save percentage and a 2.61 goals-against average, numbers that only add to the sense that St. Louis has something real developing in goal.
The contract side only sharpens the conversation, since Hofer is in the final year of his bridge deal and will be a restricted free agent after the 2026-27 season. If the Blues decide the crease should tilt in his direction, it would naturally change the shape of the depth chart and put Jordan Binnington in a different spot, but for now it remains a projection rather than a confirmed plan. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Prospect Colin Ralph Took An Encouraging Step Toward The NHL
Colin Ralphs path has already started to look a little different from the usual college-to-pro climb. The Blues 2024 second-round pick moved from St. Cloud State to Michigan State for his sophomore season, then logged 37 games for the Spartans before getting a taste of the next level with Springfield in the AHL.
For St. Louis, the encouraging part is not just that Ralph got into pro games, but that he was able to start learning what the pace and workload look like against older, stronger competition. He is expected to keep developing in the AHL during the 2026-27 season, and this first run with Springfield gave him a useful early step toward that goal. [Read more 🡒]
Jimmy Snuggerud Is Starting To Look Like The Blues' Next Star
Jimmy Snuggerud wasted little time making his mark in St. Louis, turning in a strong rookie season that ended with 21 goals and 51 points in 70 games and a fifth-place finish in Calder Trophy voting. For a player who arrived with plenty of buzz, the early returns matched the hype and gave the Blues a young scorer they can already picture around for a long time.
Now the conversation is shifting from promising debut to what comes next. TheHockeyNews.com pegged Snuggerud as the Blues breakout candidate for 2026-27, pointing to a possible jump into the 30-goal, 70-point range as his shot, playmaking and skating continue to round into form, and there is a growing sense that roster changes this summer could only sharpen the spotlight on him. [Read more 🡒]