The St. Louis Blues are heading into a new stretch built around younger players, and that makes Justin Carbonneau one of the names to watch as the season unfolds.
Robert Thomas, the only member outside of the Blues’ core group over 25, was just named the 25th captain in franchise history at 27 years old. With that shift comes a heavier burden on younger talent, and that can bring some real sink-or-swim moments. It also opens the door to a revolving door with Springfield, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate.
Carbonneau, the Blues’ first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, is set to be a major storyline at training camp and through the preseason. He could get one of the few legitimate chances to win a spot on the opening night roster, though that remains unlikely.
Still, the expectation here is that he won’t stay down for long.
If Carbonneau doesn’t make the Blues out of camp, he is expected to start the upcoming season in the AHL. That would put him in Springfield, where he’d be a player worth keeping a close eye on.
He already got a taste of that environment last season, when he wore the Thunderbirds uniform after a 51-goal season with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. His brief playoff run included three games and no points.
A stretch of a few months in Springfield could be exactly what he needs. It would give him a chance to adjust to the pace and speed of pro hockey after dominating the junior level. The scoring touch is there, but the jump to the highest level of competition is a different test.
The bigger picture points to Carbonneau becoming a Blue sometime in 2026-27, and that feels close to a near-guarantee.
December may end up being the key month for all of it. The Blues have a fairly heavy schedule, but it is also a month they could win enough to build real confidence for the rest of the season. Around Christmas, players usually get a break to spend time with family and catch their breath before the games pick back up.
If December goes badly, or if injuries pile up, Carbonneau could get an early Christmas present in the form of an NHL call-up. And if that happens, it would be a welcome gift for Blues fans too.
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Blues Fans Already Have One Big Debate About Their New Forwards
The Blues offseason additions have already given fans something to chew on, and it starts with how the new forwards fit into an offense that is still taking shape. Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael both bring scoring upside, but they arrive with different expectations attached, and that alone has made for an early debate about which pickup matters more in the long run.
McTavish looks like the cleaner bet to become a bigger part of the attack. He is younger, carries more of a well-rounded offensive profile and seems better positioned to be a steady presence in the lineup, while McMichaels usage appears more fluid as the coaching staff sorts out roles and line combinations. For a team trying to deepen its forward group, the intrigue is not just what either player can do, but how much room there will be for each to do it. [Read more 🡒]
Blues May Have A Bigger Jimmy Snuggerud Debate Than Fans Think
With Robert Thomas now officially installed as the 25th captain and Blues games set to land on Prime, St. Louis has been getting a fresh round of attention heading into the season. Another recent snapshot of where the roster stands came from The Athletics annual Top 150 NHL players list, which included several Blues players and offered another reminder that this group has enough recognizable talent to matter beyond the Central Division conversation.
Still, the bigger debate for the Blues might be the one around Jimmy Snuggerud. The young winger has already put himself on the radar as a player with real upside, and his name belongs in the kind of league-wide discussion that usually separates promising pieces from established ones. Whether he is already there is a separate question, but it is one St. Louis can expect to keep hearing as his role and reputation continue to grow. [Read more 🡒]