The St. Louis Blues are heading into training camp with a pile of job battles, and the one that stands out most is the fight for the second-line center spot. Head coach Jim Montgomery put that reality on the table in his exit interview, and the moves made by ex-General Manager Doug Armstrong and new head man Alexander Steen only reinforced it.
At the center of that conversation are two newcomers: Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael. Both are in the mix, both bring something useful, and both arrive with a chance to grab hold of a major role before the season gets going in a couple of weeks.
Right now, McTavish looks like the safer bet.
The reason starts with the basics. McTavish and McMichael posted similar goal totals last season, but McTavish has a clear edge at the faceoff dot, beating McMichael by six percent.
For a Blues team that has built a reputation around strong work in the circle, that matters. It matters even more if the two are asked to anchor the same line.
That said, camp has a way of changing the picture fast. McMichael may have spent the summer sharpening that exact area of his game, just as McTavish has been in the gym working toward becoming the best net-front presence the Blues have ever had on the power play.
There’s also the bigger reality around the roster. The 2026-27 season is still a long way off, and there are plenty of moving parts before anyone can call this settled.
The second-line center race is only one piece of a much larger bottom-six picture, where veterans and prospects will be battling for jobs and chances to reach the big leagues. That kind of competition could help drive a hungry Blues team once the season starts.
McMichael will need a standout camp and every minute he can get in the four preseason games. McTavish appears close to a lock for opening night at 2C, though that grip may not last, especially with Dalibor Dvorsky also pushing for the job.
Montgomery has plenty to sort through before the season opens, but for now, keeping McTavish at second-line center looks like the right move.
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