The St. Louis Blues are trying to push themselves back into the NHL’s playoff picture, and a possible pursuit of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin has only added to the sense that they’re aiming higher.
Jeremy Rutherford reported in a recent mailbag for The Athletic that the Blues have interest in Nikishin, a 24-year-old blueliner who scored 11 goals and 33 points in 81 games this past season. His playoff numbers were far quieter, though, as he finished with one assist in 17 playoff games during Carolina’s championship run this spring.
Nikishin is now a restricted free agent, which means Carolina would need to decide whether it wants to commit to a major raise on his next contract. If not, another team will be ready to step in.
That team could be St. Louis. Incoming GM Alexander Steen has been handed the job of getting the Blues back into the postseason right away, and the organization is clearly acting like a club that wants to climb the Central Division now instead of later.
A move for Nikishin would fit that plan. The Blues have been working to reshape their roster, and a defense addition of that caliber could help give them a group that looks deeper and more balanced.
If Nikishin landed in St. Louis, he’d join veterans Colton Parayko, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler, along with younger options Theo Lindstein and Logan Mailloux.
That’s a blueline that could end up being more dangerous than it looks at first glance.
The challenge, of course, is the division itself. Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas are all established problems for anyone trying to crack the West, and Utah, Winnipeg and Nashville are also aiming at the playoffs in 2026-27.
St. Louis is not walking into an easy path.
Even so, the door may be open. The Central could send five teams to the playoffs next season, and that would give the Blues a real shot to grab one of those spots and see what happens from there.
The roster has already seen some meaningful change. St.
Louis moved star right winger Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals in a major trade, but the return included forward Connor McMichael. The club also added former Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish and brought in former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo.
That collection of moves has helped make the Blues look like a legitimate sleeper in the Western Conference. They don’t have a player on the level of Nathan MacKinnon or Quinn Hughes, but their depth gives them a chance to hang around, pressure teams and take advantage when others slip.
The numbers back up the idea that St. Louis is right on the edge.
The Blues have finished fifth in the Central in each of the past three seasons, and that kind of finish could be enough if the standings break their way. They also still have about $4.3 million in salary cap space, which gives Steen and Armstrong some room to handle problems during the season.
The Blues are not being sold as a Cup favorite. But if you’re trying to identify a dark horse playoff team for next season, St. Louis has a strong case - whether Alexander Nikishin ends up in the fold or not.
In Other News...
Blues Winger Snub Just Fueled A Bigger Debate About Their Ceiling
The NHL Networks annual top 20 winger list arrived without a single Blues name on it, and that omission says as much about perception as it does about the roster. St. Louis has spent the summer trying to shift the conversation around its forward group, and the absence of any Blues winger from the rankings only sharpened the spotlight on the clubs younger options, especially Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway.
Both players appear to have landed just outside the cut, which makes the snub feel less like a dismissal and more like a marker of how far the Blues still have to climb. With several Central Division wingers crowding the top of the list, the gap is easy to see, but it also leaves room for the idea that St. Louis could close it quickly if its young talent takes the expected step this season. [Read more 🡒]
Jimmy Snuggerud Just Raised The Stakes For The Blues
Jimmy Snuggeruds second act in St. Louis is carrying a little more weight than the usual young-player progression. After a rookie season that produced 20 goals and 50 points, the Blues are looking at him not just as a promising winger, but as a player whose growth could help define where this group is headed. Theres already been a level of belief in his upside inside the organization, and it helps explain why the Blues have been willing to lean into a future built around him.
Now the pressure shifts to what comes next, because the conversation around Snuggerud is no longer only about talent. St. Louis wants to know whether he can build on those numbers, and fans are watching closely because his production will shape both his long-term value and the teams hopes of staying in the mix. If he takes another step, the Blues will have a much bigger decision on their hands when contract talks eventually move to the forefront. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Prospects Are Turning Heads In A Big Way Overseas
Three St. Louis Blues prospects are starting to make noise on the international stage, with The Athletics scouts projecting three of them to land spots at the upcoming World Junior Championship. Tynan Lawrence is expected to suit up for Team Canada, while Milton Gastrin and Love Harenstam are projected to represent Team Sweden, a sign that the organizations pipeline is drawing attention well beyond North America.
The tournament is set for Edmonton and Red Deer at the end of December and into early January, giving all three a chance to showcase their development against some of the best young talent in the world. For the Blues, it is another encouraging marker that their prospect base is not just deep, but beginning to earn meaningful recognition on a stage that often helps define the next wave of NHL players. [Read more 🡒]