The Blues are still searching for that elusive three-game win streak, and the latest miss came in a 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers. After coming up short against Dylan Garand and company, St. Louis now heads across the Hudson River to Newark for another Metropolitan Division test against the New Jersey Devils.
If the Blues are going to turn this trip around, they’ll need a few key names to push the pace. Robert Thomas sits at the top of that list.
He has to be the offense’s spark plug, and this matchup gives him a chance to do it while going toe-to-toe with Devils captain Nico Hischier. Thomas has already had success against New Jersey, piling up six goals and six assists for 12 points in 13 games.
If he can make his presence felt, St. Louis could be in business.
Jimmy Snuggerud is another player who could swing things. He has already shown a knack for scoring against Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, including two goals in his first few NHL games during the first round of the 2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Since then, he’s taken another step forward and now leads the Blues with eight goals on the season. The next question is whether he can finally put together his first multi-goal game of the year.
Pius Suter was the lone Blues player to beat Dylan Garand in the loss to the Rangers, scoring in garbage time to keep the game from becoming a shutout. It was a small consolation, but it still counted, and he now has four goals and four assists on the season from his fourth-line role. Against a Devils power play that’s running at 19.1% and ranks 21st in the NHL, Suter will need to stay sharp and not let Jack Hughes catch fire in that situation.
Then there’s Jordan Binnington, whose status for this one isn’t known. Still, if storylines matter, a Binnington-Hellebuyck rematch from the Olympics would make plenty of sense. Binnington has had a rough start to the year, though he has only made four starts through 15 games, so he may be in line for game No. 16 against New Jersey.
In Other News...
Blues May Have A Quiet Roster Answer Developing In Springfield
One of the quieter developments in the Blues system is unfolding in Springfield, where Jakub Stancl is getting a look in the middle after arriving as a 2024 fourth-round pick. The Thunderbirds have used him as a center as he continues to round out his game, and the shift gives St. Louis a better sense of how his skill set might translate if he keeps moving up the organizational ladder.
For the Blues, the appeal is obvious: a young forward who is learning the defensive side of the position while also getting real work on faceoffs. The results are still a work in progress, but Stancl is showing enough growth to keep the conversation going about whether he can eventually settle into a dependable bottom-six role in St. Louis. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Built For More Bite But One Big Doubt Is Growing
The Blues came into the season with a reputation for wanting more edge, but through 15 games the numbers have not quite matched the image. St. Louis has logged 274 hits, a total that leaves it tied for 25th in the NHL, and some of that drop-off traces back to the lineup shuffling caused by injuries and absences among the clubs more physical players.
With Tyler Tucker still sidelined and Alexey Toropchenko and Ross Johnston also having missed time, the conversation around adding more bite has started to turn toward Springfield. Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker are among the names in the mix, and while that kind of move could help restore some of the teams identity, it is only part of a bigger picture that also includes the power play and the defense. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Are Suddenly Feeling Pressure On Two Costly Offseason Bets
The Blues entered the season expecting Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael to be two of the defining pieces of their offseason overhaul, and for a while both looked the part. McTavish arrived at a steep price, including two 2026 first-round picks, while McMichael came over in the Jordan Kyrou trade, giving St. Louis a pair of young forwards the front office clearly believed could help reshape the lineup right away.
Lately, though, the scoring has cooled for both players, even as the underlying numbers still point to solid play. That leaves the Blues in an awkward spot: they have reasons to trust the process, but they also need production to match the investment, and the lineup is already being adjusted as the coaching staff searches for the right mix. [Read more 🡒]