The Blues’ offseason has already done most of the heavy lifting for 2026-27. After moving Jordan Kyrou in a deal that brought back Connor McMichael, Milton Gästrin and a first-round pick, St.
Louis quickly doubled down by sending out two more first-rounders for Mason McTavish. Then came Brandon Carlo, Ross Johnston, Dillon Dube, and the re-signings of Jonatan Berggren and Oskar Sundqvist.
That kind of turnover usually leaves a roster with a few obvious seams, and St. Louis still has some sorting to do up front. The Blues are carrying at least 18 forwards for 12 lineup spots, which means the math is going to force a few tough decisions before Opening Night.
The core, though, is starting to take shape. Jimmy Snuggerud, Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, McMichael, McTavish and Dalibor Dvorský all look like safe bets to be in the lineup. Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours have both surfaced in a little trade chatter, but the more likely outcome is that both are still on the roster when the 2026-27 season begins.
There are a few other names that seem to be fighting an uphill battle. Justin Carbonneau would have to really impress to crack the Opening Night group, and Oskar Sundqvist’s two-way contract makes a minor-league start feel likely.
Pius Suter is the odd fit in the room. He was added to fill a middle-six center role, but the Blues have since brought in two more middle-six centers this offseason, and Dvorský has already carved out a place in the top nine. If Suter is on the roster to start the year, it probably means Alexey Toropchenko and/or Nathan Walker have been moved out.
On defense, the only move the Blues have seriously discussed is a possible addition of Alexander Nikishin from the Carolina Hurricanes. Otherwise, the blue line and the goaltending situation look pretty settled.
If the Blues open the season the way things currently line up, their top line should stay intact. Holloway, Snuggerud and Thomas were one of the few things that went exceptionally well last season, and there doesn’t seem to be a reason to break that group up.
The second line is where things get a little more fluid. McMichael, McTavish and Buchnevich look like the most likely trio, with the center spot still not fully nailed down. McMichael’s faceoff issues and McTavish’s physical edge make McTavish the cleaner guess to start in the middle.
Dvorský appears set to get a real shot at the third-line center job, with Neighbours and Berggren likely on the wings.
The fourth line is the least settled of the forward groups, but Johnston’s size and Dube’s scoring touch should get them in. For the final wing spot, Jack Finley seems to have done more than Toropchenko and Walker this past season, which should give him the edge while the other two begin as scratches.
That setup would leave Otto Stenberg and Carbonneau to keep developing in the minors, with both positioned for a possible midseason call-up.
The defense is much easier to map out. Five spots look essentially spoken for, leaving a battle between Theo Lindstein, Tyler Tucker and Adam Jiříček for the final job. Lindstein gets the nod here because of his higher ceiling than Tucker and the experience advantage he has over Jiříček.
That would put Colton Parayko and Philip Broberg together on the top pair, Cam Fowler and Logan Mailloux on the second, and Carlo with Lindstein on the third.
In goal, Joel Hofer has apparently done enough to be viewed as an NHL-caliber starter, and the expectation here is that he’ll be the first goalie since Jake Allen in 2018 to get the Opening Night nod over Jordan Binnington.
In Other News...
Blues MVP Debate Is No Longer Just About Robert Thomas
Robert Thomas has long been the obvious answer whenever the Blues most valuable player conversation comes up, and for good reason. He has been the sort of steady center around whom the roster has been built, but the outlook for 2026-27 suggests the debate could get a little more interesting if St. Louis younger core keeps taking shape the way the organization hopes.
Jimmy Snuggerud is expected to skate with Thomas and get first-line minutes, Joel Hofer is lined up to take over in goal, and Philip Broberg is moving into a bigger role on the blue line. Thomas still looks like a strong MVP candidate, but the point is no longer whether he matters most. It is whether the next wave of Blues talent can make a real case to share, or even steal, that spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Pavel Buchnevich Enters A Make Or Break Year For The Blues
Pavel Buchnevich arrives at next season at something of a crossroads for the Blues, with his game no longer looking quite as sharp as it did before his move out of New York. St. Louis still views him as a candidate to anchor the second line, but the margin for error is getting slimmer as the club tries to sort out its forward mix and decide which players fit its long-term plan.
The pressure around him is only growing because the Blues have other options pushing for those same minutes, including younger forwards Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael. Add in the wave of prospects waiting in the wings, and Buchnevich is not just trying to hold a job, he is trying to re-establish himself as a player the Blues can trust in a meaningful role. [Read more 🡒]