The St. Louis Blues are starting to look like a team that has found something.
At 5-4-1, they’re tied for fourth in the Central Division with 11 points, and they’re coming off a 6-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights - a result that moved Vegas to second in the Pacific Division. After a slow opening stretch, the tide seems to be turning.
A big reason for that is the top line finally beginning to mesh. Robert Thomas has all six of his points over the last six games, and Jimmy Snuggerud is riding a three-game goal streak. The chemistry that wasn’t quite there early on is showing up now, and a lineup tweak appears to have sparked it.
Pavel Buchnevich has been the key piece. He has looked renewed to begin the 2026-27 season, and he was thriving in a middle-six role alongside Connor McMichael and Mason McTavish.
That trio became the Blues’ most reliable offensive group while Thomas, Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway struggled to rediscover the rhythm they had after the Winter Olympics late last season. A muted power play only added to the scoring issues.
When a combination stalls, coaches start searching for the right fix. Breaking up McMichael and McTavish didn’t make much sense, since that pair has clearly worked well together, so Buchnevich was the natural move. According to Natural Stat Trick, Buchnevich leads regular Blues forwards with a 55.07 xGF%, making him the club’s best forward by the underlying numbers.
The big question is whether this version of the top line can hold. Chemistry can fade, opponents adjust, and nothing stays static for long.
Still, for now, Thomas, Buchnevich and Snuggerud look capable of keeping this going, at least in the short term. Thomas and Snuggerud both have positive expected goals-for numbers, though not at Buchnevich’s level.
There are two things that could change the picture. One is Holloway forcing his way back into the top six.
That would be a welcome development, especially since he’s on a six-game point streak and has all 10 of his points this season during that run. If he keeps producing like that, the Blues could have a strong case for elevating him again.
The other possibility is Buchnevich sliding back toward the more ordinary version from last season. If that happens and Holloway still isn’t trusted in a top-line role, the Blues may have to rethink their forward alignment.
For now, though, neither player looks to be dropping off, and that gives St. Louis a level of forward depth it hasn’t had in years.
In Other News...
Blues Prospects Are Forcing A Tougher NHL Decision Than Expected
The Blues latest round of roster movement underscored just how many young players are pressing for attention. Defenseman Theo Lindstein and forward Dylan Peterson were sent back to Springfield after brief NHL looks, while Aleksenatari Kaskimaki, Otto Stenberg and defenseman Quinton Burns were brought up to St. Louis, giving the coaching staff another set of prospects to evaluate in real time.
Kaskimaki and Stenberg made the most of their chances, each picking up a point in two games, and the depth chart keeps shifting as other Blues prospects continue to produce in the AHL, KHL, OHL and QMJHL. It has created a tougher decision than expected for a club trying to balance development with the need for immediate help, especially with more young players still making a case for themselves in Springfield. [Read more 🡒]
Blues May Be Near A Tough Dalibor Dvorsky Decision
Dalibor Dvorsky has shown enough to keep the Blues interested in his long-term upside, even if his early NHL looks have been uneven. The high draft pick has flashed a strong shot and the kind of defensive responsibility that coaches appreciate, but the offensive production has not come quickly, and his role has reflected that limited impact.
Jim Montgomery has made it clear the next step has to come on the scoring side, which helps explain why Dvorskys ice time has stayed so modest this season. With St. Louis weighing whether he needs more seasoning in the AHL, the decision is starting to feel less about whether he belongs in the organizations plans and more about where those plans are best served right now. If he does go down, the Blues may have to adjust the roster around him. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Still Have One Clear Gap Before They Can Chase Contenders
Robert Thomas is still the face of the Blues next push, and the conversation around him only gets sharper when hes measured against the leagues better centers. A recent matchup with Carolina offered a clean reminder of where St. Louis stands, with Sebastian Aho bringing the more polished all-around game and the kind of offensive consistency the Blues are still trying to build toward. Thomas remains a centerpiece for a young core that has room to grow, but the gap between being promising and being a true contender is still easy to see.
Ahos edge is not just about one night, either. His career production has come at a steadier clip, and that matters when youre comparing a team trying to climb with a player who already has a long track record of driving results. For the Blues, the encouraging part is that Thomas and the group around him are still in position to improve, but closing that gap will take more than internal growth alone. It will take more finishing ability from the top end of the lineup, and the kind of consistency that contenders tend to have before everyone else catches up. [Read more 🡒]