The Blues may have brought in Connor McMichael with a little center intrigue attached, but the current setup still points to him spending most of his time on the wing.
That’s the reality of the roster St. Louis is working with right now.
McMichael, who arrived in the offseason trade that sent Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals, signed a six-year extension worth $6.75 million annually. The Blues lost Kyrou in the deal and, by that measure, are probably a step back overall.
One possible way to squeeze more value out of the move would be if McMichael could handle center.
The problem is that his track record doesn’t offer much of a push in that direction. McMichael was a center in his draft year and played down the middle for the OHL’s London Knights, which is where a lot of prospects begin before the NHL nudges them toward the wing.
That happened with McMichael in Washington, where he was rarely, if ever, used at center. Kyrou followed a similar path in reverse, having been listed as a center at different points before settling in as a wing.
From the Blues’ perspective, McMichael looks more like a winger than a center at this stage, much the way Dylan Holloway does. That doesn’t make the idea impossible, just unlikely under normal circumstances.
The only real opening would come if injuries start piling up again. In that kind of emergency, McMichael could get a look in the middle. But with the Blues’ current center depth, it would take a lot for that door to open.
The biggest variable is Mason McTavish. He was drafted as a center and, by all accounts, was brought in by the Blues to play that position.
Still, his time with the Anaheim Ducks showed why there are questions. Coaches didn’t trust him defensively, and his skating was a real issue.
If he keeps having trouble at center, that could create a path for McMichael to get a shot there if head coach Jim Montgomery decides he has no better options.
In Other News...
Blues Suddenly Have A Center Depth Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Blues center picture looked straightforward enough when the offseason began, with Robert Thomas penciled in as the top-line anchor and Mason McTavish fitting naturally into a second-line role. Then the addition of Connor McMichael added a little more flexibility to the roster, even if he is expected to spend most of his time on the wing. For a team trying to sort out its forward mix, that kind of versatility can be useful, but it also keeps the conversation alive about how the middle of the lineup will actually settle in.
Pius Suter sits in the middle of that discussion, because the third-line center spot is not quite as settled as the rest of the depth chart suggests. St. Louis has enough moving parts to imagine a few different looks as the season unfolds, especially if the bottom six gets reshuffled and the staff decides it wants more certainty down the middle. The Blues do not need to solve everything in July, but the way they handle those center minutes could end up shaping more than just one line. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Jiricek Suddenly Has A Real Chance To Force Blues Decisions
A year out from the 2026-27 opener, Adam Jiricek is suddenly a name worth tracking on the Blues blue line. St. Louis has already built out a defense group that includes Philip Broberg, Cam Fowler, Colton Parayko, Brandon Carlo, Logan Mailloux, Theo Lindstein and Tyler Tucker, but Jiriceks path is no longer just about long-term upside. He has a real chance to push his way into the conversation for an opening-night job.
The clearest route is on the third pair, where a strong camp and early-season play could force the Blues to keep him around and even consider a bigger role if he handles the jump. It is still a tough ask for a rookie defenseman, and the competition in front of him is the kind that can make even promising prospects wait their turn. Still, this is the sort of development that can change how a team approaches its roster decisions before the season ever starts. [Read more 🡒]
Why Blues Fans Are Pushing Back On This Offseason Verdict
The offseason review that landed with a thud around St. Louis did not exactly match the mood inside the organization. Bleacher Report handed the Blues a D, but the front office has spent the summer trying to reshape the roster around a younger core, with Alexander Steen stepping in as general manager and the club leaning into a group built largely around players under 25.
From the Blues perspective, the bigger story is not the grade itself but what comes next. The team has moved on from some poor contracts and added youth, and Jim Montgomery is already setting the tone for a training camp that should be fast, physical and full of real battles for jobs and line combinations as the club builds toward the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]