St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery is heading into September with a roster puzzle that could shape the season before it even starts.
Training camp is where the choices get real, and for Montgomery, those decisions have to be made with the Blues’ best interests in mind for 2026-27. Some spots already feel settled.
Robert Thomas, now the team’s captain, is a lock. Dylan Holloway, Jake Neighbours and Jimmy Snuggerud also look firmly in place among the forwards.
On defense, Philip Broberg appears set as the top blueliner, with Brandon Carlo and Colton Parayko expected to hold down key veteran roles.
After that, the board gets crowded fast.
The biggest call may come in goal. Joel Hofer looks like the leading candidate to start, but Jordan Binnington could force the issue if he shows up looking like his old self.
If Binnington outperforms Hofer in camp, Montgomery may have no choice but to lean on the veteran. That would raise an obvious question about Hofer’s development.
There’s a world where both goalies are strong enough to form a tandem. But if Hofer’s confidence takes a hit, the Blues could be pushed into addressing the situation sooner rather than later.
That’s the nightmare version. The more sensible path is Hofer continuing on his current track and claiming the job, with Binnington’s strong play only helping the team’s push back toward the playoffs.
Up front, the top six doesn’t look like the main source of drama. Thomas and Mason McTavish should anchor the middle of the lineup, while Holloway, Snuggerud, Connor McMichael and Pavel Buchnevich fill out the rest of that group.
The real squeeze starts lower in the lineup. Neighbours and Dvorsky seem likely to get full-time roles, and if they perform, they could force McMichael or Buchnevich down the chart.
Behind them, Otto Stenberg, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki and Felix Trudeau are all in the mix for jobs. If one of them breaks through, Montgomery will have to decide who gets bumped.
Ross Johnston appears set for the fourth line, which means a player like Jack Finley, Pius Suter or Alexey Toropchenko could see his ice time shrink.
The same kind of pressure exists on the back end. Cam Fowler and Tyler Tucker may be fighting to hold their places, and that battle gets even tighter if Adam Jiricek proves he’s ready for NHL minutes.
Montgomery could always choose to keep some of the prospects in the AHL to open the season. But if the veterans stumble and the younger players show they belong, the coach may not give the established names much runway.
That’s the reality in St. Louis.
There isn’t much room to ease into the year, especially in a division that’s among the league’s toughest, if not the toughest. With the top three spots in the Central Division likely already spoken for, the Blues may not have the luxury of waiting around to sort things out.
If certain players don’t get it done quickly, Montgomery could turn to the kids sooner than expected.
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