Pavel Buchnevich is forcing a different conversation in St. Louis.
Through 14 games of the 2026-27 NHL season, the Blues winger has started to look like one of the team’s most important players, a notable shift after he’d drawn plenty of criticism from fans since 2024. That frustration had built around his uneven play and the fact that he’s carrying an $8 million cap hit for the next 5 seasons. But early this year, Buchnevich has been showing up in ways that matter.
The biggest change has come on the penalty kill. Special teams were a major focus this offseason after last year’s struggles, and while the power play has gotten off to a slow start, the PK has been sharp.
St. Louis is killing penalties at an 83.3% clip, which ranks 9th in the NHL.
Buchnevich and Pius Suter have been the main drivers there, with Buchnevich logging 46.6% of the Blues’ total possible 4-on-5 ice time so far.
He’s also stayed out of the box, which only adds to his value. Buchnevich has not taken a penalty in the first 17% of the season, and he’s committed just 3 defensive zone giveaways. That kind of reliability gives the Blues a player they can trust in tough minutes, and that matters on any successful team.
The other encouraging sign is that Buchnevich has been productive no matter who he’s skating with. Jim Montgomery has already shuffled lines because of some offensive inconsistency, but Buchnevich has kept producing.
A big reason is his ability to hold onto the puck along the boards even when pressure is heavy. Three of the Blues’ top six lines by xGoals% this season have included Buchnevich, which says plenty about how adaptable he’s been.
And then there’s the finishing touch. One of the most valid complaints about Buchnevich in recent years has been his trouble converting quality chances, but that seems to be changing. He scored in two of the Blues’ last five games, and both goals came at key moments in those games.
That’s why the conversation around him is starting to shift. Blues fans can still be hard on players who aren’t performing, but Buchnevich is giving the team real reasons to reassess the criticism. Right now, he’s doing his part to change the story around his game.
In Other News...
Logan Mailloux Just Reached A Big Point In His Blues Return
Logan Mailloux is taking a meaningful step back toward the Blues lineup after being assigned to the AHLs Springfield Thunderbirds on a conditioning stint. The defenseman has been working his way back from the injury that sent him to surgery in the preseason, leaving him on injured reserve since late September and sidelined as St. Louis has managed his recovery.
For the Blues, the move offers a chance to get Mailloux back into game action and gauge where he stands after a long layoff. It also adds another layer to a trade that brought him to St. Louis from Montreal, with the organization still waiting to see how soon he can be ready to help on the blue line again. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Were Smart To Avoid A Risky Move For Young Center
Shane Wrights name has been floating around the league for a while, and the latest move only adds another layer to a young center whose career has already taken a few turns. Seattle sent the former fourth overall pick to Nashville for winger Matthew Wood, a first-rounder from 2023 whose rookie season was modest but whose size still gives him a clear NHL calling card. For teams watching from the outside, it is the kind of deal that invites a second look at what Wright might still become.
For St. Louis, the bigger takeaway is what did not happen. The Blues had reason to monitor Wright, but they also had every incentive to be careful about paying a premium for another center when the organization already has young talent coming through the middle. In a market where pedigree can still drive the price, passing on this kind of swing looks less like hesitation and more like restraint. [Read more 🡒]