Pavel Buchnevich is at the center of a tricky Blues decision, and this season may tell the whole story.
The 31-year-old winger has been steady for a long time, reaching 20 goals in six straight seasons and even stacking one 30-goal year into that run. That kind of production has made him a dependable scorer.
But the trend line has been heading the wrong way. Last season was the fourth straight year his point total dipped, and that has fueled the growing talk that St.
Louis should move on.
That’s what makes this season so important for Buchnevich. With a wave of young forwards pushing for ice time, the margin for error is shrinking for the former New York Rangers third-round pick. He needs to show, right away, that he still belongs in the Blues’ lineup.
The first step is obvious: get rolling early. Buchnevich is still pointless through the team’s first two games, but he has looked good on the ice.
The hope is that the scoring comes soon enough to quiet the questions. If it doesn’t, the Blues may have no choice but to explore moving him at whatever price is available.
There’s also the possibility that a change of scenery would serve him better. If that becomes the case, St.
Louis could be open to making it happen. Not as a cap dump, but as a deal that sends him to a contender in need of scoring depth.
That kind of move would not happen immediately. The Blues want to give him a fair shot this season first. But if he struggles badly, the front office may have to make a call.
The strange part is that both extremes could help clarify his future. If he falls flat, his trade value could sink to a point where dealing him makes little sense.
If he catches fire, his market could rise enough to bring back real value. Either way, Buchnevich is heading toward a season that should reveal whether he stays part of the Blues’ plans or becomes a trade piece.
In Other News...
Blues Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Just Chicago
A loss to the Blackhawks is bad enough on its own, but the 4-2 result also put a spotlight on some of the Blues deeper issues. The top line never really drove the game the way it needed to, and the offense as a whole spent too much time looking for rhythm instead of creating it, even as the second line with Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael offered one of the few steady stretches in the lineup.
The bigger concern is that the problems did not stop at even-strength play. St. Louis also came up short when chances with the man advantage were there, which made the night feel less like a one-off and more like a warning sign. If the Blues are going to turn this into a quick correction rather than a lingering trend, they will need more from the players expected to set the tone and more finish from the group that is supposed to punish mistakes. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Already Facing One Early Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Blues came home from their first road trip of the 2026-27 season with a 1-2-0 record, and the early snapshot already looks familiar in one key area. St. Louis has leaned on a wave of young offense to get through the opening stretch, with Mason McTavish, Dalibor Dvorsky and Connor McMichael giving the lineup much-needed spark, while Joel Hofer has been steady in net behind them.
Even with those positives, the second period has been the problem spot, the sort of issue that can undo a decent start before it really has time to breathe. The coaching staff now has a clear early priority before the home opener: tighten up the middle frames and keep the momentum from slipping away the way it did on the road. [Read more 🡒]