The St. Louis Blues may look sneaky good on paper heading into 2026-27, but that’s only part of the story.
A roster can look cleaner in July and still come apart once the games start. For this team, the real test will come from a handful of players whose every shift, save, and decision is going to get picked apart.
At the center of that scrutiny is Joel Hofer. With the impending move of Jordan Binnington, Hofer is effectively stepping into the spotlight as the next man up in goal.
He does not need to outdo the best version of Binnington to make this work. If he can simply match the pace he showed last season, that would be a strong foundation.
Jordan Binnington, meanwhile, is facing a very different kind of pressure. He is entering the final season of his current contract, which puts him squarely in the conversation as a possible trade-deadline piece in March for a team looking for a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender.
What happens next depends on how he performs in what is expected to be a new role next season. For Blues fans, this could be either a last ride worth savoring or the end of the road they’ve been waiting for.
The blue line brings its own set of questions, starting with Colton Parayko. Last season was the worst of his career, and there is no margin for another one like it.
Former General Manager Doug Armstrong had a deal lined up with Buffalo to move on from No. 55, but Parayko blocked it. Now the hope is that he turns that loyalty into a bounce-back year in 2026-27 and finds his form again.
Philip Broberg is also stepping into a much bigger role. He is now the top defenseman on the blueline, taking over the kind of responsibility Parayko carried for years.
With a new extension in place and help coming in the form of Brandon Carlo and the impending arrival of Adam Jiricek, the burden should not fall entirely on Broberg’s shoulders. Even so, the question remains: can he handle the pressure in 2026-27?
Then there’s Jimmy Snuggerud, who is coming off a perfect rookie campaign and now has even more on his plate. He is expected to be one of the first-line wingers, and the Blues are counting on the trio of Snuggerud, Dylan Holloway and Robert Thomas to drive the offense while the rest of the roster takes shape around them.
With that kind of role, a 30-goal season - or even 40 - has to be part of the conversation for No. 21.
In Other News...
Blues New NHL Deal Just Reignited A Frustrating Broadcast Debate
The Blues latest broadcast move is less about changing what fans see than about changing who helps deliver it. St. Louis has announced a new partnership with the NHL to produce regional broadcasts for the team, and the expectation is that local and regional coverage will look much like it did last season. For fans who have gotten used to the current setup, the immediate takeaway is continuity, with games still set to remain available to non-local viewers through ESPN+.
What has made the deal worth watching, though, is what may come next for how the team is presented on air. A new subscription-based direct-to-consumer streaming option is slated to be unveiled at the start of the season, with the pricing and availability still to come, and that keeps the familiar broadcast debate alive for a fan base that has spent plenty of time wondering about the future of the booth. Under new GM Alex Steen, there is at least a sense that the door remains open to a different look and perhaps a different voice, even if the details are still waiting to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Fans Can Finally See Dvorskys Breakout Taking Shape
Dalibor Dvorskys path with the Blues is starting to look a lot clearer, and it has everything to do with the kind of roster help that can change a young players trajectory. Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael are the additions that could reshape the picture around him, giving St. Louis more options up front and, in turn, a better runway for Dvorsky to settle into a real NHL role instead of being asked to force his way into one.
The most likely opening still sounds like the third line on the wing, where he can ease in without being buried, but the season could move quickly if he plays well or if injuries create openings higher in the lineup. For Dvorsky, the bar for a meaningful step forward is no longer just about surviving the year, either, with a breakout now framed as a 20-goal type season and something closer to 50 points if everything starts clicking. [Read more 🡒]