The St. Louis Blues are heading toward their 59th NHL season, and with August winding down and September closing in, the attention around 2026-27 is starting to sharpen. There’s plenty still unknown about what this team will look like over the next 84 games, but one question stands out: which players are carrying the most pressure into the season?
A few Blues will feel that heat for different reasons - role, performance, or the simple reality that their future in St. Louis could hinge on what happens next.
Robert Thomas is the first name that jumps out. He is not going anywhere, and the Blues are not looking to move him.
That part is settled. The pressure on him comes from a different place: he has to keep driving the top line at a high level in 2026-27, especially after that group came together a little too late last season.
Thomas has long been the engine, and the Blues need that to continue.
He’s been one of the most consistent players on the roster for years, and that reliability is a big part of what makes him so important. But if there’s any wobble in his game, the Blues can’t afford it.
Joel Hofer is in a different kind of spotlight. He is expected to take over as the Blues’ next starting goalie in 2026-27, with Jordan Binnington sliding into the backup role. That’s a massive transition, and Hofer will be stepping into a job with serious expectations attached.
For Hofer, the margin for error is thin. He has to come into the season and avoid the kind of hiccups or uneven play that can swing games the wrong way.
The Blues’ defense in front of him should be a little better than it was a year ago, and that only raises the bar. He can’t be the reason losses pile up.
Then there’s Pavel Buchnevich, whose situation feels the most precarious of the three. The talk around him has already been building: he is not living up to the price tag on his contract, and his play has been trending in the wrong direction for a while.
If that slide continues, his time in St. Louis could be nearing its end.
Buchnevich may need to approach 2026-27 like every game could be his last with the Blues, because that possibility is very real. There are enough players waiting in the pipeline who would love a shot at his third-line spot and the chance to make enough noise to push the 31-year-old winger out.
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The Blues have added new talent as they try to push the roster forward, and that only sharpens the question around Buchnevichs long-term fit if his game does not rebound. For now, the organization appears focused on getting him back closer to the standard he set earlier in his time with the club, but the possibility of a future trade is hard to ignore when a veteran scorers role starts to look less certain. [Read more 🡒]