The 2026-27 St. Louis Blues are shaping up to be one of the most interesting teams the franchise has put on the ice in years. The playoff expectations may not be sky-high, but there’s still plenty here to keep fans locked in from start to finish.
This is the kind of season that comes loaded with moving parts. New additions will get their chance to settle in, young players will push to carve out real NHL roles, and the situation in goal could point the way toward a new franchise netminder.
There’s also a new voice running the show. Alexander Steen is in his first official season as general manager, and that changes the tone around the organization.
He already made some solid moves this offseason, and on paper, the setup looks promising. Now the real test begins.
The most compelling part of this roster is the wave of youth coming through. Justin Carbonneau and Adam Jiricek are close to being roster locks at some point during the season, and there are a few more prospects in the mix as well.
The under-25 group is going to be a major focus, and the margin for error is getting smaller. For the players trying to break through, it’s basically a fight for every opening.
That competition only gets tighter when you look at the names waiting behind them. There are three or four more players who are also trying to force their way into the NHL picture, which makes the battle for call-ups a real dog eat dog situation.
Steen’s role will be worth watching too. If the season goes sideways, how he reacts will matter. But head coach Jim Montgomery should have plenty of runway to work with, because Steen is not expected to pull the plug on him this year, or for the rest of Montgomery’s current deal, which runs through the end of the 2028-29 season.
Even if the hockey isn’t always clean, this should still be a team worth watching. There’s a chance the Blues surprise people and sneak into the playoff conversation, but the bigger mission is development. The focus is on how the prospects adjust to the NHL and what kind of long-term value they can bring.
The bigger picture is clear enough: the Blues are moving toward a Stanley Cup window, and this roster is starting to tilt younger. That makes 2026-27 feel like the beginning of something bigger, and maybe the most entertaining step in the process.
In Other News...
Blues MVP Debate Is No Longer Just About Robert Thomas
Robert Thomas has long been the obvious answer whenever the Blues most valuable player conversation comes up, and for good reason. He has been the sort of steady center around whom the roster has been built, but the outlook for 2026-27 suggests the debate could get a little more interesting if St. Louis younger core keeps taking shape the way the organization hopes.
Jimmy Snuggerud is expected to skate with Thomas and get first-line minutes, Joel Hofer is lined up to take over in goal, and Philip Broberg is moving into a bigger role on the blue line. Thomas still looks like a strong MVP candidate, but the point is no longer whether he matters most. It is whether the next wave of Blues talent can make a real case to share, or even steal, that spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Pavel Buchnevich Enters A Make Or Break Year For The Blues
Pavel Buchnevich arrives at next season at something of a crossroads for the Blues, with his game no longer looking quite as sharp as it did before his move out of New York. St. Louis still views him as a candidate to anchor the second line, but the margin for error is getting slimmer as the club tries to sort out its forward mix and decide which players fit its long-term plan.
The pressure around him is only growing because the Blues have other options pushing for those same minutes, including younger forwards Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael. Add in the wave of prospects waiting in the wings, and Buchnevich is not just trying to hold a job, he is trying to re-establish himself as a player the Blues can trust in a meaningful role. [Read more 🡒]