The Blues may’ve lost in Round 1, but they earned the right to be considered one of the Western Conference’s top eight teams heading into 2025-26 if they keep finding ways to improve. Their performance was legendary at times against a netminder who may walk away with yet another Vezina Trophy.
But, since they ultimately didn’t sneak past the Jets, there’s still work to be done and I got three moves I would make in the offseason to keep things trending north. One of them is something just about every fan in St. Louis would agree with, while the second point could be overlooked.
As for Action Item No. 3, well, that one’s gonna stir some controversy. But be sure to read me out on it before jumping to any foregone conclusions. It might just make sense.
1 - Make room for prospects ready to move up
I have Dalibor Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud in mind, both of whom enjoyed some encouraging showings this season. Dvorsky impressed through a limited role while Snuggerud finished the seven-game series against the Jets with four points, two goals, and a plus-2 across 17:05 of average total ice time.
Dvorsky should take a larger role next season, even if he doesn’t end up making the big club out of the gate. Snuggerud should be a shoo-in, thanks to his production and willingness to land more than a few body checks at a time when the stakes ran high.
Sure, there will be temptation to bring in an experienced veteran, but if I’m Doug Armstrong, I’m still sticking with the retooling plan set in place. The Blues will be a better team overall next season, and Snuggerud could be a 40-50-point player in what will be his first full season.
2 - Find a consistent, two-way defenseman
The Blues have some good, productive defensemen like Cam Fowler, Colton Parayko, and Justin Faulk, while Philip Broberg is the up-and-comer. Still, Fowler, Parayko, and Faulk are on the wrong side of 30, and it’s a mystery whether Ryan Suter or Torey Krug (missed all season) will return. Nick Leddy is probably the most likely name to be moved, and he’s 34.
So, a younger, consistent two-way defenseman is a must while those brewing in the prospects pool continue to develop. If there’s one player I’d target if I were St. Louis, it’d be Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres.
Byram just completed his age-23 season in Buffalo and put up seven goals with 31 assists for 38 points. He garnered a plus-11 and showed a prowess for blocking shots, having put up 116 this past season. Byram finally showed off durability, appearing in all 82 games this past season.
3 - Trade Jordan Binnington
Surprised? Don’t be. This ain’t a knock on Jordan Binnington, and he should go somewhere for a ransom - I’m thinking Detroit. This is more of me screaming my faith in Joel Hofer, whose 0.904 save percentage, 2.64 GAA, and 0.643 quality starts percentage in 31 games shows me he’s more than ready to slide in as the No. 1 goaltender.
Trading Binnington also frees up cap space, so players like Hofer can get an extension, along with Radek Faksa (very underrated season), plus Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg - both become eligible in the offseason.
It would be a tough trade to make, considering how well Binnington played. But we also need to remember he’s heading into his age-32 season next year, and a player like Hofer will give the Blues a good seven seasons in the net, if not longer.
Trading Binnington would without a doubt be a controversial move since he’s still a good player, but it’s one that, in hindsight, will be something Blues fans will look back on and rightfully say was necessary. If Hofer wasn’t ready to take the next step, I’d say hold on to Binnington, but he played too well this season to keep him primarily on the bench much longer.