The St. Louis Blues are hovering around the bottom of the Western Conference standings, sporting a 3-4-1 record and seven points. They're second from the bottom in the Central Division, one point ahead of the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, and their season could be in jeopardy without a goaltending change in the immediate future. This week, they start a five game homestand, which could give them a chance to right the ship--but the first three games are going to be doozies.
vs. Winnipeg Jets, 10/20
Hellebuyck who?? The Jets have gotten off to a surprisingly strong start with their petulant star goaltender on the sidelines (though his suspension will end later this week). Stuart Skinner's been perfectly fine as the team's starter, and Clay Stevenson hasn't been too shabby himself in the backup role. Winnipeg's 4-2-2 on the season and sit fourth in the Central, though they've lost their last two games. For the Blues, this is their "easiest" matchup of the week--and perhaps their most important if they want to make progress up the standings before October's over. St. Louis needs their best players to show up at some point but, in the meantime, Pavel Buchnevich can do some of the heavy lifting.
vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 10/22
The Golden Knights benefit from playing in the godawful Pacific Division, and their 8-2-0 record reflects how easy they've had it--their most challenging opponent so far has been the Minnesota Wild (though tonight, they do face the Tampa Bay Lightning). The Knights are first in the Pacific, as a result of the cushy schedule. Still, we're talking about a team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final last season, so they're not a team to take lightly: they've got star power at the top in Jack Eichel (who has 18 points in 10 games), while Mark Stone isn't far behind with 14 points (and a team-leading seven goals). Adin Hill appears to be having a rebound season in net, having won all four of his starts and sporting a .906 SV%. This will be a difficult match for the Blues--but perhaps Saturday's game will be harder still.
vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 10/24
In a quirk of the NHL schedule, the Blues get both Stanley Cup finalists in a row--this time against the champs themselves. The Canes are 7-2-1 on the season and tied for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Rangers, of all teams. Carolina's got a good shot to repeat as champions again this season, considering they've brought back almost an identical roster and Pyotr Kochetkov appears to be taking the reins as the team's starting netminder after an injury-plauged 2025-26. The Blues will not be the favorites in this matchup, but maybe the Hurricanes can leave their young, un-signed defenseman behind as a parting gift.
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