The writing was on the wall for the St. Louis Blues. Despite their win on Saturday over the Chicago Blackhawks, the path to the playoffs was far too long.
While there are still three games left on the docket, the organization’s attention will turn to address three burning questions this offseason.
Let’s get into them.
Will the Blues trade Robert Thomas?
This has to be the biggest question on the offseason agenda. Robert Thomas has been the subject of ridiculous speculation this season. His name was splattered all over NHL rumors leading up to the trade deadline.
We’ve covered Thomas trade rumors in depth here on Bleedin’ Blue. But the question we have not been able to answer is whether Thomas will actually be traded this offseason.
The short answer is yes. But that comes with a caveat. Thomas stays put unless a team can come up with a massive offer that would knock the Blues’ socks off.
Otherwise, the team is actually better off keeping Thomas. It will be interesting to see what happens leading up to the 2026 NHL Draft. If Thomas isn’t moved by then, it’s likely he at least starts the season in St. Louis.
Who will be the starting goaltender in 2026-27?
That’s a tougher question to answer. Joel Hofer made a case this season to get into camp next year as the starter. It will be incumbent on Jordan Binnington to prove that he should be the starter.
But if the Blues are committed to Hofer as the starter, wouldn’t it make sense for the club to trade Binnington?
That will be another question that should get an answer as the offseason unfolds for the Blues. There should be some interest in Binnington. But it would be quite tough to envision the organization getting the sort of return it would like for the veteran netminder.
Like Thomas, Binnington likely gets traded leading up to the NHL Draft. If he doesn’t, he could start the year in St. Louis. If he does, Binnington will be one of the early names on the trade block.
Should the Blues trade their 1st-round picks?
The Blues have three first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. As it stands, the Blues hold their own, which is 8th overall. They also hold the Detroit Red Wings’ pick, the one that came in the Justin Faulk deal. That’s 15th overall at the moment. St. Louis also holds Colorado’s first-rounder, which is 31st overall at this point. That one came via the New York Islanders in the Brayden Schenn trade.
With that in mind, should the Blues trade their first-round picks?
There could be two answers to that. The Blues could target moving up in the draft. For instance, they could swap picks with the Calgary Flames, who are slated to pick 3rd. The Flames have two first-rounders, swapping their own pick, in exchange for St. Louis’ three first-rounders, would give them four in the first round.
That’s a deal that could help the Flames and give the Blues a chance to draft a high-impact prospect.
The other option would be to trade the 8th overall pick for a nice haul. Various teams out there might be willing to put a solid deal to get into the top 10.
Trading down in the first round, plus the additional two picks, could still give the Blues plenty of ammo for a strong retool-rebuild moving forward.
It’s still a bit too early to tell. But these burning questions should come into focus in the coming weeks.