The NHL schedule makers sure didn't make things easy on the St. Louis Blues. While everyone in the league is going to feel the exhaustion of an 84-game regular season, the Blues are starting 2026-27 off in a way that's really going to test them: their first three games are all on the road, and the first two are a back-to-back. That's difficult for any team kicking off a new season.
Then, you look at the opponents--and it's a scary sight.
The terrifying back-to-back
Up first is the Dallas Stars, who may've lost earlier in the Stanley Cup playoffs last year than many assumed, but they are still a formidable team--even as the Jason Robertson contract talks continue to drag on. They've already lost one young player in Mavrik Bourque due to salary cap constraints, and they're likely going to need to shed another contract or two to get Robertson's deal done, but don't let that fool you: they're still one of the best teams in the league.
The very next night, the Blues get the actual best team of the 2025-26 season: the President's Trophy winners themselves, the Colorado Avalanche. Like Dallas, they had to shed some contracts to stay cap compliant, but their center depth should be the envy of the league: Nathan MacKinnon, Nazem Kadri and Brock Nelson are all outstanding players. On the backend, Cale Makar is still one of the best defensemen in the league, and the "lumber yard" in net (Scott Wedgewood and MacKenzie Blackwood) should be good enough to keep the Avs in every game.
A get right game?
In their final road game to start the season, the Blues will face the Chicago Blackhawks. They still don't look like a great team on paper, and look worse with Connor Bedard out to begin the season due to injury troubles, but internal improvement from other young players on their roster could give the Blues fits--especially after that grueling back-to-back in games one and two. Still, here's hoping they finish the road trip strong.
The Blues will have to show up on time when the season begins. No slow starts like those that've plagued them in recent years. If they step up, it could bode well for the remaining 81 games; if they stumble, maybe we'll see a coaching change.
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