Yeah, the Blues could have an 82-game power play ready to roll for the 2025-26 season, given their sheer lack of free agents. Looking at Puck Pedia, they got just three - Radek Faksa, Ryan Suter, and Joel Hofer. Plus, with Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky figuring to creep up onto the big club, the Blues could essentially put the same team onto the ice next year.
Some might not like the idea, but to be real, it ain’t half-bad. This group earned a trip to the playoffs, and they got hotter as the season progressed. Heck, if I were Doug Armstrong, I’m bringing back Radek Faksa and Joel Hofer (RFA), while keeping Ryan Suter on standby.
I’m all for upgrading the team, but stability helps in those early months. And why try to fix something that has only gotten better? It’d be one thing if the Blues had a season like their Central Division brethren, the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota started hot but steadily declined as the 2024-25 campaign went on.
Blues can ride out the summer of 2025, knowing they have chemistry
One reason the Blues fared so well late in the year came from their built-in chemistry. You saw it unfold throughout the 2025 calendar year, and it gave us a snapshot of what’s coming in October. Now, add Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky to the forward mix, and one defenseman to replace Suter, and you have primarily the same team from 2024-25.
It might sound counterintuitive to some, especially since the Blues didn’t make it past Round 1 in the playoffs. But it’s also a team that’s nowhere near its ceiling, and one that will take that playoff loss to Winnipeg as a learning experience. Besides, it’s not like they lost by much, either.
This isn’t to say that Doug Armstrong won’t, or shouldn’t, make any moves and go through a do-nothing July. If he sees an opportunity that, beyond the shadow of a doubt, will make this team better, he needs to take it. What I’m saying is, if there are no solid opportunities out there, going with essentially the same team we saw in 2024-25 will work to their advantage.
When to make the inevitable splash
If, by any chance, the Blues see an ailment in the lineup, they can always upgrade with an in-season trade. And they don’t need to wait until the trade deadline to make it happen. So, if I were Doug Armstrong, I’d see what the team can do early, then see if there are any opportunities to be had, and, if not, go into the season with the team I got.
Back in February, I never would’ve said this, as it seemed like the Blues had way too many gaping holes to fill. Fast-forward to early June, and this team has a whole new outlook. That said, if you don’t see many (or any) new faces on the ice in October sans incoming prospects, know that it’s a good team about to get even better.
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