We've barely started discussing what the St. Louis Blues should do this summer, and already we're looking ahead to the 2026 off season and what challenges they may face. With 10 (10!!) players' contracts ending on June 30, 2026, the Blues will have some critical decisions to make about their roster. How many players should they keep, and which ones should they move on from?
Four of the players whose contracts will be up are going to be restricted free agents (RFAs), and the remaining six will be unrestricted free agents (UFAs), so we'll break this article down accordingly. For this exercise, we're going to ignore players who spent most or all of the year in the AHL, as any contract renewals for those types of players would likely be close to league minimum anyway.
The RFAs
Zack Bolduc
It's the last year of Bolduc's entry-level contract (ELC), and it's very likely he re-ups with the Blues. At 22 years old, he's part of the Blues' next wave of young players they'll need to stay competitive, and it doesn't hurt that he can play either wing. Whether the Blues go for a long-term contract or a bridge deal next will depend on how Bolduc performs during the 2025-26 season.
Dylan Holloway
Holloway was a revelation this season, putting up 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games in his first year with the Blues, though injury unfortunately kept him sidelined during the playoffs. If he replicates (or improves!) his 2024-25 performance, the Blues will absolutely look to extend him--though it may cost them a pretty penny.
Philip Broberg
Like Holloway, Broberg had a great first season in St. Louis, registering eight goals and 29 points in 68 games and bringing a new element to the blue line corps. Broberg seems poised to take another step in 2025-26, which means the Blues will have to keep their cap sheet clean to get him under contract next summer.
Alexandre Texier
It will be interesting to see how the Blues handle Texier, as he's the oldest of next summer's RFA cohort. Texier didn't have the best season and is the oldest of next summer's RFA cohort; perhaps the Blues won't extend a qualifying offer and he'll walk in the off season. Or, more likely, the Blues and Texier reach an agreement on a 1-year deal that walks Texier to unrestricted free agency. Texier's performance this season will determine how the Blues handle him.
The UFAs
Cam Fowler
Fowler's future with the Blues will be a difficult decision for them make: he was great with them after being traded from the Anaheim Ducks, but he'll be 34 when his contract expires. The Blues have first-hand experience with expensive defensemen on the wrong side of 30, and it's difficult to know when/if Fowler will fall off. A short-term deal would be ideal for the Blues, but Fowler may want term they're uwilling to offer.
Nick Leddy
If Nick Leddy doesn't get bought out this summer, his contract will finally be off the Blues' books. There's little chance the Blues seek to re-sign him, as Leddy will be 35 and is clearly not the player he was.
Nathan Walker
An extremely fun bottom-sixer who came alive in the playoffs, re-signing Walker to a low-AAV deal seems like a no-brainer next summer. However, he'll be 32, and the Blues do have some younger players and prospects that will (hopefully) be pushing for ice time. We'd understand if the Blues decided to keep Walker on, but a friendly departure seems more likely considering our next UFA.
Alexei Toropchenko
He'll turn 27 next summer, but that makes Toropchenko the youngest pending UFA currently on the Blues' roster. He's an adequate bottom six player and young enough to stick with the Blues through their retool.
Oskar Sundqvist
Yet another bottom-six player due a new contract, Sundqvist will be 32 next summer--and it seems unlikely the Blues will retain his services, since some of the prospects will hopefully be in position to take over the third-line center role as full-time NHLers.
Mathieu Joseph
Joseph is certainly underwhelmed this season, given his cap hit, and he'll be 29 next summer. Is it possible the Blues retain him as a bottom-sixer? Sure, but certainly not as his $2.95-million AAV; if he wants to stay in St. Louis, Joseph will likely have to take quite a discount.
Predicting contracts a year out is a fool's errand, but it is helpful to see what sort of position the Blues will be in during free agency next year when quite a few big names could be on the market. St. Louis will have the cap space to make a splash if they choose, just as some of the youth movement becomes NHL regulars.