The St. Louis Blues are giving their first-round selection the absolute best course of action for his future. And, the best part is that they don't have to do a single thing.
Justin Carbonneau has a very cloudy future ahead of him, but there is a good plan in place. There is an option of staying at the junior hockey level, returning to the QMJHL Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, or to take his talents to the NCAA level with Boston College giving him a look.
Either way, the Blues front office is confident that they are going to get back a valuable player who will be another building block for a championship. Carbonneau has already shown off the skill, let maturity take its course, and good things will happen.
Throw a hit, make a play, score a goal. We like Justin Carbonneau already. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/MBZQnqbwSm
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) July 2, 2025
Worth the wait
Even though the Blues are in a situation that they would like to win now, there is some wiggle room on the 2025-26 season. For all intents and purposes, this team stands a very good chance of making it back to the Playoffs, but if that was not going to happen, it would not be the worst thing in the world. Carbonneau might get his shot in the 2026-27 season, alongside a matured Jimmy Snuggerud and Robert Thomas.
The Blues can still very much win now, but letting this young kid grow up by making his own decision is a very smart play. It shows that General Manager Doug Armstrong has a fairly large amount of confidence in the up-and-comer. And he should have a ton of confidence in this kid being the next big thing.
There is no real downside to either path he chooses. Both the Junior Hockey level and the collegiate level offer a vast amount of competition and skill throughout. Carbonneau will be able to learn the skills he needs to reach the next level.