The top six for the St. Louis Blues is expected to be a fantastic focus for the 2026-27 season. There is already a pretty good understanding of who will be on it, as it has really come down to four names, with the top line of Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud already established.
Mason McTavish, Connor McMichael, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jake Neighbours are the other four names battling for the second-line trio of positions. This bunch would be a deadly second line, but training camp will be where that is decided.
For both McTavish and McMichael, they should be locks in the top six. The battle between them will be for who ends up as the center, and who goes to the wing. No matter what, their additions will have a direct impact on this upcoming season and beyond.
Let's talk about why?
Two big additions to the young core
The Blues rid themselves of some older players in exchange for making room for a youth movement. Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou were tossed out, and now it will be McTavish and McMichael replacing them. The upside here is that they fit directly into this core that is all under the age of 25, besides Thomas.
Both McTavish and McMichael come to the Blues and check off a bunch of different boxes that this team desperately needed. Speed, grit, and 200 feet of effort fit these two perfectly, and we all know that this has been the Blues' playstyle forever. From the jump, and for a long time ahead, these two will be x-factors on a nightly basis.
Two players looking for redemption
Both McTavish and McMichael both ran out of room with their old clubs. McTavish was a key part of the Anaheim Ducks, but their speedy prospect pool of Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke blew right by him. McMichael had a legitimate shot at remaining with the Washington Capitals, but they obviously needed the goal-scoring from Kyrou a little bit more.
Now, with St. Louis as their new home, and this fanbase rallying behind them, it is time for redemption. Both of them are capable of hitting 50+ points, and that is certainly the expectation for them in their first go-around with the Blues. If both of them can hit the ground running in 2026-27, they will be a big part of the future success that this roster has, and can be a solid supporting class for that great first line.
Add us as a preferred source on Google