The St. Louis Blues are going to have a busy two weeks ahead of them. With just four points seperating them from the NHL Draft Lottery and the first-round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this is going to be hectic.
No, that is not an April Fool's Joke. The Blues, who were sellers at the deadline by ridding themselves of Justin Faulk and captain Brayden Schenn, are right on the doorstep of postseason hockey.
Buckle up, folks.
Who has stepped up?
Honestly, it has been a team effort from the Blues. The goaltending has been superb, the defensive end has been strict and fluid with consistency in both line-partners and performance, and the offense has never looked better. This team is firing on all cylinders following the Olympics, and they are reaping the benefits.
For a team that was very close to waiving the white flag on the 2025-26 season, and calling it quits until October, they are proving they are anything buy quitters. They might not be able to overcome that four-point deficit in the standings, but they are going to play like they belong there until the final game on April 15 against Utah.
To hand out some inidividual props, Jimmy Snuggerud and Philip Broberg jump off the page. Joel Hofer has also been stellar in net. Dalibor Dvorsky and Dylan Holloway have taken some strides this season and stepped up into high-expectations roles.
The future relies on the next two weeks
If the Blues make it into the playoffs, obviously they get a chance, though small, to compete for the Stanley Cup. Of course, hockey is such a unpredictable sport, any team can run the gauntlet, no matter what seed they entered in.
If they do not, there is a chance to get a top-overall pick. As seen with Macklin Celebrini of the Sharks, a first-overall pick can completely change a franchise around. Both Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg can fit that bill to whoever they get selected by.
With how many prospects are in the Blues pipeline, another high-end talent will catapult this franchise through this retool very quickly.