The Central Division of the Western Conference is such a ferocious and tenacious bunch of teams and should be regarded as the most competitive in all of the NHL. The St. Louis Blues are a part of that group, and they have been in the middle of it for the past few seasons.
With a newer and younger-looking roster set to take the ice in October, the 2026-27 Blues are going to have a similar placement to years before. Or, will they?
Let's try and gauge where they stand with the rest of their divison rivals.
Can Blues beat out one of the "big three"?
Colorado, Dallas, and Minnesota have been the "big three" of this division for quite some time, with Winnipeg also being in that mix. However, their fall from the top of the Central to the bottom is really a historic feat.
The Blues have not been able to crack the top three finishers of this division since the 2021-22 season, in which they ended the year in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That is likely going to remain the same for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, but keep your eyes on the 2028-29 campaign.
Players like Adam Jiricek, Justin Carbonneau, Otto Stenberg, Tynan Lawrence, Maddox Deganais, and Colin Ralph will be some mainstays on this roster. Plus, a more experienced Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky might be the two-headed snake of the veteran group.
By then, Colorado could be on its way down the mountain, potentially in an "Avalanche". That gives St. Louis some room in the "big three".
Utah and Chicago on the rise?
With the Blues being on the rise in a few years, there are a few other teams that are also on their way up. Nashville is a potential here, but their roster is very mysterious in terms of trajectory versus another rebuild upcoming.
Utah and Chicago are the other teams that could rival the Blues' promotion within the division. Specifically, Utah. They have used this rebranding to become one of the fastest and most exciting teams to watch, and they are also starting to dip into their future stars as well.
Chicago has Connor Bedard, and that should tell you that they will be a solid team for a long time. It is a matter of time before another Stanley Cup final runs through "The Windy City".
Prediction?
For the 2026-27 season, the Blues are going to be a likely fifth-place finisher among the eight teams. Colorado will finish first, once again, followed by Minnesota and Utah rounding out the top three. Dallas will break in as the wildcard, leaving the Blues at No. 5.
Powered by their first-line combination of Snuggerud, Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway, it will stack up nicely against the rest of the divison rivals.
The emphasis on development will determine how close they are to being a playoff regular. If they can finish within a handful of points of a playoff spot, as they did in 2025-26, then the foundation is there.
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