The St. Louis Blues head into a crucial season in 2025-26. Last season’s playoff appearance was certainly encouraging. Many didn’t pick the Blues to challenge for a postseason berth, but things went right, and the Blues made it.
Then, the club pushed the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets to the brink. The Blues came painfully close to knocking the Jets off. In the end, St. Louis’ first-round exit was more of a success than a failure.
But heading into this season, the Blues will be expected to make headway. The bar has been raised to the point where missing the playoffs would be a disaster. Moreover, a playoff miss could be the catalyst for a downward spiral.
Throughout last season and this offseason, rumors have surrounded the Blues trading key pieces like Jordan Kyrou and captain Brayden Schenn. The club has been right to hold onto them.
But what would happen if the wheels fall off the Blues this season? What if the Blues struggle much like the Nashville Predators did last season? Such a situation could trigger the club to blow things up.
While we’re not talking about a full-on rebuild, the temptation could be there to trade off assets and be a retooling process that could transform the Blues into one of the youngest clubs in the NHL.
It may seem like a far-fetched scenario. But given how some contending clubs are desperately looking to hold on, St. Louis would be remiss if they didn’t gouge distressed contenders.
St. Louis Blues could punt on season if things don’t go right
The St. Louis Blues will be looking to contend, not just for a playoff spot, but for a long playoff run. Like in 2019, there’s always the chance the club could surprise folks and ride its core to a deep postseason run.
But then again, the Blues may punt on the season if they find themselves in the bottom third of the standings by Thanksgiving. There’s a simple reason for that. This year’s draft class is believed to be one of the best in about a half-decade.
A finish in the bottom portion of the standings could set the Blues up for a miraculous move similar to the one the New York Islanders pulled off this offseason. The Isles moved from a middle-of-the-pack draft pick to winning the NHL Draft Lottery.
So, if the Blues finished within striking distance of the first overall pick, it wouldn’t be out of the question for St. Louis to land the top overall pick.
If such a scenario played out, the Blues could land coveted pick Gavin McKenna. McKenna, who’s projected to become one of the league’s best players, could become the franchise cornerstone in St. Louis.
So, a bad season could end up becoming a blessing in disguise for the Blues. Even if the team doesn’t land McKenna, there are plenty of other prospects who could make a sour season worthwhile for Blues fans.