For the first time in three seasons, the St. Louis Blues were back in the playoffs and while it was short-lived with a first-round exit against the Winnipeg Jets, it was a sign that the team is heading in the right direction. The question now is, if they aren't able to build off that success, does it force them to go back to the drawing board?
The reason the Blues were able to get back to the playoffs was an incredible run to finish the season, where they won 12 straight and finished the regular season 13-2-1 to earn one of those Wild Card spots. However, the season was far from perfect, and that run to finish the season was the only reason they ended their playoff drought.
It has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Blues as they didn't have much cap space to improve the roster. The trade of Zack Bolduc for Logan Mailloux will probably define the offseason, and if that trade doesn't work out, it will be one that fans will want to forget.
If the St. Louis Blues struggle, they may be forced into a semi-rebuild
If the St. Louis Blues struggle to begin the season, it may force general manager Doug Armstrong into a rebuild. This won't be a complete overhaul but he will need to be strategic in the moves he makes because the focus will be to create some much-needed cap space.
According to Spotrac, the Blues right now have only roughly $625,000 in cap space and $32 million next season. While next year's total might seem like a lot, it ranks only 18th in the NHL, and other teams will be able to spend much more and attract better free agents next summer.
The Blues have a good core of young players to build around like Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbors while having one of the best coaches in the league in Jim Montgomery. They have some great foundational pieces, and that is why it might not be a multi-year rebuild.
However, with the way they are up against the cap, it could require making some tough choices during the season if they struggle. One of those might be trading Brayden Schenn, who has been with the Blues for eight seasons now and helped them win their only Stanley Cup.
At 33 years old and with two more years left on his contract after this season, he is a player who could generate interest around the league at the trade deadline. How the Blues start the season will determine if they are sellers this season, but if they have a slow start, it might be worth moving some players who are not long-term answers to help create cap space to move them from a playoff bubble team to a true contender.