What we have thought for a good amount of the season finally came true on Saturday night, when the St. Louis Blues were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. This was a long time coming, but it was still a valiant effort from this group after they were labeled as being out a long time ago.
Since the Olympic Break, many thought that this team should have waved the white flag at the trade deadline and packed it in until next season. But instead, this squad decided to move on from the best defenseman to lace up the skates this season, and their captain, and put on an absolute show.
This season might not have been pretty, but these last five weeks have been nothing short of incredible hockey. With the Los Angeles Kings' victory, the Blues' fate was sealed long before their game with the Chicago Blackhawks expired, which was a 5-3 win.
They had a chance to go for broke, following the initial win over Colorado, but the loss in the second game of the home-and-home series with the Avs really sunk this team.
Onto the long summer
There are still a few more games left to play this week, as the 2025-26 season is not officially over. The Blues now shift toward development and evaluation of younger players and players who are up for a new contract. You should expect that a could of Springfield fringe NHLers get a callup in the next 24 hours or so, to give them a little more competition.
Once the season ends on April 15, against the Utah Mammoth, that will be it for this initial season with these new uniforms. Then, all eyes are on the NHL Draft lottery, the draft itself, and then the free agent frenzy.
Before next season begins, we are going to see this team either go for it all this offseason or stagger on purpose to give themselves one more offseason to catch up in both cap space and youth development. The pipeline is going to get a massive influx with Justin Carbonneau and Adam Jiricek joining Springfield, or potentially St. Louis, next season.
It was a good season, despite its unforuntate result. There is a lot to be happy about, and a lot to still hold a grudge on until October. Let's all enjoy the last few games and prepare for witnessing another team, possibly from the Central Division, lift the Stanley Cup in a few weeks.