Expectations for the St. Louis Blues are at their highest since the 2021-22 season, the last time they made the playoffs until they broke their mini-drought in 2024-25. And when you look at the Blues on paper, they are a deep team, with sound point producers in the third line of their projected forward group.
As for defense and goaltending? It's a mixture of youngsters and seasoned veterans. For a team of the Blues' caliber, that is about the best combination you can ask for. So don't be surprised if this ultimate list of season predictions resides near the 'bold' category. Let's get started.
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Pavel Buchnevich | Robert Thomas | Jimmy Snuggerud |
Dylan Holloway | Brayden Schenn | Jordan Kyrou |
Jake Neighbours | Pius Suter | Mathieu Joseph |
Alexey Toropchenko | Nick Bjugstad | Nate Walker |
Left Defense | Right Defense | |
Cam Fowler | Colton Parayko | |
Philip Broberg | Justin Faulk | |
Tyler Tucker | Logan Mailloux |
How many points will the Blues end up with?
Projected Total: 98 points
Like their 96 points in 2024-25, 98 points will be enough for a second wild card spot unless someone behind them surges and snags 100 points. But the Utah Mammoth, Calgary Flames, and Anaheim Ducks, the other top contenders for the No. 2 spot in the wild card, look like they're another year away.
That should give the Blues a golden ticket into the playoffs, but even if they don't make it, 98 points is still better than what they got in 2024-25, and they should have nothing to be ashamed of if that happened.
Where will the Blues finish in the Central Division?
Projected Finish: 5th place
The Blues still don't have the same experience as a group like the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche. It's frustrating because they match these three teams in talent, and they already proved they could give them a run. They're just not quite there yet.
But the Blues will give the Minnesota Wild a serious run. If Minnesota still had the Kirill Kaprizov contract situation looming over them, then the Blues would have had a fourth-place projected finish. With the stability in St. Paul, however, it drops the Blues down a rung.
Player to watch
Jordan Kyrou is the league's most inconsistent 30-plus goal scorer. If he put up 36 goals every season and put the puck in the net almost every other game, nobody would complain about his inconsistent production.
But Kyrou will have a monster run followed by a cold streak, and that's why he still gets a bad rap despite his productivity looking good on paper. Now that the Blues have reinforcements in Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway in their first and second seasons, respectively, Kyrou's production should skyrocket.
Player to be concerned about
Justin Faulk's production has been on the decline for a while now, and he's heading into his age-33 season. Further, his job security on the second pairing is no longer secure, with an upstart Logan Mailloux ready to roll as the right-handed defenseman on the third pairing.
If Mailloux is hot out of the gate and Faulk stumbles, it won't be long until Jim Montgomery eases out Faulk and rolls with Mailloux for more ice time. This is a regular-season battle for ice time that could get one-sided quickly, but Blues fans probably won't complain, since it cost Zack Bolduc to get Mailloux.
Prospect to watch
Justin Carbonneau edges out Dalibor Dvorksy. If Carbonneau were a year or two older, he would have made the opening night lineup, but with 2025 being his draft year and the Blues looking to augment what they did in 2024-25, it made sense to send him back down to juniors.
That said, Carbonneau could be the best overall player in junior hockey this season, and if he keeps up his high-octane play that made him a preseason star, in camp and in the 2026 preseason, Carbonneau will be wearing the Blue Note.
Why fans can be optimistic
The Blues made the most impromptu coaching changes in 2024-25 and got better after Doug Armstrong shocked the league and brought in Jim Montgomery days after the Boston Bruins fired him. A playoff berth and near-upset of the Winnipeg Jets ensued.
Now, with a full offseason and preseason behind them, the Blues should pick up where they left off back in April. This team's retooling effort ended at least a year ahead of schedule, and they look like a deep, playoff caliber lineup. If their older veterans give them even serviceable play, the Blues are going to be scary come April 2026.