The 2026-27 season for the St. Louis Blues might be the most entertaining year of hockey in quite a while. Even with few expectations of making the playoffs, there is still a ton to pay attention to next season.Â
There are new acquisitions to witness, blossoming young hockey players trying to make a name for themselves, and a change in net that could usher in a new franchise goaltender.Â
A new General Manager is also at the head of the table, and with that comes a new directive for this team. Does Alexander Steen have a new set of expectations for this Blues team?Â
So many questions for a newly released 84-game gauntlet, further proving how awesome next season will be.Â
All eyes on the youthÂ
The Blues have an influx of prospects and young talent that are going to be flooding this organization in 2026-27. Justin Carbonneau and Adam Jiricek are near locks to make it on the roster at some point next season, with a few more as possibles. The under-25 core group is going to be a focus, and the training wheels are now off for them.
Everyone else who will be called up has a little bit of leeway, but not a bunch, considering that there are about three or four more players behind them who are looking for a chance at breaking into the NHL. Talk about dog eat dog.
How often will Steen provide inputÂ
This is the first official year of Alexander Steen in the General Manager's chair. He got his tenure started with some solid moves this offseason, and on paper, it looks like it will work out. Now comes the part where we all witness the result. And if things do not go the way that we all plan for it to go, and the Blues start to really disappoint, how will Steen respond?
There are a few things that he has control over, but expect head coach Jim Montgomery to have a lot of time to make this right. Steen will not pull the plug on him this season, nor for the rest of his current deal set to run out at the end of the 2028-29 season.
Fans should be excited, even for subpar hockey
Ultimately, this is going to be a very fun team to watch in 2026-27. Win or lose, it will be a learning experience that has a possible upside of being a sneaky playoff team. The idea here is to focus on how the prospects adapt to the NHL and evaluate their long-term value.
The Blues will soon be a Stanley Cup window, and with the younger players being in the majority, it could be a lengthy timeframe to win. That is the goal here, and it all starts with this exciting team in 2026-27.
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