The St. Louis Blues lost to the Dallas Stars in their opening game of the preseason, 2-1. Jordan Binnington was in net, and the NHL probables included Pius Suter, Alexey Toropchenko, Ross Johnston, and Jordan Binnington.
There were a couple of key things to take away from the first game of the set that don’t count for anything. Let’s go over them here.
Roster spots get clearer
The opening night roster just got a lot clearer after the first game. The NHL regulars were shining pretty well, outside of Johnston, who was a bit underwhelming in his Blues debut. The fringe players like Theo Lindstein, Zach Dean, and Justin Carbonneau all contributed nicely and made some great strides.
Otto Stenberg showed that he needs more time, and the AHL is going to be a permanent home for him in 2026-27. He was certainly one of the most disappointing members of the prospect group. Despite scoring the lone goal for the Blues, it was a so-so showing for Aleksanteri Kaskimaki.
Get a look at this wicked shot from Aleksanteri Kaskimaki. #stlblues pic.twitter.com/ip6vK4yap0
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) September 20, 2026
Maddox Dagenais had a nice first impression, and now he can take that experience back with him to the QMJHL this season. Dylan Peterson highlighted the grittiness group, and now Nathan Walker has just become a little more expendable.
Going into game two, things are starting to clear up.
Set the tone
The Blues are embracing their bigger group of forwards and really laid the boom on Dallas. In particular, with this hit from Toropchenko, who absolutely nailed Stars defenseman Jakub Vaněček.
Welcome to the NHL, Jakub Vaněček.
— Robert Tiffin (@RobertTiffin) September 20, 2026
(Dallas to the power play.) pic.twitter.com/X8MZzrgtr9
There was a lot of scrum and tenacity displayed on the ice, and the future is blooming with those who embrace physicality. This Blues team is going to be a bruising bunch, and there is a fair amount of skill to go along with it.
Nice to see hockey back
Despite the losing effort and now growing concern for Binnington for this upcoming season, it was nice to see some Blues hockey. This was a good starting point for this team and for these prospects that this franchise has entirely shifted themselves for.
As the preseason continues, there will be more and more NHL regulars appearing in games. The opening night lineup is getting closer and closer to becoming clearer. Until then, this first game has come and gone, with hopes still intact.
Buckle up, folks, Blues hockey is back in action. Let's see how far this team can improve from this opening loss.
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