The St. Louis Blues returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025 after failing to qualify in the previous two seasons.
The path is there for them to continue their upward rise in the 2025-26 season, but while there are best-case scenarios for the Blues, there are also a few possible scenarios that could derail their season.
Leaking Oil
The Blues took a big swing (or two) last offseason by signing not one but two players to offer sheets away from the Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers. With the Oilers in a salary conundrum, the Blues lured both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to St. Louis with offer sheets.
Holloway broke out in a big way last season. He scored 26 goals with 37 assists for 63 points in 77 games. But that was with a 14.6% shooting clip after shooting at 9% through his first two seasons. While Holloway definitely won't revert to the 18 points in 89 games he had during his two years with the Oilers, the Blues are relying on him to continue to put up 50 or 60 points -- if not more.
Broberg also played a big role for the Blues, averaging 20:30 per game while putting up 29 points in 68 games. As one of the youngest members of the Blues' defensemen, an iffy season from Broberg could set them back.
Blue Line Blues
Broberg isn't the only defenseman that the Blues may need to worry about.
It's also possible that newcomer Logan Mailloux takes some time to get acclimated to his new team. He's played just eight NHL games in his career, including seven last season. He did put up 33 points (12 goals, 21 assists) in 63 games for the Laval Rocket in the AHL, though.
The rest of the Blues defensemen are on the downside of their prime. Colton Parayko, Justin Faulk, and Cam Fowler are all in their 30s and could continue to wear down. The mix and match could work, or it could turn out disastrous for the Blues.
Crease Conundrum
While it appears that the Blues should be set between the pipes for the rest of the decade, goaltenders are a fickle breed.
We all know how volatile Jordan Binnington can be, going from a .901 SV% in 2021-22 to .894 in 2-22-23. And for as much as we want to believe in Joel Hofer, he's still only played 69 NHL games with a career save percentage of .907.
The crease could very well be a strong spot for the Blues, but if things start going downhill, it could go from bad to worse quickly.