The 2025-26 season is entering its "down the stretch" time, and the St. Louis Blues are running out of time. With two games left before the Olympics Break, with five players representing their home country, these next two months are going to go very fast.
With a record of 20-26-9 for 49 points, the Blues are 10 points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the second Wild Card spot. With 27 games remaining in the season, and only six games between now and the Trade Deadline, a lot of decisions have to be made quickly.
So, what does this team have to do in the next few months to try and give the hardcore fans some hope? How can they take this season filled with disappointment and give a glimmer of hope for the future?
Shut this season down, ship these players out
With the most recent 5-3 loss to Columbus, and their complete dominance on everything pertaining to stats despite losing, it is clear that this season is just not meant to be. Injuries, blowouts, and underwhelming play will be what is remembered about this season.
General Manager Doug Armstrong has to shut this season down and get ready to field all available calls on the current core group. Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, and Jordan Binnington should all be for sale to the highest bidder. Business is business, and the Blues need to completely overhaul this roster if they want to have any chance of a quick turnaround in 2026-27.
No need to tank
This upcoming draft class is a good one, might even call it a great one. But it is not something to completely tank your season over. The beauty of the NHL Draft lottery is that the Blues do not have to have the worst record in the NHL to grab that first overall selection, and that is what they should have in the back of their minds for the next 27 games.
Let these younger players play. Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Otto Stenberg have gotten some reps this season and flourished. Call up Adam Jiricek, let Justin Carbonneau get nine games of action to see what he is capable of, and try out Love Harenstam with the goaltending future in the balance.