As part of TheHockeyNews.com's current series ranking the off-seasons of every NHL team, we're focusing today's article on team No. 3 – the St. Louis Blues.
The St. Louis Blues have struggled to find their footing in the Central Division over the past few seasons.
Since their remarkable 2019 Stanley Cup championship, the Blues have only won two playoff series, and in three of the past four seasons, they’ve missed out on the post-season altogether.
However, the Blues are now in a new era with Alexander Steen taking over as general manager. And in TheHockeyNews.com’s series rating every team’s off-season, the Blues rank third.
Rankings criteria includes roster departures and arrivals, contract extensions and coaching and/or GM changes.
While Steen is replacing veteran GM Doug Armstrong, the Blues are still Armstrong’s team in many regards. While it will be difficult for them to earn a playoff berth in the ultra-competitive Central, Steen and Armstrong have pulled off a number of impressive roster changes this summer.
Let’s analyze the Blues' additions and subtractions from the off-season and discuss where their competitive future stands.
Arrivals:
Mason McTavish (C), Connor McMichael (C), Brandon Carlo (D), Ross Johnston (LW)
At a time when quality NHL centers are hard to come by, Steen and Armstrong went out and gave themselves great depth down the middle. That starts with former Anaheim Ducks pivot Mason McTavish, who has five years left on a very affordable contract paying him $7 million per season.
McTavish joins Robert Thomas, Pius Suter and Dalibor Dvorsky as the team's group of centers. That list doesn't even include Connor McMichael, who was acquired from the Washington Capitals in the Jordan Kyrou blockbuster and has the flexibility to play up the middle or on the wing. That’s extremely-valuable depth at one of the most important positions.
Elsewhere, the Blues added to their depth on the back end and on the flanks by landing former Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner Brandon Carlo and former Ducks winger Ross Johnston. But the key move was for McTavish – a player who may not be a superstar, but someone who can help St. Louis’ cause. As a whole, the Blues have created a better-balanced squad.
Departures:
Jordan Kyrou (RW), Jonathan Drouin (LW), Matthew Kessel (D)
Parting ways with Jordan Kyrou – who had three straight seasons with at least 30 goals before his falling to 18 goals and 46 points last year – doesn’t feel like a big win for the Blues.
However, Kyrou seemingly fell out of favor with head coach Jim Montgomery, with his ice time dropping by nearly two minutes last season. The Blues also just needed a shake-up, meaning someone of consequence had to go. By doing so, they converted Kyrou’s cap space into McTavish’s contract. That’s a win.
Otherwise, Drouin and Kessel were bit parts for this Blues team. St. Louis management has made a calculated gamble by sticking with largely the same lineup, and if the Blues can take a step forward this season, nobody is going to have any qualms with Steen choosing to part ways with Kyrou.
There still could be veterans moved out, and goaltender Jordan Binnington stands out as a candidate considering he is entering the final season of his contract. However, Steen is starting out his management era by mostly doubling down on the talent this Blues organization actually has.
There was no choice but to materially change things up, and there will be patience shown toward St. Louis' youngsters before Steen gives up on them.
The Bottom Line:
It was always going to be a challenge for the Blues to put together an off-season that would suggest they could contend against Central powerhouses like the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars.
However, St. Louis now has a fighting chance against them. So long as they get solid goaltending from Binnington and Joel Hoefer, the Blues can be competitive against virtually any opponent.
On top of good goaltending, St. Louis needs their youngsters like Dylan Holloway, Jake Neighbours, and Jimmy Snuggerud to continue evolving upward. They don’t have the full roster depth that will preserve them through tough times with injuries, but that’s true of most teams.
For now, this Blues lineup has the potential to surprise some people next year, and a playoff spot isn’t out of the question in 2026-27.
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