Ten St. Louis Blues Players To Keep An Eye On As 2026-27 Training Camp Opens Thursday

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- On the eve of training camp for their 59th season in the NHL, the St. Louis Blues have a plethora of players that you will want to keep an eye on for one reason or another as camp progresses.

Let’s take a look at my top 10:

1. Mason McTavish – For obvious reasons, the Blues’ biggest acquisition this past off-season when they acquired the 23-year-old from the Anaheim Ducks on Day 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft for a pair of 2026 first-round picks, McTavish comes in with plenty to prove, plenty of motivation and a huge chip on his shoulder, like he disclosed here recently.

McTavish will come in and be given the keys as the No. 2 center behind Robert Thomas and will be a driving force whether the Blues will have the ability to put forth two strong top two lines on the ice behind Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud top line.

McTavish said he’s worked on his power skating this past summer that should affect his defensive awareness on the ice. That will be something to look for from the get-go. I expect him to be highly motivated after being cast off the island in Orange County, Calif. Just one year after signing a six-year, $42 million ($7 million average annual value) contract.

2. Connor McMichael – Another top acquisition by the Blues this past summer, acquired from the Washington Capitals for a package that sent Jordan Kyrou to the nation’s capital.

It’s going to be human nature for Blues fans to look at the 25-year-old as the guy that needs to replace Kyrou’s production since he is the one that was traded for him, but what I will be looking for is if McMichael can fit onto that second line next to McTavish and bring with him similar numbers (57 points; 26 goals, 31 assists) that he put up two seasons ago.

McMichael has speed and plays with some sandpaper and grit and has a cutting edge to his game and the Blues are banking on him getting back to that after investing in him on July 16 with a six-year, $40.50 million ($6.75 million AAV) contract.

3. Pavel Buchnevich – Which Buchnevich will come out for the Blues this season, the one who first came to St. Louis five years ago and averaged over a point per game (76 points in 73 games) in 2021-22 or the one that struggled mightily at times last season but came on strong in the end to reach the 20-goal marker for the sixth straight season?

What I’m going to watch for is if Jim Montgomery puts Buchnevich on that second line with McMichael and McTavish, and if he does, it will be because the 31-year-old will have earned it.

McTavish and Jake Neighbours have a history together playing for Team Canada, so that’s a possibility but my sense is Buchnevich will get first dibs on that right wing in the hopes of jump-starting his offense early.

Buchnevich’s six-year, $48 million contract ($8 million AAV) kicks in this season, so there will be more pressure on him to perform to the standards the Blues paid him at, and if he can find that stout two-way play of his and play between the dots, success should follow him.

4. Robert Thomas – Now that Thomas has bought into new GM Alex Steen’s concept and vision for the Blues moving forward and was recently named the 25th captain in franchise history, this should be another player hungry and motivated.

Can Thomas anchor that top line that helped fuel a run that put up 92 points after the Winter Olympic break (Thomas had 31 points; 14 goals, 17 assists in 22 games)?

This is his team now, and Thomas needs to play like the No. 1 center that averaged 1.41 points per game down the stretch for the Blues to get out of the gates strong and have any chance of returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

5. Jimmy Snuggerud – Now that the Tuesday 11 p.m. (CT) deadline has passed and the new collective bargaining agreement has kicked in, the Blues no longer have the option of extending the 2022 first-round pick that had 21 goals and 51 points in 70 games, his first full season in the NHL, to a max eight-year contract. The highest they can go for Snuggerud, entering the final year of his entry-level deal, is seven, but that’s a topic of discussion for another day.

I want to see if Snuggerud can pick up – just like Thomas and Holloway – where he left off last season when what No. 1 line left a trail of fire to end the season following the Olympic break.

Somehow the 22-year-old doesn’t seem like the kind that would leave a potential contract extension weigh in on his play on the ice. He had 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 25 games down the stretch and is capable of putting up similar numbers moving forward, but let’s see that hunger from the start; his shot and skating will be something to watch as camp unfolds. The potential of 30-plus goals or close to it is definitely in play.

6. Dylan Holloway – With a new five-year, $38.75 million ($7.75 million AAV) contract in the bag, no pressure on Holloway from me … other than I have him pegged to hit 30-35 goals this season.

No pressure at all ;)

But for a player that overcame a freak abductor injury late in the 2024-25 season and finally got his bearings underneath him, watch for a player to open camp coming out flying looking to make an impact as one of the young, rising players.

As part of that line with Thomas and Snuggerud, Holloway, tied with Macklin Celebrini with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) after the Olympic break in just 25 games, should have a channeled focus when camp opens on Thursday. He has a contract to live up to now, and I see no reason why he won’t have a focused, high-energy level right from the first whistle on Thursday.

7. Jordan Binnington – The 2019 Stanley Cup champion has clearly seen his partner not only catch him but all but pass him as camp opens, so how does the 33-year-old veteran in the final year of a six-year, $36 million contract handle the situation?

I still think this will be an open competition, and Jim Montgomery will play the guy that is the most consistent, but Joel Hofer, who was tied for the league lead in wins (12-2-2 with a 2.04 goals-against average) and third with a .933 save percentage after the Olympic break, will get the leash to open the season as the No. 1

This can be a solid tandem moving forward and a 45-39 start split isn’t out of the question, but it will be highly important for Binnington to have a sharp focus once camp opens; he did last year but the numbers didn’t translate. That’s going to have to change if he were to want to move on as a No. 1 elsewhere or continue to get a large number of reps here. The goaltending situation should be a fun storyline to watch.

8. Dalibor Dvorsky – Two questions I have when it comes to the 2023 first-round pick: can he find ways to take the next step and be more of an impact player (12 goals, nine assists in 71 games in his first full season last year) and will he be used more down the middle or as a wing on the third line?

We’ll see what Jim Montgomery has in store, but you could see a third line somehow in the form of a combination with Dvorsky, Jake Neighbours and/or Pavel Buchnevich, Pius Suter and Jonatan Berggren.

The third line makeup will be one of the more intriguing storylines as camp unfolds, and Dvorsky will need to come out of the gates showing that progressive steps will be necessary. The Blues aren’t souring on him by any stretch, but the competition for ice time is most definitely there and a sharp, focused Dvorsky will be imperative. Keep an eye on this one.

9. Adam Jiricek – Does the 2024 first-round pick have enough to knock the socks off the coaches and management to win a job on opening night? As former GM Doug Armstrong said, Jiricek will be given every opportunity to win a job but nothing’s guaranteed.

A couple of interesting observers noted to me that Jiricek’s play at the two-game prospect play against Chicago Blackhawks prospects on Monday and Tuesday produced mixed results but it’s not the tell-all the direction the Blues are looking as far as the blue liner is concerned.

Veteran Brandon Carlo was brought in via trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs for two third-round picks in 2026 for this very reason so Jiricek isn’t rushed to the NHL, but I’ll be watching him closely to see if he continues to make progress at this level.

10. Dillon Dube – The noise surrounding one of the five 2018 Canadian World Junior players accused of sexual assault before being acquitted in court has been loud and clear.

But the Blues brought the 28-year-old to St. Louis on a one-year, one-way, $850,000 contract for this season after a successful run with AHL’s Springfield last season.

Off the ice aside, I’ll be looking to see if Dube can steal one of the spots on the bottom six and really make this a quagmire of players management and the coaching staff will have to address if Dube is able to make this team. After all, this is a player that just as recent as 22-23 had the second of two 18-goal seasons who also put up 45 points then.

Imagine a player playing a third/fourth line role that can have that kind of offensive output? Can he get back to that kind of form or anything like it? It’s worth watching as camp progresses.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.