Three Burning Questions The Blues Must Answer This Off-Season

A slow start this season from the St. Louis Blues crippled them once again, as their late-season push to the playoffs likely did more damage to the future of the organization than good.

Even amid their late-season success, similar questions have persisted about the Blues’ lack of a superstar or franchise-altering talent. Prior to their hot streak following the Olympic break, the Blues were poised to make a top-five selection.

Now, they own the 11th-best odds of winning the draft lottery. But today, we’ll cover three other burning questions the Blue must answer. 

Joel Hofer outperformed Jordan Binnington from the start of the season, all the way to Game 82. Hofer earned the starting role over Binnington when the Blues were in the playoff race, and at just 25 years old, he’s the goalie of the future. 

Which raises the question of what to do with the 32-year-old, soon-to-be-33-year-old Binnington. With a $6-million cap hit, Binnington would be an expensive backup goaltender on an expiring contract. 

Teams around the NHL would love to acquire a goaltender with Binnington’s pedigree, which means the Blues could bring in a strong haul as they attempt to rebuild/retool. 

Several Blues veterans had difficult seasons, but Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou had particularly difficult ones. 

Kyrou finished the season with 18 goals and 46 points in 72 games, his lowest totals since the 2020-21 season. His ice time also dropped to 15:44, also the lowest since the 2020-21 season. As for Buchnevich, it was another year of decline, scoring just 20 goals and 48 points in 81 games. 

Dalibor Dvorsky, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Otto Stenberg have seemingly already worked their way into the lineup one way or another, and prospects like Justin Carbonneau, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, and whoever the Blues select with any of their three first-round picks this season could be competing for a roster spot soon as well. 

If Buchnevich and Kyrou’s level doesn’t match the price tag or the timeline of the Blues, it’s best to move on. But who should they move on from?

Despite lower point totals, Kyrou made strides defensively, and his game improved as the season went along. He’s also younger than Buchnevich. Buchnevich looked slower and struggled to have a positive impact on games this year. An argument could be made to give Kyrou another chance, but the Blues should try to get out of Buchnevich’s $8-million contract.

Last off-season, the Blues were fairly quiet in free agency, signing just Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad. Following a season where they missed the playoffs and integrated several young players into their lineup, should the Blues be aggressive this time around?

Two trains of thought exist. If they are aggressive, they can find a nice blend of youth and experience to make the roster competitive. While younger players may miss out on more minutes at times, they can find value in learning from and playing with veterans.

If they aren’t, they’ll show their trust in their youth and give them every opportunity to fail and succeed throughout the season. Although it may result in an uncompetitive season, it could be more beneficial to the organization’s future. 

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