3 Things That Must Happen For the Blues to Have a Successful Season

After an unexpected trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25, it appeared the St. Louis Blues’ retool may be over early. However, the team started slow in 2025-26 and ended up selling at the trade deadline. They did make a late push, but ended up short of the playoffs.

After a busy offseason and a roster shakeup, attention now turns to the 2026-27 season. What needs to happen for the Blues to have a successful season?

Healthy Core

Of course, all teams need their cores to remain healthy. This is not a hot take by any means. The Blues, however, are looking to establish their new core after some veterans left the team. Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, and Jimmy Snuggerud are the three names in the current core. However, all need to stay healthy.

Thomas missed 18 games last season with an upper-body injury. The injuries prevented the Ontario native from a chance at another 60+ assist and 80+ point season, but he was amazing down the stretch, including two hat tricks. Holloway missed 23 games with an ankle injury, but still managed 22 goals. Snuggerud, meanwhile, missed 12 games in December following wrist surgery, but still scored 21 goals.

These three project as the Blues’ top line in 2026-27. This can be one of the most effective lines in hockey, with each player capable of scoring 25-30 goals. However, they cannot reach that potential if they are injured. If they stay healthy, the organization can truly evaluate this part of their core. Furthermore, Snuggerud could join his linemates with a long-term contract.

McTavish and McMichael Return to Form

Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael joined the Blues as part of their roster shakeup this summer. The organization parted with two first-round picks for McTavish and moved on from a consistent 30-goal scorer, Jordan Kyrou, to bring in McMichael. Both players have upside and have shown it in the past. However, both are coming off of underwhelming seasons.

McMichael has only three seasons as a full-time player under his belt. His 26-goal 2024-25 season stands out as what the Ontario native is capable of, but he fell well short of that last season with just 14 goals. Which McMichael is the real McMichael? He does not need to push 30 goals to be an asset. Just hitting the 20-goal mark would go a long way.

McTavish has consistently been a 15-20 goal scorer but was benched during the Stanley Cup Playoffs due to struggles with his positioning on the ice and continued issues in the defensive zone. He is not a defensive-minded forward, but he needs to be able to hold his own in the defensive zone. Can the change of scenery help the Swiss forward return to form? It would certainly mean good things for the Blues as they build for the future.

No Early-Season Slump

In 2024-25, the Blues struggled early in the season. They managed to turn things around and made the playoffs, but it took a 12-game winning streak to put them in serious playoff contention. Last season, another early-season slump occurred, but this time they could not overcome it.

We have seen two different Blues teams playing the last two seasons: first-half Blues and second-half Blues. The first-half Blues may make silly mistakes, let games get away from them early, and can sometimes look lost on the ice. The second-half Blues look like a team that can play against anyone in the NHL. This is a team that went into Colorado on Easter Sunday and won in regulation. During the final week of the season, the team was locked in and focused on winning. As a result, they ended the season on a very positive note.

While it is good that the team has managed to turn things around in each of the last two seasons, it still raises the question of who the real Blues are. A big part of any rebuilding team is establishing their identity. Who are the St. Louis Blues? A team that will contend eventually but starts cold? Or are they a team that will play a meaningful 82 games, regardless of the outcome?

The roster has been shaken up. There is a new general manager (GM) holding the reins. There may even be a new captain this season. The time is now for this team to establish their identity. If they want to establish a positive one, an early-season slump cannot happen.

*Jim Mora Voice* Playoffs?

The Blues do not need to make the playoffs for the 2026-27 season to be a success. Is it preferred? Of course. However, multiple questions need to be answered regarding the future of this team. Long-term stability is more important than making the playoffs this season.

Flawed teams can and do make the playoffs. The 2023-24 Washington Capitals allowed more goals than they scored and made the playoffs. It took a 12-game winning streak for the 2024-25 Blues to get back into contention. Do not get me wrong, both teams got the wins when it mattered. But being a playoff team does not equate to long-term stability.

Can the Blues do everything mentioned above and make the playoffs? Definitely. In fact, if all those things happen, they will likely make it. However, if all those things happen and the Blues fall just short, that is still a major victory.

The Bottom Line

Organizations will always be judged by how many Stanley Cup banners hang in the rafters of their home arena. For some, if there is no new banner hanging at the next home opener, it was a failed season. For the Blues, that can definitely be the norm moving forward. But not in 2026-27. Other things can make this season successful.