After making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25, the St. Louis Blues fooled themselves last season and did not make it back into the big dance. The false identity caused a severe ripple effect within the organization.
Captain Brayden Schenn was traded to the New York Islanders, and core defensive piece Justin Faulk was moved to Detroit. Now, the emphasis is on the youth and not on the stars that have been in place over the last few seasons.
This summer is going to have some special events, and each of them is very important to the next steps for the Blues' future plans. To call it a success, and to carry over whatever momentum they gained last season into next, these key things need to happen.
Do not touch the free agency class
This upcoming free agency class is not a fantastic one, and with the increase in Salary Cap, the deals are going to get crazy. The Blues have to avoid spending any unnecessary money and focus on the youth movement.
Draft all three picks
There has been plenty of talk about using the three draft picks to trade up or to get established talent, but both of those are recipes for disaster. The Blues have to use these three draft selections, where they lie, and pick up some solid talent.
This draft class is a strong one, with it being overwhelmingly above average instead of one amazing player and then a bunch of sub-par ones behind him.
Smooth transition to Steen
The Blues will have a change at the General Manager spot, with Doug Armstrong stepping down and Alexander Steen stepping in. That change will happen with free agency starting on July 1, and he will have to hit the ground running on trying to put together the best possible team.
Earlier, it was stated not to touch free agency with a 10-foot pole, but trading some more core pieces away is not a bad idea. The trade market on Jordan Kyrou is still relatively hot, but the rumors around Robert Thomas are now ice-cold.
