Summer Coolers – St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues enter a new era with Alex Steen replacing longtime GM Doug Armstrong and Jim Montgomery beginning his third season behind the bench. After finishing with 86 points and missing the playoffs for the third time in four years, Steen has already begun reshaping the roster. Jordan Kyrou is gone, while Connor McMichael and Mason McTavish arrive as major additions. Neil Smith and Vic Morren see some intriguing pieces—but question whether St. Louis has enough depth to be anything more than a wild-card contender.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[00:00:00] Alex Steen takes over as GM from Doug Armstrong as St. Louis begins a new chapter with Jim Montgomery entering his third season as head coach.
[00:00:20] The Blues finish with 86 points and miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons despite making a strong late push.
[00:00:35] Most of the underlying numbers decline. St. Louis drops from 13th to 24th offensively and from 10th to 19th defensively.
[00:00:50] The power play falls from 16th to 27th, while the penalty kill provides one of the few statistical improvements.
[00:01:00] Steen’s biggest move sends Jordan Kyrou to Washington for Connor McMichael, Milton Gastrin and a 2026 first-round pick.
[00:01:15] The Blues are betting that McMichael can rediscover the form he displayed with Washington during the 2024-25 season.
[00:01:25] Mason McTavish also arrives from Anaheim in exchange for two first-round picks, giving St. Louis another talented young forward with considerable upside.
[00:01:40] Neil likes both McMichael and McTavish, although he also recognizes the scoring ability St. Louis surrendered by moving Kyrou.
[00:01:55] The Blues add more size to the blue line by acquiring Brandon Carlo for two third-round selections.
[00:02:00] RFA Dylan Holloway receives a five-year contract worth $7.75 million annually, making him another important part of the long-term core.
[00:02:15] Jonatan Berggren returns on a one-year, $2 million deal after not receiving a qualifying offer.
[00:02:25] Ross Johnston arrives from Anaheim on a three-year deal, bringing additional toughness after a strong season with the Ducks.
[00:02:40] Dylan Dubé also joins the forward group from Calgary.
[00:02:50] The Blues avoid losing many major pieces beyond Kyrou. Hunter Skinner departs for Nashville, while Justin Holl signs with Washington and Matt Luff heads to the Islanders.
[00:03:00] Goaltending remains an intriguing storyline after Joel Hofer supplanted Jordan Binnington as the No. 1 last season.
[00:03:15] Binnington was frequently mentioned in trade speculation around the deadline, but remaining in St. Louis gives him an opportunity for a fresh start.
[00:03:25] Young players including Dalibor Dvorak and Jimmy Snuggerud could provide additional support around established forwards Robert Thomas, Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Buchnevich.
[00:03:40] Vic sees an extremely fine line between St. Louis becoming a legitimate wild-card team and once again falling short.
[00:03:50] Neil agrees, identifying depth as the biggest concern. Injuries exposed the roster badly last season when Montgomery simply did not have enough quality replacements.
[00:04:00] The Blues fought their way to 86 points but could never quite cross the playoff line. Neil sees a similar challenge this season.
St. Louis has made meaningful changes under Steen, and McMichael and McTavish give the Blues intriguing upside. But this roster still needs health, improved special teams and more depth to survive a difficult Central Division. Neil’s assessment is straightforward: if everything goes right, the Blues can battle for a playoff berth—but their ceiling currently looks like a wild-card team.
