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3 burning questions St. Louis Blues must answer in 2026 offseason
TL;DR
The St. Louis Blues face a challenging offseason after missing the playoffs by four points. Key decisions include potential trades of franchise wingers and the future of their core players.
Key points
- St. Louis Blues missed playoffs by four points
- Team sold off key players like Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn
- Colton Parayko declined a trade to Buffalo
- Blues surged late in the season with a 16-4-3 record
- Complicated offseason decisions ahead
St. Louis BluesDetroit Red WingsNew York Islanders
The St. Louis Blues (37-33-12) looked dead in the water at the beginning of the season. After a surprising playoff berth in the 2024-25 season, along with a brutal defeat in the first round, they slumped out of the gate. By the end of February, they had a 21-29-9 record.
As a result, they sold off many pieces, saying goodbye to longtime faces Justin Faulk (Detroit Red Wings) and Brayden Schenn (New York Islanders). They had a deal in place to send Colton Parayko to Buffalo, but he declined to waive his no-trade clause.
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Still, they kept some faces of the core around (Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou), and as a result, the team surged. They went 16-4-3 from March onwards, but it was too little, too late. They missed the playoffs by just four points. Now, the Blues have a complicated offseason coming up.
Do they trade away franchise wingers?
Unfortunately, even with their surprise run to form, the question of trade availability remains. There are still plenty of players who will be available in trade rumors.
Let’s start with the first line of the team. Pavel Buchnevich, Robert Thomas, and Jordan Kyrou could all be available over the offseason. All of them have at least five more seasons of team control with their new contracts, and all of them have no-trade clauses. However, if the team wants to go through a rebuild, they could easily waive those clauses.
Q&A
What key decisions must the St. Louis Blues make in the 2026 offseason?
The Blues need to decide whether to trade franchise wingers and how to manage their core players moving forward.
Why did the St. Louis Blues miss the playoffs in 2026?
The Blues missed the playoffs due to a poor start to the season, finishing with a record of 37-33-12 and falling short by four points.
Who are the key players the Blues might trade during the offseason?
Potential trade candidates include franchise wingers and players like Justin Faulk and Brayden Schenn, who were already traded away.
How did the St. Louis Blues perform in the latter part of the season?
The Blues had a strong finish, going 16-4-3 from March onwards, but it was not enough to secure a playoff spot.
