After ending their 2024-25 season with a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets in game seven of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the St. Louis Blues are looking to take on the 2025-26 season at full steam ahead.
Head coach Jim Montgomery completed his first full year behind the Blues’ bench in November. Closing in on St. Louis alumni Alexander Steen replacing Doug Armstrong as general manager beginning in the 2026-27 season. Armstrong will relinquish the GM title and fully assume the role of president of hockey operations in 2026.
The Blues have made several offseason moves starting with the trade of defenseman Zach Bolduc for right winger Logan Mailloux. They also signed right winger Nick Bjugstad after center Radek Faksa re-signed with the Dallas Stars. Continuing on the move, St. Louis signed center Pius Suter; however, did did not re-sign defensemen Nick Leddy or Ryan Suter. In the preseason, the Blues re-signed defenseman Cam Fowler to a three-year extension contract.
Top prospect Justin Carbonneau stood out during his two of three preseason appearances, offering a promising look for the club’s future.
St. Louis opened its preseason schedule on Sept. 20 in Dallas against the Stars, where Carbonneau scored a power-play goal 50 seconds into the second period. The Stars responded, tying it late in the game with a goal from Mavrik Bourque near the end of the second. The game went into overtime, where no score occurred before heading into a shootout, where Dallas’ Sam Steel scored the game-winner for a 2-1 victory.
Goaltender Jordan Binnington made his first start of the preseason, stopping 20 of 21 shots for a .952 save percentage in a period and a half of play. Though he allowed one goal in the second period, his performance was a solid start for the first showing of the season.
The next night, Sept. 21, the Blues lost 4-1 at the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus’ Brendan Gaunce opened the scoring in the second period, followed by Luca Del Bel Belluz tallying another. St. Louis’ Nikita Alexandrov got the Blues on the board at 16:58, but Columbus added goals from Dmitri Voronkov and Mathieu Olivier to close it out early on in the third.
Backup goaltender Joel Hofer made 15 saves on 17 shots for an .867 save percentage. With a lineup heavy on prospects and new additions, Hofer was among the few Blues veterans, along with Alexandrov, Joseph, Texier, Tucker, and himself. Despite the loss, the game offered a glimpse at the core team’s future.
Back at Enterprise Center on Sept. 27, the Blues fell 4-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks. Dalibor Dvorsky opened scoring for St. Louis at 5:57 of the first period, followed by Brayden Schenn tipping in a shot at 53 seconds into the second. Chicago rallied in the third after Binnington was replaced by AHL goalie Will Cranley. Dominic Toninato, Gavin Hayes, and Oliver Moore scored for Chicago, with Jason Dickinson adding an empty-net goal.
Despite the third-period collapse, the Blues dressed several veterans, including Buchnevich, Joseph, Neighbours, Parayko, Schenn, Sundqvist, Thomas, Walker, and Binnington, who provided an early test for the main roster.
On Sept. 30, the St. Louis Blues hosted the Stars again, where the Blues fell 5-3 to the Stars. Dallas dressed several top players, including Duchene, Faksa, Heiskanen, Johnston, Lindell, Lundkvist, Rantanen, Robertson, and Seguin, whereas the Blues showcased a “B” squad featuring Holloway, Kyrou, Neighbours, Toropchenko, and Hofer in goal.
Dallas jumped ahead early, with goals from Ilya Lyubushkin and Wyatt Johnston. Dylan Holloway responded quickly for St. Louis to cut the deficit, and defenseman Philip Broberg tied it in the second period. Faksa added another for the Stars in the Second, followed by Seguin in the third, before Halloway added one for the Blues, attempting to close the gap on the scoreboard. Robertson added an empty net goal, creating more of a gap. Although the Blues. St. Louis fought hard they were unable to close the gap.
Entering their final home preseason game at 0-4, the Blues rebounded with a 7-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Oct 2. The Blues dressed nearly its entire regular-season roster, missing only Neighbours and Hofer. Mathieu Joseph opened the scoring at 3:53, followed by Sundqvist and Thomas tallying goals in the first. Buchnevich scored early in the second, followed by Broberg tallying two late in the period. Fabian Zetterlund scored Ottawa’s lone goal in the third before Holloway capped the win late in the third.
The Blues closed the preseason out on Oct. 4 with a 4-0 shutout at the Chicago Blackhawks. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki scored the first goal early in the second, followed by Lucic, Thomas, adding goals in the second. Stenberg ended the third with a power play goal, giving the Blues a 4-0 win. Despite missing much of their opening night roster, the Blues finished the preseason on a high note.
St. Louis opened their 2025-26 regular season on Oct. 9, hosting the Minnesota Wild. The projected lineup included forwards Texier, Schenn, Toropchenko, Thomas, Snuggerud, Suter, Kyrou, Walker, Neighbours, Joseph, Bjugstad, Holloway, and Buchnevich; defensemen Broberg, Fowler, Mailloux, Kessel, Parayko, Faulk, and Tucker; and goaltenders Binnington and Hofer.
Forward Oskar Sundqvist is listed as week-to-week with an injury sustained in practice and will miss opening night and the 2 games to follow.
The Blues fell on opening night to the Wild, who tallied five goals from Hartman (2), Boldy, Eriksson Ek, and Rossi. Although this was not the start the Blues were looking for, they have shown strength throughout the preseason, looking to gain their first win against the Calgary Flames on October 11th.
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