Blues Views

The 2025-26 season comes to an end tonight.

It’s a strange year to evaluate. On one hand, it’s arguably the most frustrating season possible. The Blues started terribly, they were never really in the playoff hunt, and yet ended the year on a 15-4-3 run, going from the third worst team in the league at the Olympic break to potentially falling out of a top-10 pick (8th to 11th depending on tonight). Barring a lottery miracle, St. Louis will once again end in the mucky middle, missing out on the highest-end talent in the draft.

On the other hand, this season’s result is a lot better than some outcomes that might’ve looked solid on paper, (like hanging around all year and sneaking into the playoffs). Because the Blues struggled, the trade deadline turned into a huge success. They moved Faulk for the 15th overall pick, (1.1% chance of it jumping to 5th), and will land a 27th-31st pick for Schenn, two contracts that are great to move off the books. Add in a few more picks and prospects, and STL made the most of their situation. Plus, publicly making everyone available lit a fire under the roster, something that could carry into next year or lead to changes in the offseason.

I’ve been quiet recently because I didn’t want to be the angry tank guy getting frustrated by the maddening, meaningless wins/points , even though there were a lot of positives down the stretch. Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud turned into one of the best lines in hockey post-Olympics, driving play at 5-on-5 (59.6 xGoal%), and combining for 33 goals in 22 games since March 1st. Theo Lindstein was maybe the nicest surprise, stepping in and looking comfortable at 21 y/o while averaging 15:46 a night. Logan Mailloux showed flashes, especially offensively, and you can see the upside. Dvorsky and Stenberg proved they’re smart players who should be solid middle-sixers next year. And Joel Hofer looks ready to take over.

The Blues will have options this offseason. They could continue getting younger, stay patient and add around the edges, or push more aggressively toward competing. The Central isn’t getting any easier, but there’s a path back to the playoffs next year if they choose.

Let’s Go Blues.

The Justin Faulk era has come to an end…

I’m not gonna lie, there is a piece of my soul that feels healed because Justin Faulk is off this hockey team. Not because I dislike the person. Not because he isn’t a solid player. But because I have a deep resentment toward what Faulk’s addition represented to this franchise.

On September 24th, 2019, when the Blues traded Joel Edmundson and Dominik Bokk for Justin Faulk, I was originally very excited. It was another addition to the blue line that could help STL make a run at another Cup. The immediate extension was a bit confusing, but I was too naive to understand what it really meant. In hindsight, it was a protection plan and a threat to Pietrangelo. Armstrong was essentially saying, “we have your replacement. We don’t need you. Take our strict deal or we’re moving on.” And unfortunately, that’s what Faulk always represented to me. He was Pietrangelo’s lesser replacement.

It’s not his fault he was given an eight-year extension. It’s not his fault that a big portion of the fanbase compared him to our former engine. That’s simply the unfortunate result of a questionable move by management that reshaped the last decade of Blues hockey. In reality, Faulk largely lived up to his contract and expectations. There were definitely some rough patches, but he was never a player who should have been expected to be a true top-pair defenseman. He was paid to be a solid 2nd-pair guy, and that’s exactly what he was for the majority of his run in St. Louis.

He ends his Blues career with 56 goals and 232 points in 482 games. In 30 playoff games, he recorded 3 goals and 12 points, with most of that production coming during the 2022 run where he played very well. He stayed healthy, was relatively consistent, and seemed to go about his business like a true pro. I’d be lying if I said I’ll miss him, but he deserves credit for what he gave this organization. Plus, his strong play this year helped net the Blues a 1st round pick, a 3rd round pick, and a solid prospect.

Thank you, Faulk. Good luck in Detroit. But not too much luck, we need that 1st round pick to be as high as possible.

Here is the official and full trade deadline for your St. Louis Blues:

OUT:
Brayden Schenn
Justin Faulk

IN:
F Jonathan Drouin (1 year left at $4 Million)
D Justin Holl (Pending free agent)
G Marcus Gidlof (5th Round pick in 2024)
F Dmitri Buchelnikov (22 y/o with 13G, 23P in KHL)
2026 1st rounder (Colorado)
2026 1st rounder (Detroit)
2026 3rd rounder (San Jose)
2026 3rd rounder (New Jersey)

Quite the rush in the final hour. A week full of teasing and disappointment ends with burst of joy. Overall, it finished pretty much right in line with pre-deadline hopes and expectations. The Blues move out two veterans for 1st round picks+, clearing cap future cap space, and giving room to younger players. Drouin will fill a forward spot for this year and next, and Holl will likely see NHL action the remainder of the season. The Blues get worse on paper for the time being, which should help the tanking efforts in the final 21 games.

The returns for these players were positive and right in line with rumored value. Teams will always pay a decent price for proven veterans, but credit to Doug for finding landing spots, adjusting around both players’ partial NTCs, and getting a proper, strong return. It took until the final buzzer, but he got it done.

These moves keep open plenty of options for the offseason. The Blues could stay the course, flip some picks for young proven players/prospects, continue a minor tear down, or even use their cap space to spend/buy (not my first choice). A lot may depend on the rest of the year and the lottery.

Overall, I’m just relieved deals got done. Best of luck to Schenn and Faulk. Good job, Army. Never a doubt. Let’s Go Blues.