The St. Louis Blues are done playing hockey and will resume play again in October. Until then, there will be plenty of offseason questions and discussions on the 2025-26 failure and hopeful 2026-27 campaign.
One interesting discussion to have regarding head coach Jim Montgomery is his decision to consistently shuffle lines. There was a pretty good understanding going into the season of how this team would look on opening night, and it was pretty much true. But by the end of the night, and basically every game after, Montgomery was moving players left, right, and center.
That caused a bit of a stir, but it was necessary. After all the moves and tinkering to find something viable, he found it with a fantastic first line.
The only problem is that it was just too late.
Found the right groove, but too late
That groove consisted of Dylan Holloway on left wing, Jimmy Snuggerud on the right, and Robert Thomas right up the middle. They were so good, so so good at point production and overall pressure on the opposing team.
The trio, which was formed a little after the Olympic Break, was regarded as one of the best lines in hockey. Had they found their rhythm earlier, this franchise might be playing Colorado right now.
That finality of the first line caused a ripple effect, as the second and third lines also fit into their perfect puzzle. The fourth line of Jack Finley, Alexey Toropchenko, and Nathan Walker was great as a group, too.
Look for this line to get out to an early start next season. Should that be the case, the line shuffling from Montgomery should cease to exist in 2026-27. The head man has already emphasized the importance of changing this team’s culture, and that will start with a tough training camp before next season.
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