Just when we thought everything was settled, the St. Louis Blues got rocked by the injury bug. While the Blues don’t play until Friday, the 2026-27 NHL season starts tomorrow, and it’s not the best start for a franchise looking to get back to the playoffs. Regardless, there’s plenty to talk about this week.
The shakeup on the blue line
The lingering Tyler Tucker injury was concerning enough for an already underwhelming blue line group, but losing Logan Mailloux for eight weeks is far more worrying. Mailloux struggled mightily for most of last season before ramping it up after the Winter Olympic break, and he was in a good position to build on that success and solidify himself as a top-four defenseman for the Blues. The fact that it’s a contract year hurts Mailloux, too, because it could affect his next contract in St. Louis–not just the dollars and cents, but the term as well.
To plug these sudden holes, the Blues claimed Justin Barron off waivers and recalled Adam Jiricek from the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL. The Blues likely would’ve preferred to keep Jiricek in the AHL for a few months to adjust to the pro game, then call him up later in the season when injuries inevitably strike. Needs must, though, and Jiricek’s going to get a “sink or swim” opportunity with the big club.
The opposition
Talk about starting on hard mode: the Blues’ first games of the year are road matchups against the Dallas Stars and defending President’s Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche. These two Central Division opponents are heavy favorites to go on deep runs in the spring, and the Blues kick off the season with a back-to-back against them. Easing into the season is not an option this year.
The Stars are more or less running back last year’s roster, though there is a bit of a “last dance” vibe surrounding the team. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn are on expiring contracts, as is superstar Jason Robertson (who will become an unrestricted free agent next summer). The rest of the roster’s another year older. There’s still a glaring hole on the right side of the second pair. The Stars have made it to several Western Conference Finals, but this might be the year they need to go the distance after last season’s disappointing first round exit.
The Avalanche are in a similar boat. They’re not dealing with any dire pending free agents (not since Cale Makar became the highest paid player in the league), but a lot of their best players fell short when it mattered last season and they lost a few important depth players over the summer. Nathan MacKinnon is one of the best players in the league, but he’s 31 years old now; the clock’s ticking on winning another Stanley Cup. If they flame out again this season, there could be major roster changes next summer.
St. Louis is going to have their hands full to start the season. With a weakened defense, they’ll really need the rest of their roster to help carry the load.
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