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Published on:

27th Jul 2026

Spring Cleaning – St. Louis Blues

Spring Cleaning – St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues entered the 2025-26 season expecting to build on their surprising late-season surge under Jim Montgomery, but instead fell well short of a playoff berth. Offensive regression, inconsistent goaltending, and prolonged losing streaks prevented the Blues from challenging for a Wild Card position. Neil Smith and Vic Morren examine what went wrong, the transition from Doug Armstrong to Alex Steen in the front office, and how St. Louis can use an impressive collection of draft picks to begin its next chapter.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00:00] The Blues are eliminated from playoff contention on April 11 after entering the season with realistic hopes of earning a Wild Card berth. Following their strong finish in 2024-25 under Jim Montgomery, expectations were considerably higher than the previous year.

[00:00:30] St. Louis never finds sustained consistency. Losing streaks of 1-6-2 and 1-8-1 derail the season, accounting for nearly one-quarter of the schedule and making it difficult to recover in a competitive Western Conference.

[00:00:50] Offensive production falls well below expectations. The Blues fail to produce a single 25-goal scorer, while injuries contribute to declines from Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, leaving the offense without a consistent finishing touch.

[00:01:10] Goaltending also becomes a concern. Jordan Binnington struggles throughout much of the season, forcing Jim Montgomery to rely more heavily on Joel Hofer down the stretch as St. Louis searches for answers in net.

[00:01:30] Neil explains that the Blues never truly challenged the Utah Mammoth for the final playoff position despite preseason expectations that the two clubs would battle throughout the year. Instead, Utah clearly separated itself while St. Louis remained near the bottom of the standings.

[00:01:45] Attention turns to the future as Alex Steen prepares to officially replace longtime General Manager Doug Armstrong on July 1. After spending two years preparing for the role, Steen now inherits responsibility for reshaping the franchise.

[00:02:00] The Blues possess one of the strongest collections of draft assets in the league, entering the 2026 NHL Draft with 12 selections, including three first-round picks and three third-round picks acquired through previous trades.

[00:02:30] Although St. Louis lacks a second-round selection, the organization also owns multiple fourth- and fifth-round picks, giving Alex Steen significant flexibility to either build through the draft or pursue trades.

[00:02:45] Salary-cap flexibility remains limited, with the Blues projected to have only about $1.84 million in available space before the July 1 reset. That leaves little room for major free-agent additions.

[00:03:00] Oscar Sundqvist headlines the unrestricted free agent class, while restricted free agents Jonathan Berggren, Matt Kessel, and Dylan Holloway become much higher priorities for the organization.

[00:03:20] Neil points to Holloway as one of the club's most important offseason decisions after arriving via offer sheet. While another offer sheet remains possible in theory, Neil believes St. Louis will make retaining the young forward a top priority.

[00:03:40] Looking at the roster from a broader perspective, Neil questions whether the Blues are close enough to contend or whether a more significant rebuild is necessary. He believes simply making minor adjustments may not be enough to return to the playoffs.

[00:04:00] Jordan Binnington becomes one potential trade candidate. Neil wonders whether another organization would be interested in acquiring the Stanley Cup-winning goaltender, whose international success may still make him attractive despite an inconsistent NHL season.

[00:04:30] Alex Steen now faces difficult decisions about which veterans remain part of the organization's future. Moving established players could accelerate the transition to a younger core while creating additional salary-cap flexibility.

[00:04:50] Despite holding a wealth of draft picks, Neil cautions against trading too many of them away. Those selections represent one of the franchise's greatest long-term assets and must be used wisely to strengthen the organization.

[00:05:00] The episode concludes with Neil emphasizing that modern NHL general managers must treat draft picks as both future players and valuable trade currency. For Alex Steen, successfully balancing those two approaches will determine how quickly the St. Louis Blues can return to playoff contention.

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About the Podcast

NHL Wraparound Podcast
Neil Smith & Vic Morren
Breadth and depth.
Contemporary and historical.
Straight-forward and experienced.
The NHL Wraparound podcast features Neil Smith, President-General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers and longtime ESPN/NHL veteran Vic Morren sharing no-nonsense opinions on news and issues around the National Hockey League.

Bringing decades of experience from their respective fields, Smith and Morren create a unique partnership that examines the NHL from multiple perspectives. Additionally, as hockey historians, the pair can delve into any topic in today’s game and enlighten the audience with connections to events from previous years. To truly appreciate where hockey stands today, one needs to understand its past.

With 2024 marking the 30th anniversary of the Rangers last championship season, a special five-part series is planned to commemorate that magical run. Expect fascinating behind-the-scenes stories and special guests with particular focus on the GM who pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table amidst the most pressurized environments – and came out on top.

Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned fan, each episode of NHL Wraparound will leave you entertained and informed.


Bio’s
Neil S. Smith, highly regarded NHL executive, served as the President and General Manager of the 1994 Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers. During his eleven years with the team, they achieved significant success, including three division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies, one Eastern Conference Championship, and a historic Stanley Cup victory—the franchise’s first in 54 years.

Known for his expertise in professional sports franchise economics, Smith played a pivotal role in management decisions under four different Rangers owners.. His tenure saw iconic trades and acquisitions, including Hall of Famers Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky, as well as successful drafts and free-agent signings.

Starting as a pro scout, Smith's career highlights include the impactful 1989 draft for the Detroit Red Wings and bold trades that shaped NHL history. He briefly served as GM for the New York Islanders in 2006, later working as a consultant for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.

A Toronto native, Smith's hockey journey began in junior leagues before a distinguished college career at Western Michigan University. He has received numerous awards and distinctions, including induction into the University's Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Vic Morren: Born in New York City close to the Old Madison Square Garden, Vic Morren has had hockey in his blood his entire life as a fan, player and television production manager.

A graduate of William Paterson University, Morren skated for three seasons with the Pioneers hockey club and became the first statistical analyst to apply his craft to telecasts working New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils games from 1984-87. He co-authored two NHL-based statistics books within that span before moving to ESPN in 1987 and working the final season of the original deal the network had with the NHL.
After departing in 1990, Morren worked as a studio producer for SportsChannel America’s NHL coverage and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before returning to ESPN that fall where he worked all 12 seasons on the second ESPN/NHL deal and the first season of the most recent contract in 2021-22. Morren has also earned a Sports Emmy for his work on Sunday Night Football coverage in 2003.

His relationship with Neil Smith dates back 33 years through their mutual friendship with the late ESPN/ABC commentator John Saunders. Morren looks forward to NHL Wraparound and collaborating with Smith with the goal to provide an experience of contemporary viewpoints, historical spin and an overall enriching podcast experience.