StL Blues Worst Case Scenario

[BleedingBleu]

Early on in the year, the joke around the NHL fanbases was the Penguins having yet another Generational Player just fall into their laps in the 2026 Draft. The “prophecy” quieted down a little bit, since they started off fairly well. However, a sale in the middle of an 8-Game Losing Streak dropped them to the middle of the pack with the 16th Most Points (43) in the NHL.

Needless to say, they are very much in play for that Lottery Pick. What wasn’t talked about were the other suitors. I’m not sure Calgary was mentioned much, since they had just missed out on a playoff spot last year w/96 Points. Maybe the Sharks were in the fray, because they were abysmal last year (52 points), but I still recall some optimism there. What worries me was the Blackhawks weren’t very good last year (2nd to Last - 61 Points).

Connor Bedard was necessarily talked of as a bust so much as it was a question whether he was just over-hyped with the “Generational Talent” label. He started to quell that w/44 Points in 31 Games to Start 2025/26 and the Blackhawks ascending in the standings.

However, that doesn’t mean the Blackhawks are out of the Lottery Discussion. As we all know, Bedard would miss half of December after a faceoff encounter against Brayden Schenn. That chain of events would become the first loss in a string of 6-straight.

The Blackhawks haven’t just lost. They’ve played miserably without Connor Bedard (Est: Jan 1) & Frank Nazar (Est: Jan 17). They’ve only won 2 of their last 12 Games, with one of those wins being in a Shootout. In those 10 Losses, there’s been at least 4 ugly blowouts. They’ve been outscored by 26 Goals (23 GF, 49 GA)!

Th Blackhawks not only plummeted below the Blues (28th - 38 points) in the Standings, but they’re now in the Cellar (30th) with the Canucks & Jets (LoL, wot?).

I think we can all expect the Jets will improve and the Canucks won’t. They’ve moved key players, including Quinn Hughes and are left with Elias Pettersson, who is currently being labeled by exiting players as either lazy or unwilling to work hard. So, they’re probably the Top Candidate to land Gavin McKenna.

Seattle is also rumored to sell big at the deadline. However, what about the Hawks? Did their recent dropoff in the Standings just place them in contention for a Lottery Spot? How much would the NHL love for that to happen, Bedard & McKenna on the same team?

To me, the worst scenario in 2025/26 would be watching the Blues stay status quo at the deadline, narrowly miss the playoffs only to get a Draft Pick in the “Teens” and watch the Blackhawks secure the services of a Gavin McKenna.

Now, I’m not a doomsday predictor, and I don’t think this will happen. However, I don’t think the chances of it happening are zero!

[Bluesbacker]

Can't believe I was dumb enough to read this

[DawgDad]

Oh, it would be a riot watching them fall short . . . year . . . after . . . year [see: Oilers].

[rezero]

Blackhawks havent figured out one key issue. You cant have a stable of young generation type talents all coming in their prime at the same time. Bedard, Nazar, Levshunov, Green, Moore, etc… will all be free agents at the same time and you only have so much cap space. The key to winning is merging veterans with young talent.

[BleedingBleu]

Blackhawks havent figured out one key issue. You cant have a stable of young generation type talents all coming in their prime at the same time. Bedard, Nazar, Levshunov, Green, Moore, etc… will all be free agents at the same time and you only have so much cap space. The key to winning is merging veterans with young talent.

I think it’s fair to compare a rebuild like the Blues vs that of the Blackhawks. A team built like the Blues could have a downturn from a rash of injuries (Kyrou, Snuggerud, Holloway, Suter, Neighbors) and still have more success over a team like Blackhawks that completely crater after losing two skaters in their early twenties (Nazar 22, Bedard 20).

I’m not so sure the Blackhawks expected to compete this year.

[BleedingBleu]

Oh, it would be a riot watching them fall short . . . year . . . after . . . year [see: Oilers].

I wouldn’t mind the Blackhawks just missing out on the Playoffs. However, I do wonder when they start buying in on the team. They’d been abysmal the prior 5 seasons. I’m uncertain if they were intending for it to be extended to a sixth, or if they are ok with one last dumpster before they start adding veterans to the lines

[BleedingBleu]

Can't believe I was dumb enough to read this

What were you expecting, a discussion about Trashville? Selling the team to an out-of-state ownership group?

I did not state anything about the Blues tanking nor going for it. The thread was predominantly about the Rival Blackhawks’ poor production w/out Bedard & technically Nazar. To add more to the discussion and stay on theme with the not-misleading Thread Title, I voiced some concerns about the Blues remaining status quo at the Deadline.

I don’t see why you need to claim I’m in some way beneath you.

[tfriede2]

Blackhawks havent figured out one key issue. You cant have a stable of young generation type talents all coming in their prime at the same time. Bedard, Nazar, Levshunov, Green, Moore, etc… will all be free agents at the same time and you only have so much cap space. The key to winning is merging veterans with young talent.

Oh no, they’ll have to figure something out in 7 years. And, none of these players other than Bedard will be franchise players, much less generational talents. Some may top out as 3rd line/2nd pairing guys, this negating the future hypothetical cap issue, anyway. If the biggest knock on the Blackhawks is that they have too much young talent, that’s pretty damning for the rest of the division. With that said, they need to start mixing in vets at some point, which I’m sure they will.

[Harry S Deals]

The Blues are basically a calendar year away from really seeing their young players step into reliable productive roles. Im including Neighbour, Hofer, Dvorsky, Snuggerud and Stenberg in this for now. I also think there will be a surprise prospect emerge and take a spot as well but thats too hard to predict (Mailloux, Lindstein and may be a Stancl or Pekarcik).

A roster with the above guys contributing and playing well is way better than relying on what are still "JAG", fringe NHLers. In this scenario for instance if Buch/Kyrou are not scoring goals then all is not lost because Snuggerud is scoring, Stenberg is scoring, they hustle, they check, they play a more rounded game. Its just going to take NHL reps to get them there

Unfortunately this season instead of everything going right, veteran-wise (which is what it would have taken for the Blues to match some of the pre season playoff predictions) everything so far has absolutely gone the worst case possible.