2027-28, 2028-29 Potential lines

[Bluesfan1978]

2027-28
This could be a year or two early but could be the type of lineup the team is looking at
Holloway – Thomas – Carbonneau
Stenberg – Dvorsky – Snuggy
Neighbours - Dean/Korotky/Stancl – Berggren
Toro – Finley – Peterson
Broberg – Top 5 pick from 2026
Lindstein – Jiricek
Ralph/Fisher/Burns - Mailloux
Players that could be traded over next 2-3 years:
Kyrou, Faulk, Suter, Schenn, Parayko, Binner, Tucker, Buch (assuming he can improve his trade value over the next 2 years). These players could add the equivalent of 5 first round picks or more especially considering the return for Parayko and Kyrou.
Parayko, Schenn I’m not rushing to trade until other players have had more time to develop. Schenn I’d let retire a Blue if the circumstances allow
Thomas could be kept for 1-2 more years to gauge how the team develops and for the young centers to learn from and be protected. The trade value for Thomas would most likely not be any lower than now. Thomas would still be in his prime at 28-29.
Binner if there isn’t a decent return I’d keep until the trade deadline next year and return to the zone Defence and see if that helps the goaltending get back to normal. I’d also consider resigning Binner depend on his play and asking price. True number 1 goalies can play that role into their late 30’s if they stay relatively healthy.
Prospects that could develop to NHL players or become assets for trades:
Dean, Thomas, Bordeleau, Pekarcik, Stancl, Kaskimaki, Koromyslov, McIsaac, Cranley, Harenstan
Next year I’m assuming the team will have a top 10 draft pick but who knows what can happen. I would let the young guys play and develop and if the team ended up with another top 5 pick next year, they should then have the assets to finalize a contending team
The team needs a number one goalie if Binner is traded, no clue personally if that’s Hofer. I’d like to see the team get Ellis back while they establish if Hofer is a number one.
Depending how these players develop I could see this team being a top 10 team in the league for years and would have the grit to be a team that’s hard to play against in the playoffs.

[a smell of green grass]

Fun read. It will be fun to watch the new team take shape.

I'm hoping this 2026 draft will fill a key spot as well, RHD would be great, or maybe a 1C/2C.

I would like the Blues to select the most dominant player of C or RHD.

[TBone]

I would like the Blues to select the most dominant player of C or RHD.

With some size. No more undersized fleas.

[seattleblue]

The #1 defenseman in two seasons is not going to be a player who's not yet drafted, so that's not what the defense is going to look like unless we're still one of the worst teams in the NHL.

[Bluesfan1978]

The #1 defenseman in two seasons is not going to be a player who's not yet drafted, so that's not what the defense is going to look like unless we're still one of the worst teams in the NHL.

Absolutely, that’s why I stated that lineup could be a year or two early.

[LGB73]

Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
Stenberg-Dvorsky-Carbonneau
Stenberg-Danielson(Det)-Neighbours
Stancl-Dean/Finley/Vet FA-Toro

Broberg-Parayko
Lindstein-Mailloux/Jiricek
Ralph/Fisher-Mailloux/Jiricek

Really young on D with that squad. Obviously need to trade for Danielson and nab Stenberg in the draft.

[DawgDad]

Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
Stenberg-Dvorsky-Carbonneau
Stenberg-Danielson(Det)-Neighbours
Stancl-Dean/Finley/Vet FA-Toro

Broberg-Parayko
Lindstein-Mailloux/Jiricek
Ralph/Fisher-Mailloux/Jiricek

Really young on D with that squad. Obviously need to trade for Danielson and nab Stenberg in the draft.

That lineup is too soft. WAY too soft. A lot can happen between now and then. Holloway and Thomas, in particular, need to get healthy and stay healthy. Danielson and one of the Stenbergs are placeholders for moves to be made that could yield very different players.

I don't believe the team needs to over-focus on 3C. It's not that hard to find veterans to fill that role, and Buchnevich might still be around. The question is are they set with Thomas and Dvorsky? Certainly, they hoped they were, and they still might see it that way.

Dvorsky right now has an "Olympics gap", the level of play difference between being a young center playing a key role for Slovakia and a center who could be a player for USA-Canada. The question for the Blues moving forward is how much of that gap can he close? The team might be OK at the end of the decade with Thomas and Dvorsky as two top-shelf "bubble" guys in that regard, similar to ROR-Schenn. But that gap needs to close or they might come up short on talent down the middle.

Otherwise, the Blues have a slew of middle six bottom four prospects, all their future 1st round picks, and some vets they can convert into younger assets. They need to focus on plugging holes with [more] productive players while keeping the pipeline primed.

[Harry S Deals]

Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
Stenberg-Dvorsky-Carbonneau
Stenberg-Danielson(Det)-Neighbours
Stancl-Dean/Finley/Vet FA-Toro

Broberg-Parayko
Lindstein-Mailloux/Jiricek
Ralph/Fisher-Mailloux/Jiricek

Really young on D with that squad. Obviously need to trade for Danielson and nab Stenberg in the draft.

That lineup is too soft. WAY too soft. A lot can happen between now and then. Holloway and Thomas, in particular, need to get healthy and stay healthy. Danielson and one of the Stenbergs are placeholders for moves to be made that could yield very different players.

I don't believe the team needs to over-focus on 3C. It's not that hard to find veterans to fill that role, and Buchnevich might still be around. The question is are they set with Thomas and Dvorsky? Certainly, they hoped they were, and they still might see it that way.

Dvorsky right now has an "Olympics gap", the level of play difference between being a young center playing a key role for Slovakia and a center who could be a player for USA-Canada. The question for the Blues moving forward is how much of that gap can he close? The team might be OK at the end of the decade with Thomas and Dvorsky as two top-shelf "bubble" guys in that regard, similar to ROR-Schenn. But that gap needs to close or they might come up short on talent down the middle.

Otherwise, the Blues have a slew of middle six bottom four prospects, all their future 1st round picks, and some vets they can convert into younger assets. They need to focus on plugging holes with [more] productive players while keeping the pipeline primed.

I love these prognostications we are too far out to know though but still fun. My guess is there are some guys coming that will surprise i wonder about Stancl for instance or what about Korotky. I think Colin Ralph is more than a bottom pairing guy, could be a great draft pick. And what does the roster look like by the time THIS camp comes around? One issue that keeps coming up for me i think Blues fans are underselling a few guys Dvorksy, Jiricek, Stenberg, Snuggerud and Carbonneau. These guys could be become very very good NHLers. I see DDs ceiling as PPG, scoring center, dude just exudes skill. Also Jimmy Snuggerud really impresses me not just a shooter hes a great playmaker.
Its just going to take time for this to gel again

[LGB73]

Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
Stenberg-Dvorsky-Carbonneau
Stenberg-Danielson(Det)-Neighbours
Stancl-Dean/Finley/Vet FA-Toro

Broberg-Parayko
Lindstein-Mailloux/Jiricek
Ralph/Fisher-Mailloux/Jiricek

Really young on D with that squad. Obviously need to trade for Danielson and nab Stenberg in the draft.

That lineup is too soft. WAY too soft. A lot can happen between now and then. Holloway and Thomas, in particular, need to get healthy and stay healthy. Danielson and one of the Stenbergs are placeholders for moves to be made that could yield very different players.

I don't disagree. There isn't a lot of forecheck in that forward group. When you compare to the 2019 you had Perron, Schwartz, Schenn and ROR in your top 6 and all those guys were hell to play against on the forecheck. They'd hound teams merciless and then you had that backed up by the likes of Maroon, Barby, Sunny and Steen in the bottom six to do the same just with less skill to go along with it. That's 8 of your 12 forwards that were a menace on the forecheck. You're soft guys were Tarasenko, Thomas, Bozak and Sandford, and I'd say even those guys with the except of Thomas were capable forecheckers when they wanted to be.

[DawgDad]

Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
Stenberg-Dvorsky-Carbonneau
Stenberg-Danielson(Det)-Neighbours
Stancl-Dean/Finley/Vet FA-Toro

Broberg-Parayko
Lindstein-Mailloux/Jiricek
Ralph/Fisher-Mailloux/Jiricek

Really young on D with that squad. Obviously need to trade for Danielson and nab Stenberg in the draft.

That lineup is too soft. WAY too soft. A lot can happen between now and then. Holloway and Thomas, in particular, need to get healthy and stay healthy. Danielson and one of the Stenbergs are placeholders for moves to be made that could yield very different players.

I don't disagree. There isn't a lot of forecheck in that forward group. When you compare to the 2019 you had Perron, Schwartz, Schenn and ROR in your top 6 and all those guys were hell to play against on the forecheck. They'd hound teams merciless and then you had that backed up by the likes of Maroon, Barby, Sunny and Steen in the bottom six to do the same just with less skill to go along with it. That's 8 of your 12 forwards that were a menace on the forecheck. You're soft guys were Tarasenko, Thomas, Bozak and Sandford, and I'd say even those guys with the except of Thomas were capable forecheckers when they wanted to be.

There is Neighbours, legitimate forechecker. Then there is Holloway, Snuggerud Stenberg, and [for now] Kyrou. None of those guys are punishing forecheckers. Holloway is pretty effective when healthy. Snuggerud is starting to flash forechecking acumen and ability but not consistently. Stenberg, we need to see more of him. Kyrou forechecks like a flea, he can be a pest but he can also be squashed. The Blues, I'd say, need another physical winger who can skate and play above the 4th line. I don't know where Carbonneau lands in this regard.