{"id":88472,"date":"2025-08-17T01:22:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T01:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/88472\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T01:22:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T01:22:11","slug":"blues-mailbag-part-1-season-predictions-line-combos-dvorskys-chances-maillouxs-ceiling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/88472\/","title":{"rendered":"Blues mailbag, Part 1: Season predictions, line combos, Dvorsky\u2019s chances, Mailloux\u2019s ceiling"},"content":{"rendered":"

ST. LOUIS \u2014 After spending some of his offseason in sunny Florida, St. Louis Blues associate coach Steve Ott is back in town. He stopped by the \u201cLast Minute Blues Podcast\u201d<\/a> this week, and the excitement from a guy who spent three years playing with the organization and will be entering his ninth season behind the bench was hard to miss.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe excitement, it shows on my face because we have the depth right now, we have the goaltending, we have great leadership,\u201d Ott said. \u201cNow it\u2019s time for the real work. We\u2019re still a month away, but the guys will be rolling in here real quick. They\u2019ll be excited to get up and running again.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a far different scene when Blues coaches and players were rolling out of town last April, after their excruciating Game 7 loss<\/a> to the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the NHL playoffs. But four months removed, they\u2019re using it as motivation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you asked every one of our players how (ticked) off they were to lose that Game 7, we\u2019re all in the same boat,\u201d Ott said. \u201cBut it lit a fire because when you have expectations to win again, that makes you do the extra squat, the extra run, because you don\u2019t want to let the city down. We know the support that we\u2019re getting from St. Louis \u2014 it\u2019s outstanding \u2014 and we want to give it back to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Otter has us FIRED UP for this season. Hear from the Associate Coach on a new episode of the Last Minute Blues Podcast \ud83c\udfa7 https:\/\/t.co\/oyBcxks3JT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/v0zuLMLRky<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) August 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

When the Blues report to training camp in a month, they\u2019ll welcome veterans Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad, who were signed in free agency<\/a>, and Logan Mailloux, who was acquired in the trade<\/a> for Zack Bolduc. They\u2019ll join Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, who were the headline additions last offseason, and a growing core of players ages 21-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe fast-tracking, bringing in Holloway and Broberg, was phenomenal,\u201d Ott said. \u201cIt fast-tracked us that extra year, injecting these young guys into the roster, and now you start bringing in the draft picks. There was the trade with (Bolduc), but we\u2019re getting a young D-man in Mailloux back. It\u2019s neat to see us going through the retool on the fly and getting back to where we have these expectations to win real quick. That\u2019s where we are right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

With that as the backdrop, let\u2019s get to your questions<\/a> in Part 1 of the mailbag.<\/p>\n

Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n

After the Blues outperformed expectations in 2024-25, I\u2019m curious about your thoughts going into this season. \u2014 Luke D.<\/p>\n

I thought the Blues could be a wild-card team last season, so they finished about where I figured. I like them even more this season because of the strong second half and a few other factors.<\/p>\n

No. 1 is having Jim Montgomery in the fold from the first day of training camp. We saw how a couple of weeks off during the 4 Nations Face-Off allowed the coach to get the players on board, so you can imagine what a full offseason will do.<\/p>\n

No. 2 is that the Blues\u2019 culture seemed to be shaping up late in the season. Winning will do that, but I believe the attitude change led to the wins, and the rebuilding of the culture came from that process. It\u2019ll be a new season, but a foundation has been started.<\/p>\n

Regarding the roster, it\u2019s fairly similar, which means they should be competing for one of the two wild cards and perhaps a spot in the top three of the Central Division if all goes well.<\/p>\n

There are some questions and concerns, though. Can Jimmy Snuggerud produce and stay on the top line? Will Brayden Schenn hang on to the No. 2 center spot, and if not, can Suter step up? Can Cam Fowler play at the elite level he did last season? How will Mailloux look in what\u2019s expected to be his first full season in the league?<\/p>\n

So, as usual, lots of intrigue, but overall, I like their chances to be a playoff team.<\/p>\n

Which is most likely to happen:
1. Snuggerud beats out the Montreal Canadiens\u2019 Ivan Demidov for the Calder Trophy.
2. Mailloux plays the second-most power-play moments among defensemen.
3. Holloway gets 70 points.<\/p>\n

\u2014 John N.<\/p>\n

Holloway gets out of bed and puts up 70-plus points. I\u2019ll list Snuggerud winning rookie of the year as a sneaky second. With Mailloux, you have Fowler, Broberg, Justin Faulk and even Colton Parayko who could see more power-play time. I assume the Blues will just want Mailloux to get comfortable in a regular role without adding to his plate.<\/p>\n

Rank in order of most likely to happen:<\/p>\n

Robert Thomas exceeds 100 points
\nJordan Kyrou scores at least 40 goals
\nNathan Walker delivers over 300 hits
\nSnuggerud scores at least 20 goals
\nPavel Buchnevich exceeds 80 points
\nFowler exceeds 50 points
\nJordan Binnington has at least a .910 save percentage
\nThe Blues have seven players score at least 20 goals<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kyle F.<\/p>\n

My order of most likely to happen:<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Blues have seven players score at least 20 goals: Kyrou, Holloway, Jake Neighbours, Thomas, Buchnevich, Schenn, Suter and Snuggerud.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Kyrou scores at least 40 goals: After three straight seasons with 30-plus, he finally breaks through.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Snuggerud scores at least 20 goals: If he plays 50-plus games with Thomas, I\u2019ll say yes.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Thomas exceeds 100 points: I\u2019d have this one higher on the list because he\u2019s capable, but staying healthy and producing consistently is extremely difficult.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Fowler exceeds 50 points: I\u2019m doubting him, but he was on fire last season and got to 40.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Binnington has at least a .910 save percentage: He was .913 two seasons ago and .900 last season. It\u2019ll be tough, but with an improved defense, it\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Buchnevich exceeds 80 points: I\u2019m a little skeptical because he has never done it in his career and is coming off a 57-point season.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Walker delivers over 300 hits: He led the team with 281 hits in 73 games last season. But there\u2019s no need for him to hit more \u2014 just keep doing what he\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Can Jimmy Snuggerud produce and stay on the top line in 2025-26? (Connor Hamilton \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Give us your opening-night lines. \u2014 Bobby R.<\/p>\n

Buchnevich\u2013Thomas\u2013Snuggerud<\/p>\n

Holloway\u2013Schenn\u2013Kyrou<\/p>\n

Neighbours\u2013Suter\u2013Bjugstad<\/p>\n

Alexey Toropchenko\u2013Oskar Sundqvist\u2013Walker<\/p>\n

With the success of the Holloway-Schenn-Kyrou line last season, is there any reason not to start 2025-26 with them together? \u2014 Daniel M.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what Montgomery\u2019s plans are, but you have to, right? According to Natural Stat Trick, the three played 500-plus minutes at five-on-five last season and were on the ice for 29 goals for and 14 against. If the chemistry doesn\u2019t return, mix it up. But unless there\u2019s a development in camp, I don\u2019t see why you wouldn\u2019t put them back together.<\/p>\n

Will Mathieu Joseph and Alexandre Texier still be with the Blues on opening night? \u2014 Harry L.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a good chance they will still be around, and that\u2019s not a bad thing. They each had their moments and struggled last season, but they\u2019re definitely NHL players who can help and provide depth. The Blues didn\u2019t buy them out or waive them, and the players don\u2019t have much trade value. If that\u2019s the case, it\u2019s probably best to just hang on to them.<\/p>\n

What is it that keeps Texier out of the lineup? \u2014 Bob S.<\/p>\n

To me, it\u2019s knowing what you\u2019re going to get from him consistently. He makes a nice play on a goal and then turns two pucks over. He\u2019s tenacious for a stretch and then invisible for a stretch. And where do you play him? He\u2019s not a top-six guy, and he\u2019s not a fourth-liner. If it\u2019s the third line, do you have better options? The Blues do.<\/p>\n

Radek Faksa won 57 percent of his faceoffs last season, and neither Bjugstad nor Suter was even 50 percent. Is this a potential problem? \u2014 Matthew F.<\/p>\n

It could be, yes. The Blues relied on Faksa on the faceoff dot and don\u2019t have a lot to replace him. Bjugstad has been decent in recent years, winning around 50 percent in Arizona and Edmonton, but Suter was below 45 percent the last two seasons in Vancouver. If Walker centers the fourth line, he\u2019s 51.5 percent in his career but has far fewer draws.<\/p>\n

How do you assess Dalibor Dvorsky\u2019s chances of making the team out of camp? \u2014 Andrew A.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d say less than 50 percent. There\u2019s a reason the Blues got Suter and Bjugstad. If Dvorsky has a great camp, perhaps there\u2019s a chance of him starting the season on the wing, but that seems like a long shot. My guess is he\u2019ll start in AHL Springfield, and assuming he picks up where he left off last season, we\u2019ll see him at some point.<\/p>\n

Do the Blues have a backup plan for their second-line center in 2026-27 if Dvorsky isn\u2019t ready? \u2014 Brian R.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a fair question, but so much can happen between now and then. If it\u2019s not Schenn or Suter, the Blues can jump into the free-agency market or find a trade.<\/p>\n

Which young guy do you think breaks out this season? \u2014 Tom L.<\/p>\n

If the options are Snuggerud, Dvorsky and Mailloux, I\u2019ll go with Snuggerud since it appears he\u2019ll get a golden opportunity (deservedly so) to produce on the top line.<\/p>\n

It seems to me that Mailloux is the key to the season. If he\u2019s as good as the Blues think, he fills a major need. If he isn\u2019t, the defense has a big hole. Thoughts? \u2014 Michael P.<\/p>\n

Your points are valid, but if I\u2019m putting together 10 keys to the season, he\u2019s low on the list. The Blues need him to grow into an NHL player, not count on him to make a difference.<\/p>\n

Can Broberg and Mailloux be a top pair soon? \u2014 Tony B.<\/p>\n

Depending on Fowler getting re-signed, I can see Broberg playing with Parayko in the top pair. Mailloux has the potential because of his size, play with the puck and physicality, but first he has to prove he\u2019s a top-four defenseman.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your latest prediction on the next contracts for Holloway and Broberg? \u2014 Todd L.<\/p>\n

If I\u2019m them, I\u2019m looking for $8 million to $9 million AAV. With a new collective bargaining agreement in 2026-27, seven years will be the max. But if they don\u2019t get $8 million to $9 million AAV, they might want a shorter term.<\/p>\n

Do you see any future issues with Broberg\u2019s agent being known for driving up his clients\u2019 AAV or taking a shorter-term deal like with Bowen Byram? \u2014 Todd L.<\/p>\n

His agent is Darren Ferris. I don\u2019t see an issue. Broberg wanted a chance to play, and Ferris found it in St. Louis; Byram wanted a fair contract, and Ferris got that.<\/p>\n

Do you expect Joel Hofer to get more games and Colten Ellis to progress enough in the minors to make Binnington expendable? \u2014 Larry S.<\/p>\n

Binnington has two more seasons left on his contract. I don\u2019t know that the trade return would make a deal worth it, and I don\u2019t think the Blues even know if Ellis is an NHL goalie.<\/p>\n

I keep hearing speculation that the Blues may still be in on trades. Is there anything to it, or is it just summer clickbait? \u2014 Jarrod H.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t heard anything specific. The team\u2019s trade talks with the Buffalo Sabres regarding Byram<\/a> cooled before he re-signed, but all it takes is a phone call. Likewise, clubs still like Kyrou.<\/p>\n

If the Blues\u2019 point total is set at 91.5 for the 2025-26 season, are you over or under? \u2014 James N.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll take the over. They had 92 points two years ago and 96 last season, and they\u2019re certainly comparable lineups, if not better. I can\u2019t wait for Dom Luszczyszyn\u2019s 2025-26 season preview!<\/p>\n

Will the Blues ever have an MVP again? \u2014 Ben S.<\/p>\n

Yes, they will \u2026 maybe? I still believe Thomas has a chance, but it goes to show you that stars are tough to find when you don\u2019t draft high and free agents want to get paid.<\/p>\n

It feels like an entire generation of Blues fans has missed out on seeing a star. Are there negative impacts to the organization\u2019s not having one? \u2014 Chris B.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re not wrong. The negatives would be not having someone who could\u2019ve single-handedly led the club to more success, young fans who don\u2019t have a guy to say, \u201cI saw him play,\u201d and ownership who could\u2019ve counted on the ticket sales.<\/p>\n

(Top photo of Steve Ott: Jeff Vinnick \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n