As the St. Louis Blues prepare for the 2025-26 NHL season, training camp is buzzing with excitement. The team mixes proven stars, seasoned veterans, and promising young players building a strong lineup for a tough Central Division battle.
The updated projection breaks down the forwards, defense, and goalies and while a majority of the players are locks for the opening night roster, there are still a few bubble players looking to earn an NHL role.
Forward Group
The Blues' forwards are all but locked up with next to no room available for incoming players.
Locks: Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Brayden Schenn, Pius Suter, Jake Neighbours, Nick Bjugstad, Alexey Toropchenko, Oskar Sundqvist, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Nathan Walker.
Kyrou, Thomas, and Holloway lead with their quick plays and scoring. Buchnevich and Schenn will lead with their veteran experience, goal-scoring, and two-way play. Neighbours and Toropchenko provide toughness on the wings. The bottom lines get help from Bjugstad, Sundqvist, and Walker, who handle hard shifts well.
On the bubble: Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Texier, Milan Lucic, Nikita Alexandrov, and Dalibor Dvorsky.
Joseph and Texier could rotate as extras or fill in next to Sundqvist. They're fast and great at killing penalties. Lucic offers size but needs to show he can match the game's speed. Alexandrov did well on the wing in the AHL and to earn an NHL spot, he will need to show he can be defensively responsible while maybe playing maybe as a center. He and Dvorsky will likely start in the AHL with Springfield to grow more. A strong camp could change that though.
This forward corps shows real reliability, with bubble players providing flexibility to handle injuries or slumps. If the locks stay healthy, this could be one of the Blues' deepest groups in recent years.
Defenders
The defense has a reliable backbone, if everything goes according to plan.
Locks: Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko, Philip Broberg, Cam Fowler, and Tyler Tucker. Fowler and Parayko are a tough pair for shutting down top lines. Broberg and Faulk add scoring from the back. Tucker has shown true potential, especially given his elevated role in the 2025 postseason.
On the Bubble: Logan Mailloux and Matt Kessel. Mailloux is basically a lock—he's ready for the NHL and should win his spot in camp. For now, it's just a label, but expect him in St. Louis opening night, boosting the right side. Kessel could push for time too and has shown reliability and needs to continue his growth.
Goaltenders:
Locks: Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer are locked in. Binnington is the main starter, with Hofer proving he's a strong backup, making them a solid 1A-1B pair. Binnington was a lock for the post-Four Nations tournament, and Hofer will need to continue to elevate his game as he could look to take on more of a workload with Binnington now 32 years old. We will see how the Stanley Cup-winning netminder ages.
On the Bubble: Colten Ellis. He's shone in the AHL and could very likely get himself a role elsewhere in the NHL. But with the top two set, he'll likely head to Springfield. Still, he's ready for call-ups if needed due to struggles or injuries.