Twelve games into the 2025–26 season, the St. Louis Blues find themselves at 3–7–2, searching for answers. The losses have piled up, the production has lagged behind expectation, and the contrast between cost and output has grown impossible to ignore.
This isn’t a team without effort — or without leadership — but it is one struggling to live up to the weight of its own payroll. With more than $95 million committed and nearly $40 million tied up in four forwards, the early returns tell a story of imbalance: the stars are underdelivering, while the bargains are carrying the load.
The Bright Spots
If there’s a silver lining to this start, it’s found in the contracts that aren’t breaking the bank.
Jake Neighbours has been a revelation before his injury, scoring six goals in just eight games and injecting life into every shift. For a $3.75 million bridge deal, he’s offered first-line intensity and finish — the kind of impact that makes general managers look smart.
Nothing beats a Jake 2 (goal) holiday pic.twitter.com/I3DfdSoq2l
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 26, 2025
Pius Suter has also been a steadying presence. His $4.13 million deal may not draw headlines, but his two-way reliability and seven points make him one of the most dependable pieces on a roster full of question marks.
Then there’s Jimmy Snuggerud, the rookie who’s already making his presence felt with four goals and seven points. On an entry-level deal, his composure and scoring instincts have turned heads already showing long-term value far beyond his contract.
Even Nick Bjugstad who signed for $1.75 million continues to play his role with quiet consistency. He wins pucks, holds the line defensively, and chips in timely goals. While this season has been defined by frustration, players like these are delivering every bit of what they were paid for, and then some.
The Core Under Pressure
No group defines the team’s struggles more than its core four: Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Pavel Buchnevich, and Brayden Schenn.
At a combined cap hit of roughly $31 million, they represent the identity of this era of Blues hockey — and their performances have ranged from solid to subpar.
Thomas has been steady but unspectacular, producing six points before a day-to-day injury sidelined him. His faceoff win rate (49.3%) is slightly below his career norm (51.5%), and his team-worst Corsi For of 45.95% leaves much to be desired. Still, his playmaking and composure remain central to the offense.
Kyrou, with eight points in twelve games, leads the team in scoring but not in consistency. His $8.13 million salary demands game-breaking impact, not flashes. The skill is undeniable, but he hasn’t yet become the kind of star who elevates the group around him.
Buchnevich, in the first year of his new six-year, $48m contract sits in the middle of the pack statistically with six points and a -8 rating, but context matters. He’s been active, generating high-danger looks and being denied point-blank on several occasions. The process is there; the results just haven’t followed yet.
Then there’s Brayden Schenn, the captain whose numbers don’t tell his story. His five points and -13 rating are tough to defend on paper, but Schenn’s impact has come through tone-setting moments: throwing a hit after a bad shift, dropping the gloves when the team needs energy, or scoring a timely goal when momentum hangs in the balance. His leadership and willingness to shoulder the fight (literally and figuratively) have made him one of the few emotional constants in a shaky start.
The Secondary Market
Behind the headline names, players like Dylan Holloway and Mathieu Joseph have quietly started to find traction. Holloway’s four points in his last five games hint at growing confidence, and his $2.29 million cap hit looks fair for a young forward still learning to drive the play. He was a massive component to the Blues offense last season and will need to find his way to producing like a core member of the offense, rather than a secondary form of offense.
Joseph, meanwhile, has been one of the team’s better possession players (54.1 CF%, sixth-best on the roster) and a key contributor on the penalty kill. His offense hasn’t popped, but his all-around reliability is earning trust.
Not everyone in this tier is trending upward, though. Alexandre Texier (46.02 CF%) has yet to find his rhythm, struggling to maintain puck possession and chemistry. Alexei Toropchenko and Oskar Sundqvist have provided mixed returns, one offering energy without finish, the other steady production before an injury cut his stretch short.
On the Blue Line and In Net
The defense, carrying several expensive contracts, has been adequate at best.
Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk continue to eat major minutes, but neither is offering the shutdown presence or puck-driving ability expected at $6.5 million apiece. Cam Fowler, also at $6.5 million, has yet to find his footing after joining the club, sitting at -8 and struggling in coverage.
Philip Broberg has held his own in a middle-pair role, showing flashes of smooth puck-moving and confidence in transition, but struggled out of the gate. His $4.58M (RFA after 2026) hit is a of an overpay based on his production so far this year. He’s been steady overall despite not driving play, yet not hurting the team either. The foundation is there; consistency will determine whether this deal becomes value or overpay.
The Blues’ back end has been a revolving door early on, with young defensemen fighting for stable footing. Two players at the heart of that battle with Logan Mailloux and Matt Kessel have had contrasting starts.
Mailloux’s -9 rating and tentative play have bogged down the defenseman and there’s clearly still some adjusting to NHL pace, while Kessel’s calm, low-event style has earned quiet trust from coaches. Both carry sub-$1M cap hits, keeping the risk manageable, but only one has looked ready for consistent NHL duty so far.
Depth defenseman and third-pairing Tyler Tucker has embraced his role as the club’s enforcer and tone-setter, willing to drop the gloves or throw a timely hit when the team needs energy. Beyond the toughness, he’s defended well on the third pair — steady positioning, low-risk plays, and reliable shifts for league-minimum money.
In goal, Jordan Binnington’s 3.21 GAA and .860 save percentage reflect the story of the season: a few brilliant saves overshadowed by too many soft ones. His $6 million deal carries starter expectations, and through October, he hasn’t met them. The potential heir to the throne, Joel Hofer has struggled quite a bit to start the season like the rest of his team. Though he has turned around some of his play, including his most recent 32/35 save performance, Hofer will need to string together more timely saves to help his teammates.
The Bigger Picture: Cap Efficiency Under Strain
The numbers tell a simple truth: the Blues’ payroll is top-heavy and underperforming.
- Their five highest-paid forwards (Kyrou, Thomas, Buchnevich, Schenn, Suter) combine for just 34 points through 12 games.
- Meanwhile, their three best value contracts in Neighbours, Snuggerud, and Bjugstad account for 18 points at one-sixth of the cost.
The imbalance is glaring. The effort level isn’t the issue, the execution is. When your best-paid players are breaking even while your cheapest ones drive production, the roster equation becomes unsustainable.
Where It Goes From Here
There’s no question this team has leadership, heart, and flashes of potential. The majority of the team that went to the postseason in 2025 largely returned for the 2025-26 season but has showed difficulty to overcome adversity. To climb out of a 3–7–2 hole, the Blues need their top end to play to their pay grade. That doesn’t mean ignoring the positives taken away early in the season but it does mean rediscovering identity at the top of the lineup.
If Buchnevich starts finishing the chances he’s creating, if Kyrou finds season-long consistency, Holloway rediscovers his scoring touch, Fowler reclaims his defensive stability, and if Binnington and Hofer’s play stabilizes, the numbers could swing quickly. But if not, this version of the Blues will remain what it’s been so far — a talented, expensive team with too many passengers and not enough payoff.