St. Louis holds the 11th-overall pick in 2026 alongside Thomas and Kyrou contracts extending to 2031, yet risks another decade of Central Division mediocrity without immediate asset accumulation.
Steen inherits Armstrong’s 2026 draft assets
Doug Armstrong passes the GM title to Alexander Steen on July 1, 2026, while retaining the presidency of hockey operations through 2029. The 2026 draft board already shows the Blues selecting at 11th and 15th overall. These mid-first-round slots historically yield role players, not franchise centers, as evidenced by the team’s post-2019 selections.
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou remain under contract through 2031, locking in $8.125 million and $8.125 million annual cap hits respectively. Jordan Binnington enters his final contract year at $6 million. These three players alone represent movable value that could net multiple first-round picks if traded before the July 1 deadline.
Philip Broberg and Jake Neighbours provide the only young core pieces under 25. Adding two more high picks via trades would give Steen four selections inside the top 60 over the next 24 months. Retaining the veterans instead keeps the roster at 88-92 projected points and the 11th-to-15th draft window.
Trading Thomas, Kyrou and Binnington unlocks top-five capital
A retool path keeps Parayko, Fowler and Buchnevich while hoping for incremental improvement. That route produced the 2024-25 season’s 91-point finish and another first-round exit. A rebuild path moves the three core veterans for 2027 and 2028 first-rounders plus prospects, pushing the Blues into the bottom third of the standings for two seasons.
Thomas and Kyrou each carry full no-trade clauses, yet both have publicly stated willingness to waive for contending teams. Binnington’s modified clause covers only ten teams. Moving all three before the 2026 draft allows Steen to package the 11th and 15th selections with those returns to climb into the top five.
The Central Division standings show Winnipeg, Dallas and Colorado occupying the top six projected spots through 2028. Remaining in the middle leaves St. Louis without the lottery odds required for generational talent. Five consecutive 11th-to-15th selections since 2020 have produced zero first-line centers or top-pair defensemen.
2031 roster construction depends on 2026-2028 asset haul
If Steen executes three major trades this summer, the Blues project four first-round picks in 2027 and three more in 2028. That volume historically yields at least one top-pair defenseman and one top-six forward by 2031. Holding the current core projects the same 11th-overall slot in 2031 that the team holds today.
Jimmy Snuggerud and Broberg already sit on entry-level deals expiring in 2027 and 2028. Their development timelines align with the arrival of new first-round talent only if the team clears cap space and roster spots now. Retaining veterans blocks both pathways.
The 2019 Stanley Cup roster averaged 29.4 years of age. By 2026 the core veterans average 31.8 years. Father Time has already compressed the competitive window; extending it further guarantees another five-year rebuild starting in 2031 rather than completing one by then.
By the 2031 draft the Blues will either select inside the top five or repeat the 2019-2025 cycle of 11th-to-15th picks that produced no foundational stars.
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Par Mike Jonderson
Mike Jonderson is a passionate hockey analyst and expert in advanced NHL statistics. A former college player and mathematics graduate, he combines his understanding of the game with technical expertise to develop innovative predictive models and contribute to the evolution of modern hockey analytics.