Blues, Predators still lack answers about future

The St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators might not be out of the race for the Stanley Cup playoffs, but their short and long-term futures remain in question as the 2025-26 NHL season passes its midway mark. 

On Thursday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, hosts Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton went through the Central Division, giving report cards to each team by tiers, leaving the Blues and Nashville in a tier slightly below the middle of the division. 

Tyler Yaremchuk: Nashville and St. Louis are two teams coming off really disappointing ends to their seasons last year. Nashville never had a hope at the playoffs, but both of these teams kind of came in with — I don’t even want to call them expectations — but I think the fanbases just wanted an answer either way. If you’re a fan of the Predators or the Blues, it was like, either establish yourself as being a legit playoff team or bottom out, so we know what we have here. 

I honestly think, and we gave them both C- grades just because they are somewhat in the mix, right? It would be unfair to say that they’re an F, but I also think now you’re sitting here, and you still don’t have an answer, you’re still in the mushy middle. Should you rebuild? Should you sell? Should you add? Neither team got answers in the first half of the year.

Carter Hutton: I agree. You’re almost better off being the Winnipeg Jets or Vancouver Canucks in that Western Conference and knowing who we are this year, as in, let’s just plant our flag, get a better pick, and look toward the future. 

I think if you’re a fan base, it’s hard to swallow that, right? Because you want success, you want to be in the hunt. It’s a little bittersweet for St. Louis, as you look at their exit last year against the Winnipeg Jets, being a few seconds away from advancing to the second round, and at a very successful season. 

When I look at those rosters, it’s like, what does St. Louis really bring to the table at this point? There are some guys who are long in the tooth. There are certain players they’re holding on to; maybe some guys move out. I think the same goes for the Predators. I think, as of late, Steven Stamkos has been good. He’s playing with pride, he’s blocking shots, he’s doing all those other things, but where is my team of the future, and what is the plan here? I think it’s a bit worrisome for the staff and the fan bases of both teams.

You can catch the whole Central Division report card segment and the rest of Thursday’s show here…