St. Louis Blues
· 2026-07-01
The St. Louis Blues are gearing up for 2026 NHL Free Agency with a focus on rebuilding their roster.
As of now, they stand 9th in the Western Conference with a 37-33 record, on a W4 streak.
The Blues have had a busy offseason, trading Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals and acquiring Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks.
They also introduced new general manager Alex Steen, who will make his mark on the roster in the upcoming free agency.
The Blues are working on getting younger and stocking their prospect pipeline with fresh talent, having added two NHL projectable centers in Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Dagenais at the 2026 NHL Draft.
This, combined with the McTavish trade, made the weekend a successful event for the team.
With some cap space to work with, the Blues could fill holes in the open market, and one player they must sign is Matt Grzelcyk, a veteran rearguard who can provide depth on the back end.
Grzelcyk is hitting NHL Free Agency for the second consecutive season, having signed with the Chicago Blackhawks last year.
He didn't have the most productive season, but he did dish out 12 assists for the Blackhawks.
The Blues could address their forward group in free agency, but adding depth on the blueline makes more sense, especially with Philip Broberg, Cam Fowler, and Colton Parayko locked into roster spots.
Recent trade pickup Brandon Carlo is also likely locked into a spot, leaving two roster spots up for grabs.
Grzelcyk is the perfect depth signing for the Blues, offering value in multiple facets of the game without costing too much in assets.
He can fire a wicked breakout pass and has no issues transporting the puck up the ice himself.
Grzelcyk is always willing to block a shot, having turned aside 101 shots for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2024-25.
The Blues can roll into the 2026-27 campaign with their current group, but adding Grzelcyk would make a lot of sense, especially with Steen looking to make his mark on the roster.
And with the free agency period beginning soon, the Blues will have the chance to sign Grzelcyk and bolster their roster.
So the focus is on getting the right players to aid the Blues' rebuild in 2026-27.
But the Blues must act quickly to secure Grzelcyk's services, as other teams may also be interested in the veteran rearguard.
The Blues' rebuilding process is underway, and signing Grzelcyk would be a step in the right direction.