3 questions facing St. Louis Blues

NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the St. Louis Blues.

1. Can they use the Game 7 loss to the Winnipeg Jets as motivation?

In a word, yes.

The Blues felt they were better than the Jets as a whole throughout the Western Conference First Round series and have had that final game -- a 4-3 double-overtime loss in which they blew a two-goal lead in the final 1:56 of regulation -- sit agonizingly in their stomachs throughout the offseason.

“We made great progress this year and I feel like we took a big step as a team,“ Blues forward Robert Thomas said. “A lot of people as well took big steps. Yeah it's promising, looking forward. It definitely [stinks], but looking forward, there's a lot to be excited about and I think everyone can see it and feel it. That's what gets you to move on is looking forward.”

2. Does having Jim Montgomery as coach for the long term give them a better outlook?

Montgomery, hired on Nov. 25, 2024, was brought in 22 games into last season and guided a run that saw St. Louis end a two-season Stanley Cup Playoff drought.

Learning on the fly was an adjustment for everyone, but a full offseason of planning and implementing Montgomery's system during training camp should be a great benefit to all involved.

“We've got to come here and have a really good camp so we start on time and we're not chasing a playoff spot but end one,“ Montgomery said. “If you look at the teams that usually start really well, right from first game, you look at (the) Washington (Capitals) and Winnipeg this year, they started great and they were great all year. Finished first in each conference.

"Those are the things we've got to try and do and build upon because we were that for two or three months, and I think the playoffs was a growing opportunity for us. We have to learn to hold onto leads better, we have to learn how to handle big moments where the pressure really gets raised, especially on the road. And those are things where everybody got valuable experience with, and I think that's going to be really important as we move forward as an organization.”

3. Can Logan Mailloux become the top-four defenseman they have been looking for?

St. Louis gave up what was a terrific young forward in Zack Bolduc because it felt it had a surplus of solid wingers with a need to shore up their blue line by getting bigger and younger, particularly a right-handed shot.

In Mailloux (6-foot-3, 213 pounds), the Blues will give the 22-year-old all the runway needed to grow into a top-four defenseman.

“They’ve got a good team there," Mailloux said of St. Louis. "It’s pretty exciting to see what they have going on. Got a bunch of young talent, some guys who’ve put up some really good seasons and some young guys who are up-and-coming as well. I think, hopefully, I fit right in with that age group as well. I’m really excited to get going and hopefully win some games for a long time here."