The odd man out with the Blues

Looking at the St. Louis Blues, this offseason was a complete overhaul of the center group. The signings of Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael push that position to new heights of expectations.

With that said, the lineup has to look different next season to accommodate the new change. That means that one center is the odd man out. That would be Pius Suter, who had a couple of different scenarios attached to him when training camp starts. 

Let’s talk about them. 

Where to put Suter? 

Obviously, the center position is basically locked up for the first, second, and fourth lines. The second line will be a position battle between McTavish and McMichael. For the third line, it is a bit of a mystery, but Dalibor Dvorsky ultimately deserves the spot to keep him as a valuable center for this organization’s future. 

That leaves Suter out of the middle, but he could be used on the wing. Joining either of the two forwards listed above on that dangerous second line will be either Jake Neighbours or Pavel Buchnevich. We can also not forget about Jonathan Berggren. 

All of those available wingers are going to get playing time over Suter in 2026-27, hence leaving a very awkward conversation to have. It may be best to move on entirely from No. 22 and allow for younger players an avenue to the big leagues.

Moving on before the season starts 

Before the 2026-27 season begins, it is important for the Blues to make a trade involving Suter. There is no way that he can be on this roster, as there are so many other players who need to have the playing time that he takes up.

It is a shame because Suter is a valid player. He showed a ton of promise in the Olympics last season, and his campaign with the Blues was not all that bad, with 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points. Looking at the bigger picture, which extends past this season and into the next era of this franchise, there is no room for No. 22.

He has one more year left on his two-year deal with an AAV of $4.125 million, and he could be a nice gain for someone in need of a 3C or 4C. Suter has the skills, but the Blues just don't have the space. Moving on is the most logical option.