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ST. LOUIS – From the moment that agonizing, excruciating loss against the Winnipeg Jets ended their season in May, the St. Louis Blues have counted down the days until they can begin the process of growing from such an experience and rectifying the agony.

That time has come with the 2025-26 season opener on Thursday when the Blues entertain the Minnesota Wild (7 p.m.; FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

When the puck drops, the Blues want to get off on the front foot and regain the momentum they had at the end of the regular season when they made it into the playoffs as the second wild card but lost to the Jets in seven games, a 4-3 double overtime loss, despite leading game 7 3-1 with two minutes remaining.

That stench probably sits in many players’ minds, and knowing it all gets going for real tonight makes it even more meaningful to start off on the right foot.

“It makes your life a lot easier when you start out good,” Blues center Robert Thomas said. “I think every team wants to get a good start so they don’t have to do that on the back half. We feel like we can keep that momentum going from last year. The majority of the team’s the same except for a couple new pieces who are really excited. We’re really excited to have them. We feel like we can keep that momentum going and put ourselves in a good spot in December, January.”

Enterprise Center will be loud. It was loud during the playoff series against the Jets, and Blues coach Jim Montgomery said home ice dominance will be imperative.

“We know we love playing in front of our great fans,” he said. “We know it’s going to be loud here tonight. It’s our job to make sure they stay loud.

“I think it’s really playing on your toes and trying to get to our identity as quick as we can. Teams like Minnesota, they got to their identity right away. They had a great start. That’s the way you want to start is get to your identity. Having watched a lot of games over the last two nights, you see some teams that are playing slow and the teams that are playing fast and to their identity know what they’re doing when they get to the puck. They’re playing fast and it’s pretty evident that they’re a little bit ahead of the curve.”

There’s been a certain style of play that makes Montgomery feel good that this group can, and will, start off well.

“How sharp our goalies and defensemen have been,” the coach said. “I think that’s what gives me confidence that we’re going to start off well and we’re going to get to our identity pretty quick. Our defensemen are long, they skate pretty well, their gaps have been really good and our physicality has gone up in our D-corps. That gives me a lot of confidence and when you have (Jordan) Binnington in there, someone that is just serene in nets how calm he makes the rest of us. That’s something that obviously gives you confidence you can get off to a good start.”

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Since the Blues know what they’re going to get from the defense and goaltending, or at least Montgomery believes, they could use a jolt from their top-line players, like Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Jimmy Snuggerud, who will be looked upon to supply a load of the firepower.

And what needs to happen for that to be optimal?

“I think possession, having the puck, being all over the puck,” Thomas said. “There’s nights where even if you’re trying to make a play, it gets tipped but you’re so quick and you’re on it again. That’s what makes us really successful is we can make plays off the rush and we can do that every night, but in the zone, those broken plays, being on pucks, spreading it around, making teams try and defend us, I think that’s what creates our really good nights.”

It was pretty clear that Thomas and Snuggerud have developed quite the chemistry already.

“It’s pretty easy. He’s got a great shot. He’s fast,” Thomas said. “He can make that extra move to get into a scoring chance and shoot it. Me and ‘Buchy’ have played together four years. It definitely takes time, but we’re happy to have him, he’s going to be a big part of our future. It’s a great time to get it rolling.”

For Snuggerud, who has the potential to be a Calder Trophy candidate, just be ready to shoot the puck.

“Expect the puck at all times, that’s No. 1. And No. 2, get yourself in position to score, whether it’s off the rush, driving backdoor, whether it’s in the offensive zone getting inside the dots, not outside the dots so when he gives it to you, you’ve upgraded your scoring opportunity,” Montgomery said.

And for Buchnevich?

“I think he’s done everything he has to do as far as being in real good shape, being healthy right now,” Montgomery said. “And then the rest is just trusting his instincts. Another guy with high-end offensive and defensive instincts. Him just trusting what he sees and natural second- and third-effort with his health, I think we’re going to get the type of player that complements those guys well and they complement him really well.”

Thomas will put up the numbers, undoubtedly, but what about those tough matchups, like the one he will get with Kirill Kaprizov, who just recently signed the biggest contract in NHL history ($17 million average annual value for eight years)?

“Obviously he’s one of the top players in the league, so creative,” Thomas said of Kaprizov. “He finds ways to score, not just by shooting but by tips, by positioning himself. He’s very slippery, he finds those quiet areas really well and everyone kind of looks for him. It’s a really tough test, it’s exciting to get a test like that right off the first game of the season. I’m excited for it.

“Whatever helps get the win. Every night’s different, whether you try and produce more or try and just be overall better. It kind of depends on the night. If you can come out with a win and either of those happen, then you can be happy with it.”

On Kaprizov, Montgomery said, “What separates him, I don’t know if it separates him from the great players. The great players, they’re all ultra-competitive, they all want the puck, they don’t stop until they get the puck. His ability to drive offense as a winger is very similar to (Artemi) Panarin and (David) Pastrnak, guys that even if they don’t have, and I’m not saying he doesn’t have it, I’m just saying all these guys I’ve seen them do it without your prototypical {Aleksander) Barkov, (Nathan) MacKinnon or (Connor) McDavid at center, they assume role and they carry the puck through the neutral zone. So they almost as a winger, they act like a center. And then just how dangerous he is everywhere. He scores goals, the beautiful goals, the one-timers, the off-the-rush goals and he’s really dangerous and really persistent in getting to the net front in the O-zone. There’s a lot of ways and you have to be aware of him. Defensemen have to be aware of him, forwards have to be aware of him.”

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Thursday marks the debut of defenseman Logan Mailloux, who was acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Bolduc, who scored in his Canadiens debut on Wednesday, on July 1.

Mailloux will be paired with Tyler Tucker, and has enjoyed every minute since his arrival.

“It’s more excitement than anything,” Mailloux said. “I think I’m just looking forward to getting some games and then get back to the schedule of a season. I haven’t played 82 games either so it’s going to be a lot. It’s good because after the summer break, you’re kind of itching to get back to playing games and stuff like that. I’m definitely more excited than nervous.

“It’s definitely a different style of play (in St. Louis). I feel like all of the defensemen are pretty involved here, whether it’s jumping in the rush. I’m not saying that they aren’t in Montreal. Obviously there’s some skilled offensive defensemen there, but I feel like it’;s how our system works where it’s a five-man unit. All the guys are going whether it’s off of breakouts or in the O-zone play.”

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Blues Projected Lineup:

Pavel Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud

Dylan Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou

Jake Neighbours-Pius Suter-Mathieu Joseph

Alexey Toropchenko-Nick Bjugstad-Nathan Walker

Cam Fowler-Colton Parayko

Philip Broberg-Justin Faulk

Tyler Tucker-Logan Mailloux

Jordan Binnington will start in goal; Joel Hofer will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Alexandre Texier and Matthew Kessel. Oskar Sundqvist (lower body) is considered week to week and will miss at least the first three games.

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Wild Projected Lineup:

Kirill Kaprizov-Marco Rossi-Matt Boldy

Marcus Foligno-Joel Eriksson Ek-Vladimir Tarasenko

Yakov Trenin-Ryan Hartman-Marcus Johansson

Liam Ohgren-Hunter Haight-Vinnie Hinostroza

Jacob Middleton-Brock Faber

Zeev Buium-Jared Spurgeon

Zack Bogosian-David Jiricek

Filip Gustavsson will start in goal; Jesper Wallstedt will be the backup.

Healthy scratches include Daemon Hunt and Danila Yurov. Jonas Brodin (upper body), Mats Zuccarello (lower body) and Nico Sturm (back) are out.

Blues Have Experience On Defense, It Will Be Key For Tucker, Mailloux To Make Group WholeMARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When the puck drops on the 2025-26 season for the St. Louis Blues against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, they will introduce what they hope are a pair of mainstays on the blue line for some time. Jim Montgomery To Reunite Most Prolific Line Down Stretch Last Season For BluesMARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Jim Montgomery knew all along. Blues Know Jordan Binnington Is Elite, Yet Goalie Has To Prove Once Again He's One Of The BestST. LOUIS – The NHL season for 2025-26 drops the puck on Tuesday. For the St. Louis Blues, it opens Thursday at home against the Minnesota Wild.

Both J.T. Miller and Artemi Panarin had to shake off some rust during the New York Rangers’ season opener on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Miller suffered a lower-body injury during the second half of training camp and missed the last few games of the preseason and multiple practices. 

On Tuesday night, Miller just didn’t look right, and he admitted that he’s still working through his injury. 

“Not great. Kind of what I expected,” Miller said about how he was feeling during the Rangers’ first regular-season game. “Legs were heavy today. I haven’t been having a whole lot of reps, but that'll come with time. I know I'll be better next game.”

Panarin also suffered a lower-body injury during training camp, which caused him to miss the entirety of the preseason. 

It’s unclear whether Panarin is one hundred percent healthy or not, but the months without participating in any game action were clearly evident in his play. 

“It’s not an excuse, but obviously first game played in like five months, it’s not easy, but it is what it is,” Panarin said. “Try being better next game.”

Mike Sullivan is not worried about his two-star forwards. 

The Rangers' head coach believes the time Miller and Panarin missed did impact them, but it’s only a matter of time before they return to their regular form.

Matt Rempe Is Being Given An Opportunnity To Show He's More Than Just An Enforcer It feels as if Matt Rempe is transforming into more than just an enforcer right before our very eyes. 

“We're gonna have to take it day by day. Obviously, J.T. missed a fair amount of training camp, as did Bread,” said Sullivan. “So, those two guys are jumping on a moving train, and when you miss that much time, it's not easy to jump back into an NHL game at NHL pace, even from a conditioning standpoint. 

“I think those guys will get better with every game they play. I think they'll get better with timing and reads and all of those things. We'll take each day as it comes, and we'll try to manage it accordingly.”

Miller and Panarin are both set to play on Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres.

The new interesting batch of NHL rookies look to make their mark early in the season.

Whether it's a Calder Trophy front-runner or a surprise addition to the roster, over two-thirds of the NHL's squads had rookies on the opening day roster.

After looking at the Western Conference earlier, let’s examine those in the Eastern Conference.

Boston Bruins

Fraser Minten (C/LW)

Minten appeared in the Bruins' season opener on Wednesday. Although he was held off the scoresheet, he generated a couple of scoring chances, according to naturalstatrick.com. The Bruins acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs last trade deadline, and while he projects as a third-line center down the road, he may have already earned that role. Minten can make some simple but smart plays on offense.

Carolina Hurricanes

Alexander Nikishin (D)

Nikishin joined the Hurricanes for the playoffs last year after scoring 46 points in 61 KHL games, but he'll play his first regular-season NHL matchups this fall.

Nikishin had the most goals by a defenseman in the KHL in 2023-24 and the most points by a defenseman in 2023-24 and 2024-25. In the pre-season, he had a goal and three points in four games. While it may be tougher to score from the blueline in the NHL than the KHL, we'll see whether Nikishin can keep up his scoring on a pair with Shayne Gostisbehere.

Detroit Red Wings

Emmitt Finnie (LW), Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (RW), Axel Sandin-Pellikka (D)

With three rookies on the roster to open the season, the Red Wings are finally inserting the young talent fans have been waiting for. The most surprising of the bunch is 2023 seventh-round pick Emmitt Finnie. His hard-working game and the chemistry he’s shown with the Wings’ top players has given him not only the chance to make the roster but play on the top line. He’s going to be the worker in the corners and at the net front, allowing the stars to do their thing, but he’s playing his role.

Brandsegg-Nygard and Sandin-Pellikka making the roster already was a bit of a surprise, but they certainly earned it in camp.

Brandsegg-Nygard is a true do-it-all winger who can play in the middle six and provide a nice blend of skill and physicality. Sandin-Pellikka is a silky smooth puck-moving defender who can be used on the power play as well as driving some offense from the back end at even strength. The two first-rounders are set to be exciting additions to this team and could be the type of pieces that help get them back into post-season contention.

Montreal Canadiens

Ivan Demidov (RW), Oliver Kapanen (C), Jakub Dobes (G)

The Calder Trophy is Ivan Demidov’s to lose in the eyes of most around the hockey world. The incredibly dynamic and skilled Russian winger showed us exactly why he was such a highly touted prospect when he joined the Habs last season. He immediately electrified the Habs' fan base and brought a level of skill to the lineup that they haven’t had in a long time. Demidov’s rookie season could be one of the best we’ve seen in years. It’s certainly going to be fun to watch.

Oliver Kapanen made the lineup as a moderate surprise, but his responsible two-way play and sound pro-style game earned him a spot in camp. He got a shot on the second line with Demidov and Alex Newhook in the season opener. Kapanen will be the defensive presence for two guys who can fly up and down the ice.

New Jersey Devils 

Arseny Gritsyuk (RW)

The Twittersphere has long been a fan of the uber-skilled and silky smooth Arseny Gritsyuk. His highlights have been a fixture online for a few years now, so there are heightened expectations for the young Russian now that he’s in New Jersey. He’ll start in the bottom six, but expect him to find his way into scoring roles as the season goes on. 

New York Islanders

Matthew Schaefer (D), Maxim Shabanov (LW)

The first overall pick this past June is going from 26 total games spread over the OHL and international competition last season to a likely top four role in the NHL. Schaefer is a stellar two-way defender who has the mobility and intellect to jump right into the league. He could assert himself as the Isles’ best defenseman by season’s end.

Shabanov joins the Islanders as a 25-year-old rookie after a few really solid years in the KHL. Although undersized, his skill and hockey sense allow him to constantly find himself in position to make plays in the offensive end. He could be a sneaky dark horse Calder candidate.

New York Rangers

Noah Laba (C)

Despite Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann being expected to make the team, the Rangers seemed to shock everyone when those two were sent to the AHL and Noah Laba was the lone rookie to play for them on opening night.

Laba joined the AHL's Hartford Wolfpack last year after his junior college season and looked solid. His pre-season was very good with the Rangers, and he earned him a bottom-six center role to open his first full pro season. He must continue to earn his spot, but the Rangers may have found a sneaky addition. 

Philadelphia Flyers

Adam Ginning (D), Nikita Grebenkin (RW), Jett Luchanko (C)

After making the roster out of camp last year before getting sent back to the OHL, Jett Luchanko looks to be in a similar spot as last season. He isn’t promised a spot, and he will have to earn his role, likely in the bottom six.

He and Nikita Grebenkin appear to be healthy scratches to start the season, but we could see both of them unseat veterans on the way to full-time spots in the lineup.

Adam Ginning is a bit of a surprise to make the roster, but a weak blueline and a strong camp earned him a job on the third pair.

NHL Rookies Who Made Opening Day Lineups In The West: Sennecke, Misa, Savoie And MoreThe new NHL season brings a new crop of rookies.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Ville Koivunen (LW), Ben Kindel (C/W), Harrison Brunicke (D), Arturs Silovs (G)

The Pens are welcoming in a trio of young, talented players, headlined by Ben Kindel, the 11th overall pick in this past June’s draft. A highly talented playmaker who really seems to understand the nuances of how to generate offense, Kindel has had an outstanding training camp and earned the third-line center job. 

Ville Koivunen was acquired in the Jake Guentzel trade a couple of years ago, and he’s been gifted the opportunity to play alongside Sidney Crosby to start the season. His intelligence and tactical play could make him a perfect fit alongside the franchise legend. 

On the back end, Brunicke has found his way onto the roster a year after being drafted. His game is built around his skating and mobility. It will be interesting to see how he handles the physicality of the NHL.

Brunicke and Kindel may only see the nine games a player can see without burning a year of their entry-level contract, but it will be invaluable experience for both of them.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Jack Finley (C)

The Lightning need some young talent to play roles in their lineup as the Stanley Cup core starts to age. Finley won’t be a stud for this team, but he has been on the rise over the last couple of seasons, and now, he looks like a guy fully capable of playing minutes in the bottom six. He has been getting plenty of praise in camp for his faceoffs and his power game. 

NHL Calder Trophy Tracker: Canadiens' Demidov Leads Pre-Training Camp Rookie RaceThis year's NHL Calder Trophy race will be fun, and we're getting closer to the start line.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Easton Cowan (RW)

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't added an impact rookie in quite some time. Easton Cowan has the potential to be that kind of player, but it might be a year early. He looks slated to play in the bottom six after looking very good alongside Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton. With the injury to the latter, Cowan is a victim of the roster shuffle it seems as he starts as the 13th forward. If he doesn't find his way into the lineup, the AHL could be the landing place, but for now, he's on the NHL club. 

Washington Capitals

Ryan Leonard (RW)

We saw glimpses of the bull in a china shop that Ryan Leonard is at the end of last season but it never fully came together offensively for the former NTDP star. With a full summer of training and the experience of a short stint to end last season, we should see Leonard take a big step as he plays a full-time role with the Washington Capitals. His blend of physicality and skill is unbelievable at times and if he can find his groove, he’s going to be a handful. 

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