The 2026-27 season hasn’t started perfectly for the St. Louis Blues, but early returns on their biggest offseason move make this team look promising.
A first impression is a lasting one, and Mason McTavish has already endeared himself to Blues fans. Traded at the 2026 NHL Draft for picks No. 15 (Detroit) and 29 (Colorado via NY Islanders), the pressure was on McTavish to help the Blues prove that last year’s slide was a blip on the radar.
He is rising to the occasion.
McTavish and Connor McMichael Already Have Chemistry
It took 94 seconds for McTavish to get on the board with the Blues, getting to the front of the net in Dallas and showing off his knack for finishing in tight. Through five games, McTavish has two goals and two assists. McTavish is creating quick chemistry with fellow newcomer Connor McMichael on the second line. These two complement each other due to their net-front presence and shot-first mindset, both finishing last season with over 140 shots on goal.
The line didn’t skip a beat when Pavel Buchnevich got swapped on their wing for Jonatan Berggren. Berggren’s rebound finish on Saturday proved to be the game-winner over the Blue Jackets.
Analytics suggest that McTavish’s strong start could be even better, as he leads the team in numerous stats including expected goals per 60 minutes, points per 60, and on-ice goal percentage.
The offensive skill was never the issue with McTavish. The problems arose in his 200-foot game and speed. It’s a small sample size, but McTavish is playing a better defensive game than in any of his years in Anaheim.
The Blues have largely controlled play while McTavish has been on the ice. With McTavish, the Blues have a 58% Corsi percentage, meaning the percentage of shot attempts the Blues are making when he is on the ice. McTavish is also generating a 63.4% on-ice expected goal percentage. This means he is creating high-quality scoring chances.
McTavish Answers Depth Scoring Questions
McTavish is an extremely welcome change for the Blues, who have struggled with depth scoring for years. Even though the season has started slowly, much of the blame has gone to the top line of Dylan Holloway, Robert Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud, who have been quiet for the first four games.
That first line finally got going Saturday against the Blue Jackets, as Snuggerud scored twice and Holloway had three assists. Now that the Blues have a strong second line centered by McTavish, this team can trust their depth and score some more goals this season.
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