Major change was always coming for the Blues.
They were always going to retool their roster and break up the remaining Stanley Cup nucleus. They were going to transition to a younger team with new faces and fresh leadership.
Time marches on in the NHL. The game has gotten faster and the competitive balance has become greater.
General manager Doug Armstrong wanted at least one more run with proud veterans still in place, but, as he noted last week, the players will tell him when the run is over.
Eight consecutive regulation losses after Tuesday night's defeat in Philadelphia spoke volumes.
While this group has not reached the end of the line just yet, it can see the last stop from its current location. Only a dramatic turn and a sustained surge would keep this group in the race.
Otherwise, it will be time to start working on the future.
The Blues began moving to their next stage by securing young forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou to matching eight-year, $65 million contracts. Such dynamic talent is hard to acquire for teams lacking lottery picks.
They are the new foundation of the franchise. They are the reason why the Blues will retool, not rebuild, when it's time to go forward.
The Blues could not withstand the sort of painful tank-and-rebuild process that other markets have suffered. St. Louis loves its hockey, but it not would support years of futility while the franchise started over from scratch.
So the challenge for Armstrong would be to retool on the fly while keeping a competitive team on the ice.
If the process must begin this season, then we'll likely see the last of Vladimir Tarasenko and captain Ryan O'Reilly as Blues. Both have expiring contracts and both are headed to unrestricted free agency.
Even if the salary cap jumps $4 million to $4.5 million as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman hopes, fitting these two under it would be difficult.
Tarasenko seems ready to test the market, given the past signals from his camp. If the Blues continue on their current trail, Armstrong could ask if he would waive his no-trade protection to move to a contender to complete a trade.
O'Reilly is a tougher case, given his leadership value. He was the catalyst for the team's Cup run and he has been a positive tone-setter since his arrival.
But he turns 32 this season. This game gets faster all the time and O'Reilly doesn't. Despite his early-season struggles, contenders would covet him to fill a matchup role in preseason play.
Earlier in his tenure Armstrong traded Kevin Shattenkirk and Paul Stastny and their expiring contracts. He could move Tarasenko and O'Reilly for more picks in the deep 2023 NHL Draft, plus prospects, to expedite the makeover.
The Blues still have forward depth despite losing David Perron. Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad are locked into right-sized deals. Brayden Schenn's long-term contract will keep a strong veteran presence in place.
Beyond Kyrou and Thomas, the Blues have some candidates for the team's future core. Rookie winger Jake Neighbours could be a nice long-term fit with his strong two-way play.
Forward Zachary Bolduc is tearing up the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League again, as you would expect, and he could be at least a power-play asset by next season while trying to grow into a scoring line role.
Human missile Alexey Toropchenko should fill a bottom six forward role for some time. Perhaps heady Nikita Alexandrov, who has followed a strong training camp with a good start in the American Hockey League, can do the same.
Winger Jimmy Snuggerud, the 23rd overall pick in 2022, has started well at the University of Minnesota. He has good skill and hockey sense, so he could earn a scoring line role if his skating improves.
Goaltender Joel Hofer hopes to finish his development in the AHL this season so he can secure NHL work next season. He has the size, tracking ability and athleticism to succeed, but his game still needs some cleanup before he moves in behind the ever-feisty Jordan Binnington.
Vadim Zherenko, a seventh-round goaltending find, will be worth tracking at Springfield as he backs up Hofer. He brings a flashy skill set to his transition to the North American game.
Armstrong's biggest challenge would be infusing quality youth on the blue line. Undersized Scott Perunovich looked like the future power-play quarterback coming out of college, but injuries derailed his career.
Niko Mikkola looks the part of a Cup-era Blues defenseman, but his puck management still lags behind his shot-blocking and physicality. Would he be worth a bigger contract?
Tyler Tucker was another nice seventh-round find, but neither he nor hard-shooting AHL teammate Matt Kessel are can't-miss prospects.
The Blues have four defensemen with contracts extending deep into their 30s. That's fine when a team is contending, but it's not fine for a team that is retooling. Fortunately there's generally a seller's market for defensemen.
All of this gives Armstrong plenty to ponder as his team tries to pull together and forestall the inevitable for another year.
