Steen's First Move: Blues Shed Drouin, Lock in McMichael Ahead of Free Agency

Alexander Steen used his first day as St. Louis Blues general manager to reshape the forward group. The newly promoted GM tendered qualifying offers to Connor McMichael and Leo Loof on Tuesday, while placing Jonathan Drouin on waivers for contract termination. The moves arrive 24 hours before free agency opens, compressing the roster construction timeline and signaling Steen's intentions for the 2026-27 season.

McMichael's arrival—acquired last week in the Jordan Kyrou trade to Washington—establishes the Blues' second-line target going forward. By issuing a qualifying offer, St. Louis secures the right to match any offer sheet, a procedural safeguard for a player the organization just committed future assets to obtain. Loof, a depth acquisition still waiting for his NHL debut (six points in 47 AHL games with Springfield), appears ticketed for continued development rather than immediate impact. The Drouin decision carries more weight: acquired mid-season from the Islanders as salary cap ballast in the Brayden Schenn deal, Drouin played just nine games (1 goal, 2 assists) with the Blues. His removal opens a roster spot and signals that Steen views the McMichael-McTavish axis as the forward core going forward, leaving no room for a veteran on the margins.

The timing matters. Steen is operating with a clean slate and external pressure—the team's brass wants production, not cap flexibility theater. By terminating Drouin's contract now rather than carrying him into camp, the Blues avoid a training-camp demotion (which would require waivers anyway) and signal clarity to McMichael and the locker room about who fits the new identity. This is a house-cleaning move before the real roster work begins.

For prop bettors, the lineup churn creates near-term instability in team totals and player assist props. McMichael's role remains undefined—he's penciled for the second line, but line combinations won't stabilize until training camp begins in October. The Blues' team total for 2026-27 will likely lean conservative at opening, given the uncertainty around depth scoring and McMichael's on-ice chemistry with linemates. If McMichael produces at his Washington pace (he averaged 0.91 points per game last season), the Blues' offensive ceiling rises materially, but opening books won't price that in immediately. Conversely, if Steen fills the Drouin spot with a depth free agent rather than promoting an internal option, the team's ability to generate secondary scoring (power-play assists, depth-line production) stays compressed. Watch how the Blues address that forward slot over the next 48 hours—a mid-tier veteran signing suggests stability; a youth call-up signals volatility. Early-season unders on the team total carry edge if the depth-scoring question lingers into camp.