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The Blues operated on two tracks this season, staying in the playoff chase while continuing to retool with younger players.

Now, they go forward on one track. The retool succeeded. The Blues became a playoff team.

“I’m hoping that we have turned the tide on the re-whatever and we’re starting to become a competitive team that has expectations,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said during the team’s postseason media session. “Honest expectations, reasonable expectations of success.”

Their goal is to make deeper postseason runs in the years ahead. That will require more work.

The collective confidence gained during their late-season surge will carry into their offseason work. That success will provide motivation. So will the painful way they lost Game 7. The Blues will need to be much better next spring.

But they are back into the Stanley Cup chase. The Blues reopened their competitive window.

The addition of winger Dylan Holloway and defenseman Philip Broberg fast-forwarded the retooling. Both enjoyed breakouts.

So did winger Zack Bolduc. So did rugged defenseman Tyler Tucker. Winger Jimmy Snuggerud arrived from the University of Minnesota ready to generate offense.

Adding those five to forwards Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Jake Neighbours and Alexey Toropchenko created the new team nucleus.

Forward Pavel Buchnevich is locked into the veteran corps featuring goaltender Jordan Binnington, captain Brayden Schenn and defensive cornerstone Colton Parayko.

The Cam Fowler acquisition fortified the defensive corps for 2025-26 while prospects Theo Lindstein and Adam Jiricek develop. Fowler sounds willing to play here beyond next season, too.

The Blues will retain mostly the same group for next season. The established veterans should provide structure and leadership that will allow the younger players to continue their development.

Coach Jim Montgomery brought the group together after arriving with the midseason change. It took time, but he helped the team reestablish the winning culture that carried the Blues the distance in 2019.

Now, the Blues can build on that transformation as a group.

There is plenty of room for individual growth too. Thomas found another level down the stretch and became one of the NHL’s top two-way centers, joining the likes of Sebastian Aho and Aleksander Barkov.

Now, he wants to sustain that for an entire season — and along the way earn his place on the Canadian Olympic team.

Kyrou improved his all-around game while scoring 36 goals as one of the league’s most dangerous players off the rush. More tenacity at both ends of the ice could make him one of the sport’s better wingers, period.

The bulldozing Holloway produced 63 points in 77 games this season after producing 18 points in his first 89 NHL games. He could become a top power forward, as he showed in March with eight goals and 11 assists in 15 games.

After a brief AHL stint during the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Bolduc scored 14 goals in his last 30 regular-season games. He stepped up his physicality and established himself as a power-play threat with his lethal shot.

What would a whole season of Bolduc at that higher level do for the Blues? And what will a whole season of Snuggerud do for the offense?

Broberg established himself as an excellent puck-rushing defenseman this season. Tucker emerged as a physical and reliable option for the third pairing after Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister as coach.

Individual and team growth turned a .500 team into a playoff team. The pace of that progress during the stretch run suggests there is more to come.

So Armstrong shouldn’t have a ton of roster work to do.

His top priority should be locking in Holloway and Broberg for the longer term. This challenge will be more difficult than usual, as the NHL salary cap is projected to soar during the seasons ahead.

Both players have produced just one very good season. They gave every indication that they are legit, so it will take real money to secure them beyond next season.

Remaining strong in goal will be critical, so restricted free agent Joel Hofer will command a significant boost in his next contract.

While the Blues have prospects Dalibor Dvorsky and Otto Stenberg in the late stages of their development, they could use an upgrade at center for their middle six forward group. Armstrong said he is open to adding a “200-foot offensive player” this summer.

The Blues must address their long-term salary cap concerns on defense. Armstrong acknowledged Torey Krug is likely finished playing after undergoing major ankle surgery.

Ryan Suter will become an unrestricted free agent. Nick Leddy has one contract year left, and his no-trade protection is only partial. Expect some change on the blue line.

All in all, though, the Blues are positioned to do bigger things next season and beyond.

“You’re never a playoff team until you are again next year,” Schenn said. “That’s the kind of mentality you have to have. It’s a tough league. Do we feel we’re in a better spot now than three or four months ago? Absolutely.”