Now that the Blues’ hockey season is over, the mean season begins.

The franchise has some tough decisions to make soon. That’s why I refer to the offseason as the mean season. Because no matter how you inspect the roster and organizational setup, change is inevitable.

The wonderful, likable team that took their fans and the St. Louis sports community on a pulsating jaunt through three playoff rounds won’t be the same. As abrupt as it sounds, we can file the 2015-2016 Blues into history.

In terms of their future outlook, the Blues have legs. The “window” for contending hasn’t slammed shut. The Blues should be good again next season, and for a stretch beyond that. This isn’t to say they’ll reach the conference finals or take the next step to the Stanley Cup Finals. The West — loaded with established powers and rising teams flush with young talent — figures to get stronger. And the Western Conference playoffs are viciously demanding. The Blues will have to earn their way to another prime spot on the conference ladder. But my point is a larger one: this isn’t some fossilized team that just took its last gasp as a fading contender.

Their young nucleus includes forwards Robby Fabbri (age 20), Jaden Schwartz (23), Vladimir Tarasenko (24). Dmitrij Jaskin (23) and Ty Rattie (22) can still emerge in more prominent roles.

Several other forwards, including Paul Stastny, are age 30 or younger. Among the defensemen, Colton Parayko (age 23) is a cornerstone-caliber player, and the Blues liked rookie Joel Edmundson (22) so much that he was in the lineup for 16 of 20 postseason games. And let’s not forget about the talented and promising Petteri Lindbohm, 22, who should be able to crack the rotation next season. And it’s not as if Alex Pietrangelo, 26, is an old-timer. Goaltender Jake Allen is 25.

As of now the Blues have the three picks in the first three rounds of the annual NHL Entry Draft.

Before the start of the season Hockey Prospectus rated the Blues’ prospect supply at No. 13. Sure, you’d like to see that be a little higher on the list but it’s still top-half, and the organization tends to come up with some under-the-radar surprises in player development.

What do the Blues need?

More team speed, for one.

Here are a few of the difficult decisions that await Blues GM Doug Armstrong, chairman Tom Stillman and the hockey operation:

Coach Ken Hitchcock: This seems like an easy call to me. Over the last five regular seasons the Blues have the best record in the NHL. If you prorate the lockout-shortened 2013-2014 season into the accounting the Blues’ five-year average would be 106 points per season under Hitch.

The Blues franchise has never been this formidable over a five-season stretch. Overall the postseason has been disappointing; Hitchcock is 20-27, winning three series and losing five. But he just finished a season in which he got 107 points out an injury-ravaged team … and then led the Blues to postseason triumphs over defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago and a 109-point Dallas team that was No. 1 in the West this year.

Of course Hitchcock should be invited back — unless he’s unsure about his energy and the investment of a massive amount of hours that are a part of a draining job. Hitch only wants to work on one-year contracts. He’ll be 65 in December. This should be Hitch’s call, but he has to be absolutely sure of two things: (1) that he’s 100 percent prepared to take on the challenge of another exhausting campaign, and (2) that he still can lead these players and get even more out of them going forward.

Captain David Backes: He’s due to become a free agent July 1. Backes is 32 but durable.

His future with the Blues depends on the value that other interested franchises put on him. Jeremy Rutherford (Post-Dispatch) has reported on Backes declining an extension worth $5.5 million a year a while back. And after Backes’ sixth 20-goal season and a strong postseason (seven goals, 14 points, three game winners) his market value will likely increase.

If Backes can get more than that $5.5 million AA on the open market, then we should wish him the very best of luck, and thank him for being a true Blue. I’m not being cold here; I have immense respect for Backes. But big-money decisions should never be made based on emotion. It’s essential to be pragmatic. And as much as Backes has done for the franchise, there should be a limit on what the Blues are willing to spend.

See, this is why I call it the “mean season.” Because the business side takes over. And as much as we’d like to focus on the games and the personalities and the relationships, it’s still a business. Players that can go to free agency should take advantage of it. Team management has to make decisions based on what’s best for the long-range future.

Even though the Blues have middle-market resources Stillman spends to the top of the NHL salary cap — so no sane or reasonable person would question his commitment to winning. But the Blues have to be careful. They’re already stuck with one contract that will provide diminishing value going forward (hello, Jay Bouwmeester) and can’t get tangled in deals that provide instant gratification but long-term angst. Hopefully Backes and the Blues can find middle ground; surely he wants to finish his career as a Blue.

Free agent forward Troy Brouwer: I’ve seen media reports suggesting that the Red Wings, Oilers, Bruins, Lightning, Islanders and other NHL contenders will cue up to bid on Brouwer. If that’s the case, his price may reach absurd levels. There’s so much to like about Brouwer. Great teammate. He has tremendous hockey values: commitment, toughness, locker-room presence, and the willingness to take young players under his wing. Fabbri, the rookie, was helped greatly by Brouwer this season.

After a decent but modest regular season (18 goals, 39 points) Brouwer was large in the Blues’ 20-game postseason: eight goals, 13 points, money-time goals and 80 hits. Brouwer, 30, already has competed in 98 NHL postseason games and won the Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010. His $3.67 million salary will go way up. He’ll be an attractive commodity for teams looking for that missing-piece veteran that has that intangible “grit” reputation. The Blues may be able to afford Backes or Brouwer — but not both. Remember, Jaden Schwartz is set for restricted free agency this season. He was on a so-called “bridge” contract and is line for a multi-year deal at significant cost.

Trade Kevin Shattenkirk or Jay Bouwmeester? Both Blues defensemen were pretty brutal in the San Jose series. Unless the Blues are willing to pick up a piece of the tab and settle for little in return just to move Bouwmeester’s contract, I don’t see him being traded. Bouwmeester is the No. 1 target of Blues fans that have an insatiable, borderline insane desire to fixate on — and hate — one individual player. Bouwmeester is a respected defenseman around the league, and he’s been exceptional on the penalty-killing unit. But he’s also due $16.2 million over next three seasons. The cost probably would cool the trade winds.

It’s great to have Shattenkirk during the regular season. He can give you 10+ goals and a point man on the power play. Over the last three regular seasons combined, Shattenkirk has 16 goals and 60 assists on the PP. But in 47 postseason games with the Blues, Shattenkirk has never scored a power-play goal. Overall he has four goals, 24 assists and is a minus 11 in five Blues’ postseasons. The intensity of the physicality and pressure of the forecheck are turned up in the postseason, and Shattenkirk doesn’t hold up well. He had 37 giveaways during the Blues’ 2016 postseason run. (Yikes.)

Shattenkirk is entering the final season of his contract (salary, $4.5 million). And given some of the laughably bad free-agent contracts that we’ve seen undisciplined teams give to defensemen inferior to Shattenkirk, he’ll attract an enormous contract on the open market. This is a good time to move Shattenkirk, alleviate some of the payroll congestion, and try to get a positive return for him via trade.

Thanks for reading …

–Bernie

Miklasz: The Blues’ Long Journey Is Over – How Should We Feel About Their Season?