The St. Louis Blues have been retooling over the last few years, seemingly trying to avoid a full-on rebuild.
They’ve been one of the only teams around the NHL that have done a good job of taking the half measure. They’ve built up their prospect pool, assembled a younger NHL roster through their pipeline and trades, and they’ve done a good job of finding themselves in a position to start taking steps forward.
With the NHL off-season, we have the perfect opportunity to look at each team’s prospect pool, which means it’s St. Louis’ turn.
In our annual series, Tony Ferrari's digging into each team's top prospects, the strengths and weaknesses of its pipeline, an overview of its latest draft class and positional depth chart, and who could be next in line for an NHL chance.
Aside from some exceptions, a player who no longer holds NHL rookie eligibility is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for the purposes of these exercises.
INITIAL OVERVIEW OF TOP PROSPECTS
Last year was a season of change for the Blues as they shipped out several long-time Blues, including captain Brayden Schenn and defender Justin Faulk at the trade deadline before moving Jordan Kyrou just prior to the draft. That helped net them a plethora of draft picks, some good young players that can jump into the NHL right away, and a few prospects who can bolster their pipeline.
Skilled Russian winger Dmitri Buchelnikov was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings in the Faulk trade, adding some of the silkiest mitts in Russia to their pipeline.
Miton Gastrin joined the Blues prospect pool in the deal that sent Kyrou to the Washington Capitals. Gastrin is a versatile forward who can play in just about any situation and blend his game into any play style. Both have had success at the pro level in their native countries and could be potential NHL pieces down the line.
Those additions, along with the most recent draft class, have helped bolster their pipeline in a big way. That’s certainly not to say that they don’t have some really good young players in the system already. The Blues have been building intelligently over the last few years.
Otto Stenberg pushed himself into the NHL for just over 30 games last season, and he will likely be a fixture in the lineup to start this season. Although his rookie eligibility has been burned, Stenberg is going to be one of the Blues’ key young roster players as they look to take steps toward the playoffs. Stenberg’s versatility and two-way game should allow him to play up and down the lineup, while his playmaking and skill should allow him to push into a scoring role.
In his first AHL season, Juraj Pekarcik showed his intelligence and play-reading ability throughout the year. His raw tools aren’t elite, but he’s always made the most of what he has, finding a way to be more than the sum of his parts. The Slovakian forward is a play connector who understands how to chain small moments together to create a positive impact.
His passing is his best trait, and he could be a very solid middle-six player one day.
It was a bit of a weird year for Justin Carbonneau as he capped off his QMJHL career. He put up 51 goals but just 29 assists, and his game looked simplified into him being a pure shooter who used his strength advantage to establish himself in the offensive zone. He has a touch of power forward in his game, but he doesn’t use it enough to be a defining characteristic.
His first pro year will be telling as to whether his pace and skill will be able to hold up.
Adam Jecho has the frame, skating, and skill to be a very impactful player, but he’s also the kind of player who plays to the level of his teammates. He isn’t a true driver, but if he’s playing alongside one, he can be an impact player. Ultimately, Jecho is a bit of a chameleon who can play a scoring role when asked to, but he can also play a heavier bottom-six defensive role.
At the NHL level, he is likely going to slide into the latter with some flashes of the former that give teams the depth scoring they need to go on a run.
On the blueline, Adam Jiricek is their top prospect. He’s an excellent two-way defender who can fire passes all over the ice, hammer pucks from the blueline, or step down into the zone and pick corners. Defensively, he uses his skating to mirror attackers and throw his body around along the boards or poke pucks free in open ice.
He’s joining the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL this year, where he should excel as a rookie.
It was an odd year for Theo Lindstein. He looked decent in the AHL but seemingly found more comfort in his 17-game stint in the NHL. He wasn’t a stud in either league, but he did seem to play a bit better in the NHL.
His game is built on intelligent decision-making and fluidity in all aspects. The 21-year-old is likely going to split the season between the AHL and NHL again, ideally seeing more confidence and smooth play at the AHL level, where he will likely spend more time this year once again.
U-23 PLAYERS LIKELY TO PLAY IN THE NHL THIS SEASON
Dalibor Dvorsky (C/W), Otto Stenberg (LW/RW), Jimmy Snuggerud (RW)
2026 NHL DRAFT CLASS
Round 1, 11th overall - Tynan Lawrence, C, Boston University (NCAA)
Round 1, 16th overall - Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec (QMJHL)
Round 3, 75th overall - Luke Schairer, D, U.S. National Development Team (USHL)
Round 4, 107th overall - Landon Nycz, D, UMass-Amherst (NCAA)
Round 4, 123rd overall - Vladimir Proskurin, G, Mytishchinskie Atlanty Jr. (Rus)
Round 5, 139th overall - Nick Bogas, D, U.S. National Development Team (USHL)
Round 5, 150th overall - Carter Stevens, RW, Guelph (OHL)
Round 6, 171st overall - Lars Steiner, RW, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
Round 7, 203rd overall - Colin Fitzgerald, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Heading into the draft, the Blues had four first-round draft picks, but they were intent on making a trade to upgrade the NHL roster with young talent that fits into their window. They did exactly that when they moved the 15th and 29th overall picks for Mason McTavish in a deal with the Anaheim Ducks. They were able to add a young center who can slot into the second-line center role and grow with the team long-term.
Despite moving out two first-round picks, they still had a pair in the top half of the first round. Their first pick was used on Tynan Lawrence, a center who was considered a top-five player in the class before his jump to college hockey mid-season. After a dominant run in the USHL, including a playoff MVP award en route to a league title, he started this past season strong as well.
Lawrence jumped to Boston University mid-season to challenge himself, and he fell into the same unfortunate lull that BU had been in all season.
Lawrence’s game is built around speed and work ethic. He’s the kind of player who has displayed high-end offensive tools and excellent two-way habits. Lawrence has a strong shot, and although his playmaking isn’t all that dynamic, he is a very good passer who funnels pucks to the middle.
Heading back to Boston University, where he will experience a full training camp having seen NCAA action already, Lawrence should have a much better second year.
St. Louis doubled down on centers in round one, adding Maddox Dagenais from the QMJHL. Dagenais is a two-way center who plays with a physical edge. He was praised for his reverse hits throughout the season, often getting in on the forecheck and winning the puck before exploding into a defender and escaping.
His offensive game lacks a bit of dynamism, but he can rip pucks and advance play as a passer.
The Blues nabbed Luke Schairer, a defensive blueliner from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. His mobility and size are excellent strengths. Schairer uses these quite well to defend in the neutral zone and kill plays in his own end.
He has a strong stick and reads the attack well. He is a solid passer on the breakout, but he’s not the kind of defender that’s going to be a creator at the offensive end.
Landon Nycz is the kind of blueliner that doesn’t often look bad, but he also doesn’t have games where he takes over in any sense. He’s just the kind of defenseman that goes out on the ice, makes sure nothing happens, and keeps things in front of him. He’s boring, but in a good way.
He’s a game manager on the back end.
St. Louis drafted a goalie banking on his athleticism and skating. Vladimir Proskurin isn’t the most refined technical goalie, and he wasn’t blowing the doors off in Russian junior hockey last year. Still, his natural gifts of mobility and flexibility make him a very intriguing goalie prospect.
He’s a long-term play, but he’s a fun goalie to have in the system.
Despite not being the biggest blueliner, Nick Bogas is a physical defender who wants to crush guys along the wall to turn the puck over and then make a smart, simple pass to a skilled teammate. His game isn’t complicated. He brings an element that almost every team needs, though: toughness and an edge.
Carter Stevens is a bet on a player with a physical edge and a decent shot. He came out of the game as hot as can be last season but then went through several cold stretches. His offensive game may never become a major factor, but he could be a solid depth player who can throw his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame around.
Selecting Lars Steiner in the sixth round was an excellent time to go after some skill and play-driving ability. He was one of the most intriguing players in the QMJHL last season because of his impact at both ends of the ice. He’s a great anticipator defensively, reading play and getting to the puck before others.
His offensive game combines an excellent shot with some crafty passing. He could be quite a steal at this point of the draft.
The public view on Colin Fitzgerald this year was quite split. Some felt that he was a good shooter who really wasn’t in the right situation to showcase his skill set. Others felt he didn’t play with the pace or mobility to showcase his skill.
The seventh round is an excellent spot to bet on this kind of talent, one with a clear strength despite the weak points in his game.
STRENGTHS
This past draft had a very clear flavor, adding depth down the middle at the top of the class and a couple more potential centers later on as well. That was a major area of need for the Blues as Dalibor Dvorsky graduated to the NHL.
Lawrence is their top center prospect and arguably their top prospect overall immediately. Dagenais is a very good center prospect who could fill a middle-six role. Zach Dean remains a player who could find an NHL role.
Adam Jecho and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki are longer shots, but they have potential as bottom-six NHLers.
The Blues took an area of weakness and turned it into a strength by investing heavily in the draft.
WEAKNESSES
It’s not for a lack of trying by the Blues, who have a number of goalies in their system, but they just lack high-end goaltending talent in their pipeline.
Love Harenstam has had some nice moments internationally, and he had a good first pro season, so maybe there is some potential there, but he’s been very up and down since they drafted him.
Will Cranley spent most of the last three seasons in the ECHL, and at 24, he’s hardly a prospect anymore. Marcus Gidlof had an underwhelming season in Sweden at their second level. They’ve drafted goalies, but they just haven’t been turning out.
Even the once-promising Joel Hofer has been struggling at the NHL level.
HIDDEN GEM: DMITRI BUCHELNIKOV, LW
Acquired in the deal to send Faulk to Detroit at the trade deadline last year, Buchelnikov didn’t get spoken about nearly enough. He is one of the most purely skilled players in the KHL.
The speedy Russian winger is a fun one to watch. His highlight reel rivals almost any prospect in hockey at the moment because of the slippery hands and shifty feet that he possesses. Some of the concerns with Buchelnikov are whether his game will translate to the NHL and whether he plans to come to North America, but the upside is massive if the Blues can get him here.
NEXT MAN UP: OTTO STENBERG, LW
Stenberg split last season almost evenly between the AHL and NHL, and he looked almost ready to play in the NHL full-time. Heading into training camp, he should be poised to take a spot in the Blues’ top nine.
St. Louis has built a sneaky good forward group, so he won't be handed anything. Stenberg is a very good puck handler and a smart playmaker who works hard with and without the puck. He should fit right into what the Blues are building.
PROSPECT DEPTH CHART NOTABLES
LW: Otto Stenberg, Juraj Pekarcik, Milton Gastrin, Dmirtri Buchelnikov, Jakub Stancl, Nikita Susuyev, Ondrej Kos
C: Tynan Lawrence, Maddox Dagenais, Colin Fitzgerald, Zach Dean, Adam Jecho, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Tomas Mrsic
RW: Justin Carbonneau, Lars Steiner, Simon Robertsson, Mikhail Fyodorov, Carter Stevens
LD: Theo Lindstein, Colin Ralph, Landon Nycz, Luke Bogas, Lukas Fischer, Matthew Mayich, Michael Buchinger, Quinton Burns
RD: Adam Jiricek, Luke Schairer, William McIsaac
G: Love Harenstam, Vladimir Proskurin, Will Cranley, Marcus Gildof
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.