Welcome back.
It’s time for Daily Faceoff’s third annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.
The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Players over 23 years old are not included. Goaltenders are a bit more subjective, but they need to be 25 or under, have played under 15 games in the past season or have not spent significant time in the NHL as a whole over a three-year period.
Today, we’re breaking down the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues only had three picks in the 2025 NHL Draft, adding very little to a pipeline that was already lacking quantity.
But lacking quality? You definitely can’t say that.
The Blues’ pipeline isn’t deep. But I could see most of this top 10 play at least some NHL games, with a few becoming key components of the future. Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorský and Justin Carbonneau all have futures as top-six forwards, with Snuggerud, in particular, ready to take up the mantle out of training camp. Logan Mailloux, Theo Lindstein, Adam Jiricek and Colin Ralph give the team some serious defensive depth, and I’m still a big Otto Stenberg fan.
The Blues experienced minimal turnover from 2024-25. Zachary Bolduc was shipped off to Montreal to bring in Logan Mailloux, but that’s really it. Outside of the top 10, Lukas Fischer, Tomas Mrsic and Jakub Stancl are intriguing. I wouldn’t be surprised if each of them see NHL duty at some point, too.
Biggest Strength
I like the Blues’ options down the middle. Dvorský should be an impactful NHLer sooner rather than later. I also am a big Stenberg believer, especially if he ends up in a third-line role. Adam Jecho has all the makings of a fourth-line center, and Stancl, Mrsic and Zach Dean should all play NHL games, too. You always want depth down the middle, and the Blues have enough versatility there right now.
Biggest Weakness
The Blues have a few goaltenders in their system, but none that I feel confident will become NHLers. Love Haranstam is the team’s latest draft pick, and while he has shown glimmers of skill, he’s still too inconsistent for my liking. I was hoping Vadim Zherenko would become something, but we haven’t seen any real progress in his game over the past three years. I could see the Blues giving Colten Ellis some starts this year, but I don’t have too much faith in him or Will Cranley. As it stands, the Blues’ crease is set with Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. But if the team were to move Hofer at some point this season, for example, they’d have to look elsewhere to get the help they need.
Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Doug Armstrong
Dir. of Amateur Scouting: Tony Feltrin
AHL Affiliate: Springfield Thunderbirds
ECHL Affiliate: Florida Everblades
TOP 10 PROSPECTS
1. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, 21 (St. Louis Blues)
Acquired: Drafted 23rd overall, first round in 2022
After a successful tenure at the University of Minnesota, Snuggerud is ready for the big time. The two-time Hobey Baker top 10 finalist just fell short of the 50-point mark, but 49 points in 39 games on a team where he was the primary offensive weapon is still impressive. He has good overall strength, high hockey IQ and a good shot release. Combine those together and he should be a top-six NHLer right out of the gate this season. I liked his play down the stretch and again in the playoffs, so we’ll see if he can keep that going during the grind of an 82-game season.
2. Dalibor Dvorský, C/RW (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 10th overall, first round in 2023
Dvorský had a great first year in the AHL, registering 21 goals and 45 points. He was also Slovakia’s most important player at his FIFTH World Juniors (if you include the original iteration in 2022). Dvorský has been in the spotlight for over half a decade, and it’s been exciting to watch him develop into a true Slovakian star. I expect him to start the year in the AHL, but I doubt he lasts there for long. I just want to see a bit more urgency in his game because he has all the makings of a top-six forward who can thrive on the power play and drive plays when you need him too.
3. Justin Carbonneau, RW (Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, QMJHL)
Acquired: Drafted 19th overall, first round in 2025
Do the Blues have a future first-line goal-scorer on their hands? Carbonneau scored 46 goals and 89 points while boasting one of the best shots in the draft class. He’s known for making high-end moves and can beat most players in 1-on-1 situations. The upside is massive here, but he can be prone to giving the puck away too easily and doesn’t engage much physically. With the right set-up guy beside him – Dvorsky, perhaps? – I could see Carbonneau becoming a 30-goal scorer in the NHL.
4. Otto Stenberg, C, 20 (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 25th overall, first round in 2023
Stenberg left the SHL to join Springfield midway through the 2024-25 season and it was a smart move. He played much better hockey in the AHL than with Malmo, saving some of his best hockey down the stretch during the regular season. Now that he’s a bit more adapted to life in North America, I’m excited to see what he can do in a full season. I expect him to play a leading role with the Thunderbirds and he should see some NHL action, too. Stenberg is quite skilled, but I think he’ll fit in more in a third-line center role while showing plenty of poise and hockey IQ.
5. Logan Mailloux, RHD, 22 (St. Louis Blues)
Acquired: Traded by the Montreal Canadiens in 2025
The Blues needed more immediate defensive help and Mailloux fills a need there. The 22-year-old had another strong AHL season (albeit with lower production) in Laval, and even impressed during his seven-game stint with the Habs. He’s physical, skilled and skates well, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s 6-foot-3. At 22, Mailloux doesn’t have much more to really prove in the AHL beyond decision-making tactics. I think he’s ready to take that next step and become an impact NHLer – and St. Louis should give him plenty of opportunities to make that happen.
6. Theo Lindstein, LHD, 20 (Springfield Falcons, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 29th overall, first round in 2023
I became a big fan of Lindstein’s during the 2024 World Juniors and I still am today. I don’t think he’ll be more than a third-pairing defenseman, but he’ll be perfect in that type of role. He moves well, can play against any line you throw at him and he rarely makes a costly mistake. Lindstein isn’t flashy, but he’s smart and calculated in his decision-making. I think he’s going to have a good, long NHL career. I’m interested to see how well he adapts in the AHL after spending the past year in the SHL.
7. Adam Jiříček, RHD, 19 (Brantford Bulldogs, OHL)
Acquired: Drafted 16th overall, first round in 2024
After missing most of 2024-25 with an injury, he was limited to just 36 games total with the Bulldogs this past year. Still, he showed all the signs that made him intriguing. He has good cap control, plays with a bunch of skill and his confidence started to really shine through during the OHL playoffs, despite not having much offense to show for. For now, Jiříček just needs to get a clean, injury-free season under his belt to get him back on the right track. I still believe in him as a mobile, second-pairing defenseman in the future.
8. Colin Ralph, LHD, 19 (Michigan State University, NCAA)
Acquired: Drafted 48th overall, second round in 2024
I was curious to see how Ralph’s game would translate going from prep to college, and I thought he did fine at St. Cloud. He didn’t show the offensive stylings that made him so intriguing from Shattuck’s, but I’m not sure that’ll ever be his game. Next up: Michigan State, a team that’ll be in the hunt for the national title. Ralph is a projectable defender who’s hard to beat due to how mobile he is with his big frame. He’s got all the tools to become a physically strong offensive defenseman with good hockey IQ. You combine it all together and you have someone that teams crave for the playoffs.
9. Juraj Pekarčík, LW, 19 (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)
Acquired: Drafted 76th overall, third round in 2023
I loved watching Pekarčík with Dvorsky at the World Juniors. They were simply inseparable. Pekarčík moved from the USHL to the QMJHL and was very productive for Moncton, especially during the WHL playoffs when he helped lead the team to a league title. Pekarčík is set for his fourth different team in four seasons in 2025-26, joining the Thunderbirds as a 19-year-old. He doesn’t lose many 1-on-1 interactions on the rush and competes as hard as anyone. He can cause some havoc around the net, too. If he can add a bit of extra accuracy to his shot, I think he could be a solid bottom-six scoring forward.
10. Adam Jecho, C, 19 (Edmonton Oil Kings, WHL)
Acquired: Drafted 95th overall, third round in 2024
Jecho has been a personal favorite of mine for a few years now. The 19-year-old is a hulking presence at 6-foot-5 and 201 pounds. He’s a power forward in every sense of the phrase, and I know he’s going to be able to translate that into NHL success. He hasn’t managed to blow things up offensively, but he skates well, hits hard and can definitely shoot the puck on the power play when called upon. I expect Jecho to play more of a fourth-line role in the NHL, but he’s as close to ideal as a fourth-liner as you’d want in today’s NHL. I have no concerns about him moving up into pro.
The rest: Tomas Mrsic, C (19), Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, C (21), Dylan Peterson, C (23), Simon Robertsson, RW (22), Zach Dean, C (22), Jakub Stancl, C (20), Mikhail Fyodorov, RW (18), Antoine Dorion, C (19), Matvei Korotky, C (19), Ondrej Kos, LW (19), Nikita Susuyev, RW (20), Ivan Vorobyov, RW (23), Arseni Koromyslov, LHD (21), William McIsaac, RHD (19), Lukas Fischer, LHD (18), Leo Loof, LHD (23), Michael Buchinger, LHD (21), Quinton Burns, LHD (20), Marc-Andre Gauden, LHD (21), Vadim Zherenko, G (24), Will Cranley, G (23), Colten Ellis, G (24), Love Harenstam, G (18)
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