ST. LOUIS \u2013 Jimmy Snuggerud, the former Gophers standout from Chaska, gets above-average marks from his boss, as his first full NHL season with the St. Louis Blues is winding down.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall, I\u2019d give it a B-plus,\u201d said Blues coach Jim Montgomery following their morning skate at Enterprise Center, prior to an evening date with the Wild.<\/p>\n
Snuggerud, 21, entered Monday\u2019s game tied for third on the Blues with 18 goals, on a team that made a push but was mathematically eliminated from the playoffs last weekend.<\/p>\n
Named the NHL\u2019s rookie of the month for March, Snuggerud actually joined the Blues at this time last season and was a regular during their 2025 first round playoff series with Winnipeg. But playing 67 of the team\u2019s first 79 games has been a big adjustment from the lighter schedules of juniors and college.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came in and he had to get used to the grind of the NHL, and I think he had sporadic moments in the first three months where he was really good and nights where he looked like he was getting used to the NHL,\u201d Montgomery said. \u201cAnd then I think since Christmas, he has been really good for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Glancing toward the visiting team\u2019s locker room on Monday, Montgomery said there is clearly a Wild player that he would like to see Snuggerud emulate in terms of on-ice development and growth over the course of his early career.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdeally for us, if he can come close to (Matt) Boldy, who came into this league and started in the American League and then all of a sudden was really good right away, every year he adds something to his game,\u201d said the Blues\u2019 coach, who noted that Boldy has grown from a primarily offensive player for the Wild into a complete player, which includes penalty killing. He would like to see the same evolution for Snuggerud.<\/p>\n
Playing on the team\u2019s top line with Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway, Snuggerud has been able to apply many of the skills he displayed in his three seasons at the U, where he won a pair of Big Ten titles and was a top-liner \u2013 with current NHLers Matthew Knies and Logan Cooley \u2013 on the Gophers\u2019 2023 NCAA runner-up team.<\/p>\n
Snuggerud said the biggest focus at the NHL level with a season that can last from September to June is taking care of your body.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard. You have to eat right and sleep right. We\u2019re getting back at 2-3 a.m. from some road trips and a lot of games, so a lot of pressure on your body,\u201d said Snuggerud, who was the Blues\u2019 first round pick, 23rd overall, in 2022. \u201cSo I think it\u2019s a learning curve for sure. But it\u2019s been fun to learn all these new things and what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a blueprint for young players to follow, Wild coach John Hynes is quick to rave about Boldy\u2019s growth as a NHLer, offensively and defensively.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other thing too is the consistency he plays with,\u201d Hynes said of Boldy, who got a healthy night of rest on Monday in St. Louis. \u201cHe\u2019s really good on both sides of the puck. I think when he uses a power game, that\u2019s when his skill comes out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Snuggerud admitted that his life is hockey 24\/7, but he has found some time for fun and family as well. As the Blues got off the ice from their morning skate, he was planning to have lunch with his father Dave \u2013 himself a former Gophers standout in the late 1980s who spent time in the NHL.<\/p>\n
With a passing grade in his first season and places to develop in the future, Snuggerud is seemingly on the right track in St. Louis.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he continues to get stronger, like he should because he\u2019s only 21, the expectation will be that he becomes more and more a really good hockey player as he continues to grow,\u201d Montgomery said.<\/p>\n
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