Breakout Candidate: Jimmy Snuggerud, RW
With first-line minutes, established chemistry with Robert Thomas and already a lot of trust from Jim Montgomery, Snuggerud is the obvious choice. He’s one of the front-runners for the Calder in a stacked class, but has the most potential to skate the most minutes. The sample size is small, but Snuggerud was an outstanding goal scorer in the NCAA and his physical play gives him all-round value.
Buy Low Candidate: Pavel Buchnevich, C/LW/RW
I’m not sure we’ll ever see point-per-game Buchnevich ever again like we did in 2021-22, but he is a consistent 20-goal, 60-point threat coming off his worst season with the Blues. I think, at times, he was definitely misused as a center, though I can see why coaches would experiment with him in that spot, but playing on the wing lessens the burden. The Blues also have enough depth at center to spread the wealth, and if Buchnevich plays on a line with Thomas and Snuggerud, it’ll be a boon to his offensive output. Having three-position eligibility is also very expedient as it allows for maximum roster flexibility.
Riser: Logan Mailloux, D
I don’t think Mailloux will play much on the power play with Cam Fowler, Justin Faulk and Colton Parayko ahead of him, but I do think there’s a chance. The joke is that the Blues really love their aging defensemen, but at some point, they will have to turn the reins over to the young players. Father Time is undefeated, and down the road Mailloux will likely be their best option. If Mailloux find his way on to the power play, he will have streaming value, but otherwise he’s still many seasons away from his fantasy peak.
Faller: Pius Suter, C/LW
This is nothing against Suter, but he’s definitely not going to be the same amount of minutes as he did with the Canucks. He filled in as their top center at both even strength and on the power play, and did so quite admirably, but in reality he’s a utility player who’s better off in a supporting role. He also won’t replicate his 18.1 shooting percentage again, and it’s far more likely he scores 15 goals rather than 25. The Blues are a great landing spot for Suter, who’s projected to be their No. 3 center with only penalty killing duties on special teams, but I would bet strongly against him having any meaningful fantasy value in 2025-26.
All stats courtesy of naturalstattrick.com, moneypuck.com, hockeyviz.com, allthreezones.com, hockey-reference.com, eliteprospects.com unless otherwise noted.