Where do St. Louis' top two prospects rank amongst other NHL-affiliated prospects?
The St. Louis Blues have made five first-round selections over the last three drafts. The organization was in the bottom half of the league for prospects for many years. But now the Blues have a promising pipeline and their most recent first-round draft picks have been recognized as top prospects across the league.
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently released his top 100 drafted NHL prospects, which features five St. Louis draft picks, and one player who just missed the cut. Today, we’re looking at where the Blues’ top two prospects sit on Wheeler’s list.
The Blues prospect cupboard has been refilled after having drafted 24 players in the last three drafts. GM Doug Armstrong made an executive call to trade away a few of their fan favorites and core roster pieces at the 2023 NHL trade deadline to recoup assets. Trading Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko aided in drafting a couple of players who made Wheeler’s list.
Before we get into the top two prospects, the one St. Louis prospect who just missed the cut was Zachary Bolduc.
Bolduc, 21, was drafted 17th overall in the 2021 draft and had a promising 25-game stint with the Blues to end last season. He will be auditioning to make the opening night roster once training camp rolls around, but his spot is not set in stone after the team acquired depth forwards Mathieu Joseph and Radek Faksa.
The first St. Louis prospect to appear on Wheeler’s top 100 list is their 23rd overall pick in 2022, Jimmy Snuggerud, at No. 34.
Snuggerud, 20, burst onto the scene in his freshman season with the University of Minnesota when he put together 21 goals and 50 points alongside graduated NHL prospects Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies.
As predicted, his production took a step back with only 34 points this past season, but he still managed to pot home 21 goals. Additionally, Wheeler mentioned that he felt Snuggerud was the Gophers’ best forward despite the production dropoff.
Wheeler describes the Blues’ top prospect as a well-rounded three-zone player with a versatile offensive game. He possesses an above-average shot and hands and makes himself consistently impactful by hunting down pucks.
Snuggerud is heading back to play for the Golden Gophers for a third season. A reasonable expectation would be that he signs his entry-level contract with St. Louis once his season ends, and Blues fans will get to see their No. 1 prospect play near the end of the season.
2023 10th overall pick Dalibor Dvorsky found himself at No. 51.
Dvorsky left the SHL to come overseas and play for the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL, which was a terrific decision. The Slovak forward quickly became one of the league’s best two-way forwards while scoring 45 goals and 88 points and being named to the OHL’s first all-star team.
Zachary Bolduc also will have competition from Dvorsky to make the Blues’ roster for Game 1 of the 2024-25 season. He already has a pro frame and has the will to battle for pucks in the dirty areas at both ends of the ice, potentially giving him an advantage of being an effective bottom-six checking forward.
However, if Dvorsky does not make St. Louis out of training camp, decisions will have to be made on where he should report to. Should he go back to Sudbury? Or is playing in the AHL the best option?
Playing in the AHL would be ideal for both Dvorsky and the organization. It would allow the development team and coaching staff to keep a closer eye on him and give the team the flexibility to call him up in case of injuries.
Stay tuned here on the St. Louis Blues site to see where the remaining three prospects rank on Scott Wheeler’s top 100 drafted NHL prospects ranking.