In his first five games of his NHL career, St. Louis Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein has shown comfortability, and the stats back up the eye test.
St. Louis Blues rookie defenseman Theo Lindstein is experiencing his first bit of life in the NHL to end the 2025-26 season, and he’s showing he’s up for the task.
It’s been just five games, but the 21-year-old has shown a level of comfort that the Blues are more than pleased with.
In these five games, Lindstein has recorded one assist, fired five shots on goal, thrown two hits, and blocked two shots while averaging 14:06 of ice time. His counting stats indicate he has impacted the game across multiple facets, and his analytics show he is helping guide the Blues to success.
According to naturalstattrick.com, the Blues are outscoring their opponents at 5-on-5, 3-2, with Lindstein on the ice. Additionally, they own 64.94 percent of the expected goals, 60 percent of the high-danger chances, and own a 57.72 CorsiFor percentage.
Coach Jim Montgomery has done a solid job of putting Lindstein in advantageous situations, yet he’s feeling more comfortable putting him in defensive situations. Through his first five games, Lindstein has started eight shifts in the offensive zone, 18 in the neutral zone, and 14 in the defensive zone, while 64 have started on the fly.
When looking at Lindstein’s AHL numbers with the Springfield Thunderbirds, some may have been deterred or thought he wasn’t ready. His six goals and 14 points in 56 games aren’t exactly eye-popping or league-shattering, but the six-foot defender was in the process of getting accustomed to North American hockey while trying to learn a new system.
The adjustment took some time, but once he found his game, he excelled, and now, he’s proving it at the NHL level.
Lindstein has played nearly every second of his NHL career alongside Colton Parayko. While they might be different players physically and stylistically, Parayko is a great defender for a rookie to start his career with and learn from. While the lessons he can learn from Parayko are worth it on their own, the fact that their numbers are great together is a positive sign.
With Justin Faulk gone, there’s a vacancy on the blueline, and Lindstein is showing that he is ready for it. He’ll have to prove himself in training camp before next season, as players like Adam Jiricek are expected to compete for that roster spot, but his play during this call-up is showing a lot of positive signs to coach Montgomery.
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