ST. LOUIS -- Otto Stenberg is coming. Not to the St. Louis Blues. Not yet. But the first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (No. 25 overall) is on his way to North America. 2023 first-round pick (No. 25) being transferred to Springfield after loan agreement with Malmo terminated The Blues announced this morning that they are terminating Stenberg's loan agreement with the Malmo Redhawks and transferring him to Springfield of the American Hockey League effective immediately. “After discussions with Otto and his representatives, we agreed it is best for him to begin his pro career in North America now,” Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to his continued development alongside many of our other prospects in Springfield.” Malmo confirmed the transaction on Friday: Stenberg just completed playing for Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, where the Swedes fell to Czechia in the bronze medal game. Stenberg had eight points (three goals, five assists) in seven games. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/latest-news/st-louis-blues-2025-world-junior-championship-medal-round-roundup-usa-goes-back-to-back-for-first-time-ever-ralph-follows-in-snuggeruds-footsteps-czechia-wins-bronze-in-marathon-14-round-shootout] Stenberg, 19, played the past three seasons in the Swedish Hockey League, Sweden's highest professional league, this season at Malmo where he had six points (three goals, three assists) in 25 games; the past two seasons, he had stints with Frolunda HC and had four goals and five assists in 54 games. It's believed the Blues view this as a similar situation as that of Dalibor Dvorsky last year when the No. 10 pick in the 2023 draft was brought to North America after a bad stint also in Sweden playing 10 games for IK Oskarshamn producing no points. The Blues brought Dvorsky to North America and he played at Sudbury of the Ontario Hockey League and had 88 points (45 goals, 43 assists) in 52 regular-season games. He's carried that on to have a terrific first season in Springfield with 21 points (11 goals, 10 assists) in 27 games and was recently named an AHL All-Star as Springfield's lone representative. The Blues are hoping for a similar situation for Stenberg in Springfield. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5MjcwNjk1MDQ0MTI5OTk4/subscribe2024-tag-carousel.jpg]
