The Blues are heading into the 2026-27 season with a lot of moving parts, and Jimmy Snuggerud sits right at the center of it. With much of the old core gone and the focus shifting toward the next wave, the pressure on the second-year winger is already enormous.
Snuggerud handled his first NHL season well enough to make the expectations even louder now. The worry, of course, is the sophomore slump. For No. 21, the margin for error is thin.
There’s a real argument that no one on this roster carries bigger expectations. Joel Hofer is the only player who comes close in terms of long-term impact, but Snuggerud’s upside as a forward makes him the more important piece for the franchise’s direction.
Last season, Snuggerud bounced around the lineup as Jim Montgomery kept shuffling combinations. Still, his best stretch came after the Olympics, when he landed on the top line with Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway. That trio has the look of a sneaky strong unit in the Central Division.
The numbers attached to Snuggerud next season are ambitious, but they’re also sitting right there in front of him. A 30-goal season should be the baseline. If that first line stays healthy through all 84 games, 40 goals is not out of the question.
He didn’t just flash last season - he proved he belongs.
There’s also the bigger picture to keep in mind. New general manager Alexander Steen hasn’t made any decisions yet on other prospects who might get a shot on the NHL roster next season, but Justin Carbonneau is expected to eventually get a look. The long-term vision could be a line built around Carbonneau and Snuggerud with Dalibor Dvorsky in the middle, forming the next version of the Blues’ top unit once Thomas moves out of his prime.
For now, though, the assignment is straightforward. Snuggerud needs another strong season, and he needs to stay healthy. If he slips, it could slow the Blues’ push forward and leave them with more work to do than they want.
In Other News...
Three Young Blues Are Suddenly In The All-Star Conversation
The All-Star conversation is already starting to take shape around a young core in St. Louis, with Jimmy Snuggerud, Philip Broberg and Joel Hofer all emerging as realistic first-time candidates for the 2027 NHL showcase at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The event itself will look different from the usual midseason exhibition, with a four-country format and an under-25 skills competition adding a new wrinkle to what has traditionally been a popularity contest mixed with on-ice merit.
For the Blues, the appeal is obvious: Snuggeruds rising profile, Brobergs steady impact on the blue line and Hofers growing reputation in goal give the club a trio with legitimate national appeal. But as always with these selections, strong play only gets a player so far. The final list will come down to fan voting and how each of these names stacks up against the rest of the field in a crowded race. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Still Have One Blue Line Problem They Can't Ignore
With the offseason moves now essentially in the books, the Blues look set to open the 2026-27 season with the roster they have built, and the forward group is not the area keeping people up at night. The concern is on the back end, where St. Louis has enough bodies to form a defense but not yet enough certainty to feel settled about how the pieces fit together.
Cam Fowler, Logan Mailloux, Brandon Carlo and Colton Parayko are all in the mix to help stabilize things, but each comes with a different question mark attached. Fowler is coming off a season that raised more doubts than answers, Mailloux has the kind of upside that makes him worth watching closely, and Parayko remains a trusted name even as the mileage adds up. For a team trying to turn a strong forward group into a complete contender, the internal development of that blue line may end up mattering as much as any move it made this summer. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Top Line Is Closer To Central's Best Than Fans Think
The Blues top forward line has quietly become one of the more interesting groups in the Central Division, with Jimmy Snuggerud, Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway giving St. Louis a trio that can at least hang with the leagues better first units. In a division loaded with high-end talent, the conversation naturally starts with Colorado and Dallas, but the Blues have put themselves in the mix enough that their best line no longer feels like an afterthought.
What makes this worth watching is how much room there still is for that group to grow. The recent performance suggests St. Louis may not be done climbing the divisions pecking order, and if the chemistry keeps building, the Blues could end up looking a lot closer to the Centrals elite than many fans assumed. [Read more 🡒]