The St. Louis Blues may have picked up a pair of wins to open their current homestand, but the good vibes didn’t last long.
The team announced that promising rookie forward Jimmy Snuggerud is headed for wrist surgery and will be sidelined for at least six weeks. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a Blues squad already walking a fine line when it comes to offensive consistency.
Snuggerud’s injury is a blow not just because of the points he puts up, but because of the way he’s been playing the game. The 21-year-old winger, in his first full NHL season, has tallied five goals and 11 points through 26 games. While he’s been in a bit of a scoring drought lately-without a point in his last seven-his impact has gone beyond the stat sheet.
He’s shown a level of maturity that’s rare for a young forward, especially in his own zone. Snuggerud has started more than half his shifts (52.7%) in the defensive end, and he leads the team with a 93.2% on-ice save percentage at even strength. That kind of two-way reliability is gold for a team trying to find its footing.
And timing-wise, the injury couldn’t be worse. The Blues only just got Jake Neighbours back from a lengthy absence, and now they’re losing another key piece on the wing. For a team that’s struggled to generate consistent offense, Snuggerud’s absence leaves a noticeable hole.
Adding to the injury list, depth forward Alexey Toropchenko will also miss time-though under very different circumstances. The 26-year-old suffered a leg injury in an off-ice accident at home.
While it’s not hockey-related, it’ll still keep him out for the next few weeks. Toropchenko hasn’t made a huge dent on the scoresheet this season-just one goal and two points in 17 games-but he’s brought some grit to the bottom six, registering 38 hits and providing energy in limited minutes.
To help fill the void, the Blues have called up Aleksanteri Kaskimaki from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. The 2022 third-round pick is set to make his NHL debut just two years after arriving in North America. Kaskimaki spent two seasons post-draft in Finland’s top league with HIFK, where he posted modest numbers-14 goals and 26 points in 93 games-but showed flashes of potential.
Last season, in his first year with Springfield, he put up 11 goals and 34 points across 63 games. While his production has dipped a bit to start this season-four goals and seven points in 16 games-there’s still plenty of upside in his game.
The opportunity in St. Louis could be just the spark he needs.
For the Blues, the next few weeks will be about weathering the storm. With Snuggerud out and Toropchenko sidelined, the forward group gets thinner, and the margin for error gets smaller. But with young players like Kaskimaki stepping into the spotlight, there’s also a chance for someone new to make their mark.