The Blues’ prospect pipeline is already giving us a few early storylines while St. Louis and its AHL group are still in camp. Through Sept. 20, several players overseas and in junior leagues have gotten their seasons rolling, and a couple of names are standing out right away.
At the top of the offensive list is Dmitri Buchelnikov, and he’s giving the Blues exactly the kind of start they were hoping for. The CSKA Moskva winger has three goals in six KHL games, including two on the power play, and is tied for the team lead in goals. That’s the dynamic version of Buchelnikov the Blues targeted at the deadline - a 5-foot-10, 170-pound skater who can create offense with quickness and skill.
His latest week was quieter in the box score, though not in activity. In two CSKA wins, he finished with seven shots, no points and a plus-one rating.
That shot volume matters. The KHL is a tough place to score, and CSKA is still giving him about 13:20 a night to find those finishing touches.
Matvei Korotky is right there with him in the early point chase, though his production has come in a different setting. The SKA St.
Petersburg center has three points, and two of them came this week in the VHL while he was with SKA-VMF. Last season he spent all his time in the KHL, but this move is being used strictly to keep him on the ice and sharpen his game.
Korotky still has work to do on his skating and overall package, and SKA appears committed to choosing the path that helps him most. That could mean a bottom-six role in the KHL or a bigger role in the VHL.
A few other prospects are off the board early as well. Lars Steiner, the 2026 sixth-rounder, is back in his hometown league with HC Davos after two QMJHL seasons in Rouyn-Noranda.
He already has a goal in the National League, plus a plus-two rating, but his ice time has bounced around from more than 15 minutes one night to just one to five minutes the next. That kind of role can be frustrating, but it’s not unusual for a young player trying to settle in.
Ondrej Kos is handling his own early-season reset after a concussion before the 2025-26 campaign. The Ilves winger has 11 shots on net through five games and has been in the lineup while logging 12-13 minutes per night. He hasn’t produced eye-catching numbers yet, but he has been active and available, which is the main thing at this stage.
Mikhail Fyodorov has gotten the most game action of any Blues prospect so far, with seven KHL appearances for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He has one assist, 12 shots on goal and a steady bottom-six workload, sitting in the 12-16 minute range each game.
The Ontario Hockey League is just getting started, so the numbers there are still thin. Colin Fitzgerald, St.
Louis’ 2026 seventh-round pick, picked up an assist in a 4-3 loss to the Sarnia Sting and has six shots through two games. The Sault Ste.
Marie center already brings size at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, and he’s coming off a season with nine goals and 20 points in 39 games.
Nick Bogas, the 2026 fifth-round defenseman with Flint, had an assist and two penalty minutes in his lone game, a 5-4 win. He’s playing his only OHL season before heading to Michigan State University for 2027-28, and his game is expected to lean much more defensive than offensive.
Carter Stevens, St. Louis’ other fifth-round pick in 2026, is still looking for his first point with Guelph.
He’s already picked up seven penalty minutes, gone minus-two and put six shots on goal. After scoring 20 goals a season ago, there’s plenty of reason to expect him to bounce back.
In goal, Marcus Gidlof got one start for Leksands IF in HockeyAllsvenskan and turned it into his first win of 2026-27. At 6-foot-8, he has the kind of frame that jumps off the page, and he’ll be part of Leksands’ push to get back to the SHL after relegation.
Love Harenstam has also made a solid early case for himself with Sodertalje SK. Through two starts, he has stopped 41 of 45 shots for a .911 save percentage. He was a workhorse in the second-tier Swedish league last season, and now the question is whether he can back it up again after posting a .920 save percentage a year ago.
In Other News...
Blues Put Real Pressure On One Preseason Test In Dallas
The Blues head into their preseason game in Dallas with a lineup that looks a little more like October than September, as several NHL regulars are set for their first appearance of the season. It is the kind of test that matters more than the final score, especially for a team trying to get its top players, and its structure, moving in the right direction before the games start counting.
Adam Jiricek is among the names worth watching as he continues to push for a role on the blue line, while Robert Thomas anchors the first line and gives the club a familiar center to build around. Joel Hofer is also expected to get the start in goal, another reminder that the Blues are using this trip to Dallas to sort out the pieces they plan to lean on when the regular season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Theo Lindstein Just Turned Up The Heat On A Blues Roster Battle
The Blues are only one preseason game into their evaluation of the blue line, but Theo Lindstein has already made the competition feel a little more urgent. St. Louis is sorting through a defensive group with spots still available, and Lindsteins strong first impression has put him squarely in the mix as the club begins narrowing down its options.
Adam Jiricek remains part of the picture, and the next preseason game should offer a clearer look at how the battle is shaping up. With final roster decisions still ahead, the Blues have time to weigh each performance, but Lindstein has at least given the staff something to think about early in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Still Face The Same Frustrating Question Despite New Additions
The Blues have spent the offseason trying to add more punch and balance, but the conversation around this roster keeps coming back to the same place. The Athletics early look at the 2026-27 picture still sees a team built around a strong top line, a promising starting goalie and a few new faces who could help reshape the middle of the lineup, with Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael among the additions expected to matter most.
Pavel Buchnevich also looms large as a possible rebound candidate, which only adds to the sense that St. Louis has enough talent to stay in the mix if the pieces fit. Still, the bigger issue is whether the Blues have truly solved the depth problems that have held them back, especially on defense and in net, where the margin for error remains thin and the path back to the playoffs still looks unsettled. [Read more 🡒]