The Blues’ next real jump might not come from a blockbuster trade or a free-agent splash. It could come the same way Jimmy Snuggerud arrived: with a young player getting tossed into the NHL mix and never looking back.
St. Louis is entering a season where the roster still has plenty of sorting out to do. This first year of the club’s new look and identity is expected to come with some growing pains, and plenty of daily evaluations as the front office and coaching staff figure out what fits when the team is ready to chase playoff spots every year.
By 2026-27, though, the picture could look different. If the Blues are winning and the season is trending upward, there’s a real chance the group that starts the year is the group that finishes it.
That would be progress. Even better would be another late-season prospect surge, with a young player called up the way Snuggerud was at the end of the 2024-25 season and thrust into the fire.
Two names stand out as the most likely candidates to follow that path this season: Justin Carbonneau and Adam Jiricek.
Both will need time in Springfield, but both are expected to get NHL looks at some point, whether it comes because of an injury or because they force the issue with their play in the minors. This training camp should give a clearer sense of how soon that timeline could move.
Jiricek appears to have the cleaner route. The defense group is still incomplete, even if it looks better on paper, and that leaves the door open for him. He also sits as the top defenseman in the prospect pool, while Carbonneau is a few spots behind among the forwards.
Snuggerud’s path offers the blueprint. He was summoned after Dylan Holloway’s season-ending injury late in 2024-25, right after the University of Minnesota had finished its season. GM Doug Armstrong made the move, and Snuggerud jumped straight to the NHL, staying with the team through the 12-game franchise-winning streak and the first round of the playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets.
That run ended up being a strong showing for No. 21 in 2024-25, and it led to an All-Rookie team nomination in 2025-26.
Carbonneau and Jiricek could have similar opportunities, though their call-ups are expected to come sooner than Snuggerud’s did. Carbonneau’s arrival could come around Christmas, while Jiricek may be in line even earlier.
Whatever the exact timing, the goal is the same: get both players meaningful reps in Springfield and move them toward St. Louis. They’re key pieces in the Blues’ plan to climb back toward prominence.
In Other News...
Blues May Have A More Realistic Defense Answer Before Camp
The Blues are still surveying the left side of their defense as camp approaches, and the search has a few different layers to it. Carolinas Alexander Nikishin has been the more intriguing target, but St. Louis also has eyes on Bostons Mason Lohrei as it looks for a defender who can help stabilize that side of the lineup without forcing a major swing.
Lohrei is drawing interest because he fits the kind of profile the Blues can realistically chase while the market remains fluid. He brings NHL experience, plays with traits that could fit what St. Louis is trying to add, and comes with a price tag that makes him easier to imagine in the mix if the bigger pursuit never comes together. [Read more 🡒]
Blues May Already Have Berggrens Long Term Roster Threat Waiting
Jonatan Berggren has settled in as a depth winger for St. Louis after being claimed off waivers from Detroit and signing a one-year contract, but his long-term place on the roster may already have a clock attached to it. The Blues like the skill Berggren brings, yet his deal runs only through the 2026-27 season, which means his situation is going to keep coming back into focus as the organization maps out the next few years.
One name that sits in the background of that discussion is Dmitry Buchelnikov, a Russian winger still under contract with CSKA Moscow. Because of that arrangement, he would not be in position to come to North America until 2027, leaving the Blues with a possible future decision point right as Berggren approaches free agency. If that path develops the way the club hopes, St. Louis could be weighing whether to keep Berggren around or use his rights elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Former Blues Favorites Just Earned A Special Place In Hockey History
Two former Blues standouts are heading for a place in hockey history, a reminder of how much talent has passed through St. Louis over the years. USA Hockey announced its Hall of Fame Class of 2026, and the list includes forward T.J. Oshie and defenseman Ryan Suter, both long familiar names to Blues fans even though their careers ultimately took them in different directions.
Oshie arrived in St. Louis as a first-round pick and became a fixture for the club, playing 443 games before wrapping up his NHL career in 2024-25. Suter, meanwhile, built a marathon career that stretched across several teams and 1,526 regular-season games, and his induction also adds another chapter to a family already packed with Hall of Fame recognition. [Read more 🡒]