The St. Louis Blues have plenty of depth in their prospect. The one knock they’ve received from analysts around the NHL is that it lacks a true superstar or franchise-altering prospect.
The criticism is fair, but the Blues have plenty of prospects with NHL projections, and several have become NHL regulars. Since the 2020 NHL draft, the Blues have watched Jake Neighbours (2020), Zach Bolduc (2021), Jimmy Snuggerud (2022), and Dalibor Dvorsky (2023) become NHL regulars.
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In the 2025-26 season, the Blues saw Snuggerud and Dvorsky become not only full-time NHL players but also important pieces of the team’s success.
Heading towards the 2026-27 season, there are five Blues prospects who can compete for a roster spot out of training camp. Whether they make the Day 1 roster or their performance puts them on the radar to earn a call-up as the season goes along, a strong training camp and pre-season performance will go a long way.
Otto Stenberg earned his first call-up to the NHL this past season and showed plenty of traits that could help him start next season in the NHL.
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The 21-year-old didn’t light it up offensively, scoring three goals and 10 points in 32 games, but he demonstrated his high compete level, battling for pucks and mixing it up physically despite boasting just a 5-foot-11, 188-pound frame.
Stenberg has all the traits of a reliable two-way middle-six winger. If he can improve his production, there could be a role on the second line, but for now, Stenberg has shown that he could be a difference maker on the third line very soon.
Stenberg isn’t a lock to make the opening night roster after the additions of Connor McMichael and Mason McTavish, as well as the extension for Jonatan Berggren, but a strong camp could turn heads.
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Theo Lindstein’s season was fairly similar to Stenberg’s. Lindstein played fewer games than Stenberg but looked very comfortable in his action. In 17 games, Lindstein was stapled to veteran defenseman Colton Parayko’s left side, scoring two goals and four points while averaging 15:46 of ice time.
The 21-year-old is also not a lock to make the roster despite his strong performance last season. With the trade for Brandon Carlo, the right side of the defense is set. On the left, Philip Broberg and Cam Fowler are likely to fill in the top four roles, leaving Lindstein and Tyler Tucker to battle it out for the final spot on the third pairing.
Lindstein plays a solid all-around game, but Tucker brings a 6-foot-1, 204-pound frame and a level of physicality that Lindstein doesn’t offer.
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Justin Carbonneau, RW
Prior to the moves the Blues made, it looked like there was an avenue for Justin Carbonneau to compete for a roster spot, but that has likely changed.
The 19-year-old is almost guaranteed to start the season in the AHL, but with a strong training camp and AHL campaign, Carbonneau could work his way up the depth chart and serve as one of the top call-up candidates.
Carbonneau is a powerful skater who mixes it up physically whenever the opportunity arises. Offensively, Carbonneau has developed into a high-end goal scorer, as in his most recent QMJHL season, he notched 51 goals in 60 games. His balanced offensive game and his physical approach should help him adapt to the AHL rather quickly.
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Adam Jiricek, D
Adam Jiricek will also follow a similar path to Carbonneau. Prior to the Carlo trade, there was a path for Jiricek to compete for a roster spot, but that ship has likely sailed.
The 20-year-old will start the season in the AHL as he continues to develop his game. Jiricek has shown that he is a true, two-way defenseman. In the OHL, Jiricek showcased his offensive game, scoring 19 goals and 59 points in 55 games. With Czechia at the world juniors, Jiricek was a shutdown defenseman who scored timely goals.
With his 6-foot-2 frame, solid skating, puck-moving abilities, and offensive instincts, Jiricek should thrive early in the AHL season and truly put his name on coach Jim Montgomery’s radar.
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Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, LW/C
You’d be hard-pressed to find a player more deserving of regular NHL action than Aleksanteri Kaskimaki.
Kaskimaki is a hard-working, two-way forward with the versatility to play on the wing or as a center. Last season, Kaskimaki skated on the top line, scoring 20 goals and 44 points in 64 games.
Kaskimaki may not be a first-line forward in the NHL, but he can be an effective bottom-six player on a successful team. With the fourth line projected to look like Ross Johnston, Pius Suter, and Alexey Toropchenko, Kaskimaki has an uphill battle to make the NHL roster on Day 1.
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