The St. Louis Blues have an exciting future with a bunch of young players either ready to make an impact or coming in the next couple of years. While it is an exciting time for the franchise and their fans, it can be a bit more of a stressful situation for the young players who have already been in the organization for a while and haven't nailed down a spot in the lineup.
For some, the time is getting short to prove that they have what it takes to crack the Blues' lineup. The start of training camp and the preseason offer a chance to do that, but with the shortened four-game preseason starting this year, players have never had less of a chance to prove themselves. Here are three players who could feel the effects of that this month.
Zach Dean
Full props to Zach Dean for entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program before the 2025-26 season and working his way back to play the final 36 games of the AHL season. While from a human standpoint the comeback story is great, the time off in the middle of one of his main developmental seasons after missing most of the 2024-25 season doesn't do a whole lot for his place in the organization.
The former first-round pick has just nine NHL games in his three pro seasons, during which he recorded zero points for St. Louis. With the Blues' growing young core, Dean has to make an impression at this year's training camp to prove he still belongs in the roster conversation. With fewer preseason games starting this year, he doesn't have a whole lot of time to prove it.
Otto Stenberg
Another forward who risks falling behind amongst the organizational depth chart is Otto Stenberg. At 21 and entering his third pro season, there is still plenty of time for him to nail down a role, but this feels like an important year for him to make the team and start growing with the young core.
Players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, Logan Mailloux, and now Mason McTavish are beginning to take spots in the lineup, with Justin Carbonneau, Maddex Dagenais, and Tynan Lawrence on the way. If Stenberg doesn't find a spot soon, he might risk losing out when they all come along.
Aleksanteri Kaskimäki
There have been many great AHL players who end up amounting to just that. It's still too early to tell if Aleksanteri Kaskimäki is heading down that path, but like Stenberg, it's soon time to show he's more than just an AAAA player.
The third-rounder from 2022 has 78 points in 123 AHL games and has been one of the Springfield Thunderbirds' best forwards over the past two seasons. However, the Blues would like to see him prove that he is more than that. If he doesn't do it in this preseason, he risks being placed in a bucket that he can't get out of.
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