The St. Louis Blues are going to be without one of their top goal scorers for a little while, as Jimmy Snuggerud is going to be out with a wrist injury. He is undergoing surgery to hopefully fix the issue, and will be re-evaluated in six weeks.
In that time, the Blues are going to have to really dig deep. It was evident in the 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, that the offense is stalling without No. 21 in the lineup. Couple that with the fact that both Alexey Toropchenko and Pius Suter are out for an unknown amount of time, the Blues offense is diminished.
Who can, or better yet, has to, step up in Snuggerud's absence?
Dalibor Dvorsky
In terms of another highly-regarded former first-round selection that has to prove himself with every single shift, much like Snuggerud, is Dalibor Dvorsky. The fans believe that No. 21 and No. 54 are going to be the next rendition of Brett Hull and Adam Oates, but it is still far too early to tell.
Snuggerud has proven himself already as an NHL-ready talent, and his full-time position is safe forever, but if Dvorsky can pick up the workload in his teammate's absence, the same argument can be made for Dvorsky.
Neighbours
Jake Neighbours has been a pleasant surprise this season. He started off the season on a hot streak, got hurt and missed a bunch of games, but then came back with the same kind of impact as he did before. But now, he has to do more and be more without Snuggerud.
Neighbours has seen top-line minutes with Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, and it has gone well. Up until the injury to Snuggerud, No. 21 was pushed down to the third line for a couple of games to give Neighbours a shot. With two assists over his last five games, Neighbours has to pick up the pace a bit, but if anyone can do that this season, it is No. 63.
Pavel Buchnevich
The time is now for Pavel Buchnevich to start contributing on a more consistent basis. Over the past few seasons, No. 89 has been on a downturn in point production, seriously hindering the offensive end of this team. The Blues brass has so much belief in the 30-year-old winger that they extended him for another six years for an AAV of $8 million.
That kind of money would look a lot better if his 2025-26 stat line didn't read three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 27 games. With Snuggerud out, Buchnevich has to step up, or rather, he has to. His line with Dvorsky and Brayden Schenn has been a recent success, but this line has to be much more now.