The Blues' plan for their 2026-27 fourth line quickly went south due to injuries to Alexey Toropchenko, Ross Johnston, and Dillon Dube within the first few games.
However, one of this team’s strengths going into the year was supposed to be its depth, and the Blues initially turned to Dylan Peterson and Zach Dean to fill the holes on the fourth line.
They weren’t getting the results they wanted, though, with neither of the two recording a point and the pair combining for a -5 rating across three games while averaging under 10 minutes of ice time. So, the team recalled Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimäki before last night’s game against the Jets.
The Positives
One of the major positives for the Blues is that they now get to have two young wingers paired with a veteran center in Pius Suter, which could help their development.
Additionally, this fourth line offers unique offensive ability for a bottom-line unit. Kaskimäki put up 20 goals and 44 points in 64 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season, and we already saw Stenberg contribute 10 points in just 34 games for the Blues last season. Suter is also just two years removed from a 25-goal season and is tied for third in points for the Blues through the first few games of this season.
We’ve also seen solid defense in the past from Suter and Stenberg, as both had defensive ratings in the 70th percentile or higher according to HockeyStatCards last season.
Both Kaskimäki and Stenberg have been praised by scouts for their strength when checking, and we saw some of that during their debut against Winnipeg last night as well.
The Negatives
The biggest concern with this fourth line is its size. All three are fairly undersized for fourth liners, and none are particularly known for their physicality.
Additionally, Stenberg’s strengths mainly come from his high hockey IQ and strong vision as a passer, which are typically traits that translate better to a middle-six role than the fourth line.
In their first game together last night, we also saw both Stenberg and Kaskimäki’s top speeds fall below the 50th percentile. Stenberg’s was particularly concerning at just 19.43 MPH compared to the average top speed of 21.68 MPH.
While this fourth-line combination may have success preventing goals and could provide some solid offensive potential as well, the combination of below-average speed and limited physicality could make it difficult for them to wear opponents down. Given the struggles the Blues have had against opposing top lines, allowing those units to gain momentum against this fourth line could hurt them throughout the game.
With that being said, with as much depth as the Blues have in their bottom six, everyone must get tested. The amount of competition should hopefully give Kaskimäki and Stenberg a little extra push while also motivating guys like Jack Finley and Nathan Walker to keep performing in Springfield, in case their names are called for a shot at the
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