The St. Louis Blues are going through a major test of their forward depth. While the club has been fortunate to avoid losing any of its top-six forwards, the losses of Alexei Toropchenko and Dillon Dube have opened spots in the bottom six.
And it’s those openings that beckon for Otto Stenberg to get a real shot at the NHL.
Stenberg remains one of the top prospects for the Blues. But it’s just that he hasn’t really found an opening in the lineup. Now that there are one or two, the organization has to give Stenberg a real chance to stick.
Both Toropchenko and Dube will seemingly be out long-term. That’s why there’s a chance for Stenberg to step in.
Ideally, the Blues would place the 20-year-old on the third line. That’s deep enough in the lineup to where he’s not forced into prime time, but not too far down to where he’s playing under 10 minutes a night.
If anything, this is the chance that the Blues have to really see what Stenberg can do. And if he thrives, the internal competition would be fantastic.
Stenberg could push his way into Blues' top six
The best thing that could happen, and really what the Blues would like, is to see Stenberg push himself into the team’s top six.
That said, the most realistic expectation right now would be seeing him claim a spot on the wing. With Robert Thomas and Mason McTavish looking good as the two top-six centers, there’s really only an open spot on the wing for Stenberg.
But that’s fine for now. The long-term thought could be to have Stenberg become the second-line center, as McTavish could slide to a wing spot. The main idea here is to give the team options and flexibility, particularly considering how injuries can change the lineup in an instant.
It’s worth pointing out that this entire conversation is a long-term vision. It’s not quite likely that Stenberg can become a second-line center this season. But then again, that’s the whole point of having so many good prospects in the system.
Let’s see where this situation goes. The Blues don’t seem to be in a hurry to call Stenberg up anytime soon. And yes, the organization is right to plug the fourth line with bottom-six forwards instead of a top prospect like Stenberg.
But you have to think that it’s only a matter of time before the Blues want to give Stenberg a look. And if there is a long-term opening, the organization would be remiss if it didn’t use it to give Stenberg a real chance this season.
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