The St. Louis Blues internal competition is heating up. This is the model that new Blues General Manager Alexander Steen would like for his team to compete under from now on, and it will start with the coming 2026-27 season. While the fight for playing time on the wings may be difficult for some to crack their way into, the Blues' young blueliner Theo Lindstein has a legitimate chance to open the season in St. Louis and stay there throughout the season. That being said, the job will not be uncontested.
The 21-year-old left-shot defenseman was drafted by the Blues 29th overall in 2023 and gave a very convincing and composed 17-game look in the NHL last spring. Paired mostly alongside veteran defenseman Colton Parayko, Lindstein scored four points (two goals, two assists) and grabbed a plus-six rating, averaging just under 16 minutes per night.
While his hockey IQ and physique may be NHL-ready, he will have to hold off players like Tyler Tucker for a consistent role on the left side. The two offer very different roles but will force the decision from the Blues coaching staff for which player brings more to the table. Should Lindstein's game slip, he could lose playing time to Tucker, or another AHL defender like Hunter Skinner, who showed a promising level of play and held his own, forcing his way into the conversation until the last moments of camp. With Lindstein still on his entry-level contract, the Blues can opt for roster manipulation and swap Lindstein out in a heartbeat should they feel some time in the AHL would prove beneficial.
Deployment Projection
There are two pairings that make sense if Lindstein sticks in St. Louis. Parayko is the option if the Blues wish to help provide a veteran guidance as the season progresses. He was the same player he was deployed with in March and April, and he will allow Lindstein to play with more of a safety net.
Logan Mailloux, on the other hand, is more of Lindstein's potential long-term deployment option. Mailloux is a young, right-shot defenseman with more offensive risk, but offers better long-term gain should the two mesh well together. While the first pairing option is the safer way to go, the latter is one fans could see for the long haul.
Stasticial Projection
If Lindstein plays roughly 75 percent of his games in the NHL this coming season, he could find himself possibly netting 3-5 goals with 13-16 points in the NHL. A short AHL reassignment would help push him into more of a two-way role, likely with some power play time as well, and help push up his season point totals. Should that be the outlook for Lindstein, a combined 20-25 points is where he could find himself by the end of the season.
If Lindstein finds himself hovering around a 50/50 split, Tucker wins the training camp battle, or if Lindstein finds himself in a slump, his NHL production likely falls to 8-12 points. Ultimately, 40 AHL games under Springfield Thunderbirds Head Coach Steve Ott could even see him grabbing somewhere around 20 points.
What ultimately keeps Lindstein in St. Louis, though are not his point totals, but clean gaps, reliable outlets, and no extended stretches of lost puck battles. Lindstein does not need to be an offensive player, but the calming left-shot defender who can defend well alongside his partner.
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