The St. Louis Blues have found themselves in a bit of a slow start for the 2025-26 season. But, looking at how these past drafts have gone for General Manager Doug Armstrong, the best might be yet to come.
Rachel Kryshak of ESPN recently released the list of the top-50 prospects in all of the NHL under the age of 23. The Blues featured a couple of key players. Two of which have made their mark already in the organization, and one more that is setting the Junior Hockey scene ablaze.
The Blues future is strong, and offensive-minded
The three Blues listed are Jimmy Snuggerud at No. 23. Then, 2025 first-round selection Justin Carbonneau comes in at No. 26. Finally, Dalibor Dvorsky, who is finally getting his shot in the show, rounds out the prospects at No. 31.
The tight grouping of these three players, and their impact for years to come, is a great sign for the Blues faithful. We can already see the signs with both Snuggerud and Dvorsky, as head coach Jim Montgomery is trusting these two rookies with power play time and a solid chunk of minutes each night.
Carbonneau has a chance to be better than both of those other two prospects, combined. The floor for him is to be a second-line right winger, with a ceiling of being a superstar first-liner. In 13 games with Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, he has 16 goals and four assists for 20 points. This kid is proving that his time in training camp and the preseason was well worth the investment.
The future first-line of the St. Louis Blues
Looking at all three players, there is a potential here for greatness. Dvorsky could center both Carbonneau and Snuggerud on his right and left, respectively. That could very well be the winning formula for a championship.
The rest of the NHL has a highly touted prospect pool. Each team has a strong and bright future ahead of it. But the Blues have prospects that are already proving their worth. Just a little bit of time and patience can mature these young stars into Blues legends.