It is clear that the St. Louis Blues have to be looking at the future with an open mind. There are some blossoming building blocks, but it is still too early to tell if they will succeed.
Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg, Jake Neighbours, Dylan Holloway, Justin Carbonneau, and Joel Hofer are a part of the likely successful tier for younger Blues players. Defenseman Logan Mailloux and goaltender Love Harenstam are a part of the mystery tier, as it is unclear where they end up in the Blues' plans.
But there is one key player left out here that should be considered the cornerstone piece of the Blue Note’s future. He is the mold that is embedded in the center of what a potential Stanley Cup-contending era should be.
That player is Jimmy Snuggerud.
Jimmy is Himmy
With an exclamation point goal against the back-to-back Stanley Cup-defending Florida Panthers on Thursday night, winning the game with 7.6 seconds left, Snuggerud made his mark on the future of the Blues. This kid is more special than we could have ever imagined.
The power play goal was the eighth tally on the year, and fourth with the man-advantage for Snuggerud. He, alongside Dvorsky, will become a key component of the Blues' power play future.
Has he proven enough in his rookie campaign?
That really is the question: how much was Snuggerud supposed to show in his first “rookie” season? Of course, he played down the stretch of last season’s conclusion and the playoff series against Winnipeg, but this season is his first full go-around.
With eight goals and 11 assists for 19 points in 42 games, it is not a terrible outing. He has had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but the growing pains have started to subside as of late. He acclimated to the NHL game quickly, and recently, we are seeing how that comfort can help turn into a contribution.
If he can eclipse the teens for goals and float up to the high 30-point range, that is a good building block for him. There are 28 more games left to this season, with a bit of a break to catch his breath, with the Olympic Break coming soon. These numbers are certainly doable.