It's the dead heat of the summer, and the World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The St. Louis Blues have two prospects participating: goaltender Love Härenstam is a member of Team Sweden, and right wing Justin Carbonneau--the Blues' most recent 1st-round draft pick, selected 19th overall--is representing Team Canada.
In a recent interview with FloHockey's Justin Peters, Carbonneau made something very clear: that he intends to push for a roster spot at training camp a few months from now.
"My goal for training camp with the Blues is to take a spot or play a couple of games. I’m going to go all out and force their hand."Carbonneau
That's exactly the kind of attitude and drive the Blues should want from their young prospects. While it remains unlikely that Carbonneau, who will still be just 18 years old when the season starts, cracks a Blues roster that's relatively set at forward, it certainly would make opening night more interesting. The only player whose roster spot could be in question is Mathieu Joseph's, who had a down year in 2024-25 and whose third-line role would be perfect for a prospect like Carbonneau to at least get their feet wet at the NHL level.
Should Carbonneau not make the Blues' roster out of training camp, he'll most likely be loaned back to his QMJHL team, the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. In his draft year in the Q, Carbonneau scored 46 goals and 89 points in 62 games, and expectations would be to improve upon that should he return to the Armada. Making the Blues, though--even if for a handful of games--would be quite a feat for Carbonneau.