St. Louis Blues prospect Jimmy Snuggerud has a decision to make. He can either decide to go pro and play the remaining seven or eight games with St Louis or commit to playing out his final two years of college hockey with the University of Minnesota.
With such a large decision ahead, let's go in detail what each choice Snuggerud has would mean for him and the Blues as a whole.
If he joins the Blues:
If Snuggerud decides he wants to go pro and join the Blues, now wouldn't be a bad time to do so. It's looking increasingly likely that St Louis will miss the playoffs this year, so playing seven or eight games down the stretch could be beneficial for the young prospect.
One thing to keep in mind however is that if Snuggerud joins the Blues this season, he would burn one year off of his entry level contract. These contracts are typically three years long and are contracts that prospects sign when coming into the league. That benefits Snuggerud since he can get a full contract sooner, but it might be costly financially for St. Louis.
Snuggerud is reportedly leaning towards this option, according to Bally Sports Midwest reporter Andy Strickland:
All eyes on the potential of Minn standout & former 1st rd pick of the #Stlblues Jimmy Snuggerud signing an #NHL contract. The idea of him burning a year of his ELC is of little concern. Less body of work to negotiate once his contract expires, few players come in and light it up
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) April 1, 2024
Think of this potential stint with the Blues for Snuggerud like a 9 game tryout. If he comes in and lights it up, then great. If he comes up and struggles, at least he got some NHL experience.
If he stays at Minnesota:
There's always a possibility that Snuggerud stays at Minnesota, but as stated above it's unlikely. It wouldn't make too much of an impact on the Blues, as their season is looking like it's over anyway.
Staying at college for two more years would be a safe play for Snuggerud. It's not often that first round picks make their NHL debut one or two seasons after their draft year. The more development. the better.