Jimmy Snuggerud has been as-advertised over the past two years
Drafted 23rd overall in 2022, Jimmy Snuggerud has been a star at the University of Minnesota, matching his goal total of 21 from last season. While he didn’t reach a point-per-game threshold, don’t think too much about the overall statistics here. He overachieved with a 50-point season as a freshman, as he was part of a dynamic trio. That said, his 34 points in 37 contests mark is a more realistic and still an overall stellar stat line.
Snuggerud is already a top prospect, and he will keep evolving his overall game. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic currently has him ranked No. 1 in the Blues prospects pool, and you can expect Snuggerud to stay there once he gives fans an encore performance in 2024-25 should he remain with the Golden Gophers.
St. Louis has struggled to score consistently this season, and while we shouldn’t expect Snuggerud to join and improve the big club anytime soon, he’s the kind of player who will skate right in and help transform the Blues offensively once he’s NHL-ready.
Sure, Armstrong could package him into a trade for an established goal-scorer, but it’s also important to look at the overall window of success. As a young player, Snuggerud gives the Blues the potential to stick around the organization for over a decade as perhaps an elite scorer, but that won’t be the case with a player currently in their prime.