The Blues would do well to hold onto Theo Lindstein
We talked about two incredible forwards, so let’s add defenseman Theo Lindstein to the equation. Lindstein was yet another first-round pick, with the Blues taking him 29th overall last year, and while the 19-year-old has yet to play in North America, it won’t be long until he makes the permanent trip over.
His two-way productivity has been on full display on the international stage, indicating Lindstein will have such tendencies once he’s in North America, even if his statistics in the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan don’t necessarily show that. But that’s normal for young players, and what’s more impressive is the fact that this blueliner has already played in 100 games at the aforementioned levels.
That’s an incredible feat when you think about it. And knowing what it’s like to play against older, more mature players will prepare him well for the North American game. If Lindstein can keep up his two-way play, this is the kind of defenseman who could be quarterbacking power plays and playing top-four minutes a few years from today.
Like Snuggerud and Dvorsky, Lindstein is one of those players who will benefit the Blues for years to come.
(Statistics provided by Elite-Prospects)