A first-round pick in 2023, Theo Lindstein is Doug Armstrong and the Blues' hope to stabilize the future of the blue line for the NHL club. Lindstein is a very high-floor prospect, but has his goalposts moved at all since his draft year? Let's review his 2024-25 season.
A student of the SHL
Lindstein spent his entire season playing for Brynäs IF of the SHL. The Swedish Hockey League is an old and proud league where seniority is highly valued, so for a 20-year-old to play as many games as he did is impressive given the context.
Lindstein accrued 9 points (4G 5A) in 44 regular-season games and 5 points (2G 3A) in 17 postseason games. Lindstein served as a third-pair option for Brynäs on the right side and performed admirably in his minutes.
Lindstein registered a plus/minus of +9 in the regular season and +3 in the playoffs. This means, despite his low deployment against tougher competition, he was still excellent defensively and overall played plus minutes when he hit the ice. He came in with an average time on ice (ATOI) of 13:35, about expected for a third-pair defenseman. This mark was seventh among all defensemen on the roster.
Despite the intense difficulty of his assignment, Lindstein still put up very respectable numbers, making them stand out even more with this added context. He was very productive in the playoffs and showed an impressive ability to score goals for a defenseman, which should translate to the next level.
An international facilitator
This year in international play, Lindstein competed in the J20 World Juniors and IIHC World Junior Championships. And in both tournaments, he certainly impressed.
He was awarded an assistant captainship for the Swedish World Juniors team and tallied 4 points (0G 4A) in 7 games. Lindstein was a leader on the team and on the ice, putting up very respectable production for a defensive defenseman.
At the IIHC World Junior Championships, Lindstein really shone. He battled for 12 points (2G 10A) in 15 games, which was a career mark for him on a rate basis. Lindstein showed why he earned to be a leader on the team and why he is not just a defensive defenseman who can shut down the opposition, but a facilitator of offense as well.
Whereas Lindstein showed off his finishing and goalscoring ability in the SHL, against his peers, he fit perfectly into his role of aiding in the transition play and letting his talented teammates finish the scoring opportunities. Lindstein did not register the same goal totals, but his points skyrocketed when he played more for the assist than the goal himself, demonstrating his immense hockey IQ and awareness to fit into the role each team needed and put himself and others in the best position to succeed.
Lindstein came out of the draft as a high-floor defensive defenseman with limited upside. It seemed almost a guarantee that Lindstein could make the NHL, but how high he could reach was in serious doubt. Since then, and especially following this last season, Lindstein has placed himself in the next tier up of a definite NHL contributor for many years to come.
Lindstein has shown an offensive floor to match his incredible defensive ability, showing off as both a goal scorer and playmaker. This means his upside now is much higher than it once was, and he has become a prospect that is worth keeping a close eye on. For more thoughts on Lindstein and other St. Louis Blues prospects, check out the latest episode of my podcast, the Note News podcast:
In my opinion, I think Lindstein elevated himself beyond being just a safe defensive prospect into a real second-pair contributor. With the way he wins and plays his game, I see his upside as something like a second-pair Colton Parayko; a defensive defenseman with goalscoring ability and impressive play in transition to do enough offensively. Only time will tell for Lindstein to reach this upside, but after this season, he is a prospect I am certainly betting on.