Jimmy Snuggerud played 14 games last season: seven came at the tail end of the regular season, and the other seven came in the playoffs in a Round One loss to the Winnipeg Jets. Snuggerud put up three goals and eight points in those 14 games, and he's got an inside track to make the St. Louis Blues' roster on opening night for the 2025-26 season.
It feels like Snuggerud has been the topic of conversation for ages now, but the 2025-26 season will be his first as a Calder-eligible player. It's unlikely he'll be in serious consideration for the award (Ivan Demidov, of the Montreal Canadiens, is the betting favorite), but if he produces at a similar rate throughout the season, Snuggerud should at least be in the mix. Breaking the 20-goal threshold would get him votes; eclipsing 30 goals could make him a finalist.
We don't want to put that kind of expectation on Snuggerud, though. A promising rookie season would be somewhere around 0.5 points per game, so around 40 points total should he play all 82 games. If he goes past 50 points, that's an outstanding start to an NHL career, and Snuggerud will be pushing for regular top-six minutes at 21 years old. He should be given plenty of opportunity in the team's top nine to start the season, as well as some power play time--though maybe on the second unit early on.
It's important to remember, of course, that Snuggerud is still a rookie: there will be defensive gaffes and growing pains as he adjusts to the slog of a full NHL season, and sometimes the scoring may dry up. Patience will be key, and a few rough patches--especially during the condensed pre-Olympic schedule--are all part of the process.
Still, expectations for Snuggerud are high after a blistering first 14 games as a pro, but a measured approach is probably best: under promise and over-deliver. If Snuggerud plays a full 82-game season and scores over 20 goals and 40 points, that'll be a great rookie year--anything else is gravy.