What to expect from Blues recent call-up, Otto Stenberg

Yesterday, the St. Louis Blues recalled one of their most highly regarded prospects, Otto Stenberg, from their AHL-affiliate team, the Springfield Thunderbirds.

The Blues selected Stenberg 25th-overall at the 2023 NHL draft, using one of the picks they'd acquired at that season's trade deadline as they kicked off a retool. He spent his D+1 year entirely in Sweden, bouncing between the SHL, Allsvenskan, and J20, as well as playing for Team Sweden in World Juniors. Last year, Stenberg split his time between Sweden and the Thunderbirds, and this season has been spent entirely in North America. In 21 games with the Thunderbirds this year, he has three goals, five assists, and eight points.

Stenberg is a skilled forward with solid hockey smarts. He's played center at times in his career but at 6-feet tall and 187 pounds, it's unclear whether or not he'll stick down the middle at the NHL level. It'd be great for the Blues if he could, though the emergence of Dalibor Dvorsky has lessened the need for an impactful NHL center at the moment. Considering the Blues' horrific injury luck, the team sort of just needs warm bodies in the lineup.

Those injuries are exactly why Stenberg's getting the call-up; he may not be ready for a full-time NHL job, but the Blues don't have much choice--they just claimed Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings to make sure they have enough forwards to dress. With the Blues way out of a playoff spot at this point, it makes more sense to give some minutes to the up-and-coming prospects than AHL veterans who aren't going to be a part of the next great Blues team.

Speaking of those playoffs and the next great Blues team: the Blues currently have the third-best odds in the NHL draft lottery, and one of the top prospects this year is Otto's brother, Ivar Stenberg. There haven't been many bright spots for the Blues but if they end up with a top-five pick, it would be fun to unite two brothers in St. Louis.