St. Louis Blues are No. 14 in 2025 NHL prospect pool rankings

Welcome to Scott Wheeler’s 2025 rankings of every NHL organization’s prospects. You can find the complete ranking and more information on the project and its criteria here, as we count down daily from No. 32 to No. 1. The series, which includes in-depth evaluations and insight from sources on nearly 500 prospects, runs from Jan. 8 to Feb. 7.

The St. Louis Blues have one of the deeper pools in the NHL, with five legit prospects at the top and good quantity behind them. They’ve got a good player at every position, too, with a center, winger, right-shot D and left-shot D among that group of five. But they lack the true star prospect/game-changer type that the league’s best pools all have. As a result, their group is strong without being stacked.

2024 prospect pool rank: No. 14 (change: none)

1. Dalibor Dvorsky, C, 19 (Springfield Thunderbirds)

Dvorsky’s June birthday made him one of the younger players in the 2023 draft but he has already accomplished a lot at an early age. It feels like he’s older than he is because of how many international events he has played in and how much pro experience he has. He led a Slovak Hlinka Gretzky Cup team that featured Juraj Slafkovský and Filip Mesar in scoring as an underager, produced well above a point per game in Sweden’s J20 level three years ago, produced at a strong age-adjusted clip in his draft year in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan (while clicking at two points per game in stints back down at J20 when the schedule allowed), drove the bus on a Slovak team that exceeded expectations in Switzerland at the 2023 U18 worlds, and has played in five World Juniors which concluded with a strong showing as their captain this year in Ottawa. And though he didn’t play much in the SHL to start his post-draft season last year and had to move to the OHL, he was a force on Sudbury’s unstoppable top line and would have easily broken 50 goals and 100 points had he started the year there. He has also had more success at the pro level this year in the AHL than he did last year in the SHL, and has been one of Springfield’s top players and leading scorers as a teenage rookie.

The big question with Dvorsky for a while was whether or not he’d be a center or a winger long-term. After noticeably adding some muscle and a little more speed (his skating still isn’t a strength but he works), I think he’s got a real chance to stick down the middle if he can continue to add a bit of pace. He has the roundedness, the defensive awareness and positioning, the habits and the stick detail already. He’s strong in the faceoff circle, too.

He uses his body to gain inside positioning on defenders and shields pucks from defenders extremely impressively. I don’t think his skating is prohibitive. He has shown more fire and competitiveness as he has developed. His gifts in control of the puck are real — I actually found it weird he was cast as a high-floor 200-foot player as his draft year progressed because while his energy and detail are certainly strengths, I see legitimate finesse skills, point-production upside and power-play tools. He can run the wall or the point on the PP, effortlessly picking coverage apart and feathering pucks through seams. He’s got excellent touch and weight on his passes (he’s a great saucer passer off his forehand and backhand in particular) and does a beautiful job waiting for lanes to open. He trusts his one-timer (a legitimate weapon) and his wrister from mid-range. He’s got quick hands and instincts, with standout puck control and shading — and he uses them to take pucks to the middle. I like him in give-and-gos and in individual attacking sequences inside the offensive zone.

Dvorsky is a highly talented and intelligent playmaker who can threaten coverage in a variety of ways, whether that’s carving through it in control at his own pace and finishing cleanly from the home-plate area, sliding off coverage to find pockets of space to get open into, or drawing coverage and facilitating — he does a wonderful job hanging onto pucks and waiting for options to open. He’ll occasionally force things but he usually finds his way through with his skill, strength on pucks and smarts. His statistical profile is really strong, too. I see second-line potential and a middle-six floor with clear power-play upside.

2. Jimmy Snuggerud, RW, 20 (University of Minnesota) 

Snuggerud has been one of the Golden Gophers’ leading scorers in three consecutive seasons and is expected to turn pro after his junior year this year. He was one of the hottest prospects in hockey in his post-draft season, going from B-plus prospect to A-minus (or close) with a rare 50-point freshman season. He didn’t get back there as a sophomore last season after linemates Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies both turned pro, but he still scored 20-plus goals for a second time and was the Golden Gophers’ best forward for me even if he finished third on the team in points. That has continued this season at Minnesota, where he’s on pace for another 20-plus goal season as the Golden Gophers’ leading scorer.

Snuggerud’s game was always strong at the program, where he played on the top line and showed above-average tools and first-round merits, but every piece of it has elevated a little since then. Plus-shot (had that already). Plus-skill. Good enough skater (has gained half a step). Hard on pucks. Hunts and sticks with pucks. Consistently impactful. Finding ways to release and move as soon as he has made his play so that he can get open for the next one again.

It’s all there now. And maybe we all should have seen it coming. When I polled the 2004 U.S. NTDP players for their most underrated teammate, he was basically the unanimous answer.

Snuggerud is a well-rounded three-zone player with a versatile offensive game who can make plays with skill and will. His head is always up and on a swivel, even in congested areas. He’s good below the goal line and makes a lot of low-to-high plays into the slot to find cutting teammates for chances. He goes to scoring areas and follows shots to the net to get to rebounds, playing a determined forechecking game. He’s got a dangerous one-timer, catch-and-release wrister and natural shooting motion — pucks come off his blade hard and quickly — but he doesn’t tunnel-vision for his shot, he sees the ice well and he can make plays back against the grain. He’s got good hands, which helps him make outside-in plays to beat defenders one-on-one more than he gets credit for. He uses space well and makes a lot of plays off his backhand. He’s strong on pucks and stick lifts. He’s got some touch as a passer.

And on top of it all, he’s also got a pro frame to build upon and a June birthday that gave him good runway to get better. There’s a goal-scoring second-line winger there. He’s probably a scoring third-liner at his floor, too. I debated ranking him No. 1 here.

3. Adam Jiricek, RHD, 18 (Brantford Bulldogs)

Jiricek is a summer birthday who worked his way from junior into Czechia’s top pro rung as a 16-year-old. He lost last season to a pair of knee injuries (one right before the World Juniors and then another almost right away in the tournament, the latter of which required surgery and ended his season) and even before he went down, I didn’t think his draft year had gone as well as he would have hoped for and I had started questioning why some were as high on him as they were. Still, he played atop Czechia’s defense alongside Los Angeles Kings draft pick Jakub Dvorak as an underager at the 2023 U18 worlds, made the Czech World Junior team as an underager despite the slow start last year, made the early jump to the pro game, was excellent at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup when his stock was highest and he’s now playing big minutes for a top OHL team after a successful second World Juniors in which he helped the Czechs to a bronze medal with five assists in seven games.

He doesn’t have quite the presence his older brother David has, but Adam plays the game with confidence and intention and has shown real ambition at times against his peers. He’s got good four-way mobility, an active disposition — he has also shown at the pro level that he could simplify and play a more effective game — and balanced shooting mechanics. Jiricek has an eye for spacing and identifying opportunities to jump on both sides of the puck, plus good skill with the puck to build upon. There are definitely tools and room to grow his game and fill out his frame. He’s also competitive. I like his defensive habits and he’s got size and ability.

I remain a little more cautious in my evaluation of him than most scouts because he feels a little rawer than his track record would suggest and I still haven’t consistently seen the high-end offense he showed at the Hlinka (including in Brantford, where he has been very good but hasn’t popped offensively like some thought he would). He’s capable of involving himself against his peers, though, and hopefully he uses some good puck touches from the World Juniors and his return to his age group in junior to continue to build back some momentum in Brantford. He’s a good NHL prospect who has length and has had some really strong stretches over the years.

4. Theo Lindstein, LHD, 20 (Brynäs IF)

Lindstein is an unspectacular but solid two-way defenseman whose well-rounded and mature game helped him get into 49 SHL games before he was drafted and became a 16-to-20-minute defender at the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan level last season. After playing well in a second-pairing role in Brynäs’ promotion back into the SHL, Lindstein has also played to good results in a full-time role there as a teenager this season. He was also an alternate captain and a big part of Sweden’s top four at U18 worlds; made a huge impression at last year’s World Juniors in Gothenburg, showing some real offense and getting named to the tournament all-star team (he was on my ballot, too) after he was originally not even named to Team Sweden before a pair of injuries opened up a spot; and wore a letter and played on their shutdown pair as a returnee at this year’s tournament in Ottawa.

His game isn’t flashy, but he plays very sure of himself, makes his decisions quickly, executes and defends at a high level. He’s also a very good skater. There’s just a two-way reliability and detail to his game. He manages play and uses strong positioning, mobility, a good stick and a heady approach to have an impact in all three zones. There’s also some secondary offense to his game and he has shown some creativity and vision against his peers (he has played the power play for the Swedes but not Brynäs) and good comfort at play-on-play at the pro level moving pucks and helping out in transition. Lindstein contributes at both ends without sacrificing one for the other. I would like to see him be a little more physical/firmer in battles and engagements, but he defends mostly with his stick and skating. It feels like he’s got a fairly high floor/likelihood of becoming a solid D partner to someone in the NHL for a long time.

5. Otto Stenberg, C/LW, 19 (Springfield Thunderbirds)

Coming into his draft year, Stenberg was viewed by many as the second-best Swedish prospect in the 2023 class after Leo Carlsson. He had played to nearly a point per game at the J20 level, looked like he belonged as an underager on the national team at U18 worlds and impressed as Sweden’s leading scorer and captain at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. (He also scored two Michigan goals that year). He then continued to wear the “C” for Sweden in his draft year at events like the Five Nations, World Jr. A Challenge and U18 worlds, the latter of which he was tremendous in. Scouts had a tough time slotting him due to his so-so production at the J20 level, though he was better than his numbers reflected and didn’t look out of place in several stints with the SHL club.

In his post-draft season, he then made Frölunda’s SHL team out of camp, stood out for Sweden in his first World Juniors and then registered 16 points in 21 combined regular-season and playoff games on a loan to Karlskoga in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. This season, he became a full-time SHLer with Malmö in the fall, was fine in depth usage for them, played on Sweden’s top line in his second World Juniors and then made the jump to North America in the new year. The early signs have been positive in the AHL, too.

Against his peers, he has always been a crafty handler who hangs onto pucks to spin away from pressure, attacks in and out of crowds, makes plays into space for himself and can comfortably make plays through layers to others. He’s also got an accurate shot from mid-range. I like the way he attacks on angles to help prevent defenders from taking him one-on-one, and to take pucks from the perimeter to the interior and create chaos around the slot. When he plays with pace and intention, he seems to have the puck all the time and looks effective while flashing some skill in all three zones. There have been times when he looks like he’s trying a little too hard to impress and make things happen instead of allowing the game to come to him, but even when things aren’t going his way and the points aren’t falling, I’ve always liked his involvement level so it’s hard to get down on him.

He’s a smooth skater. He’s got smooth hands. He’s patient under pressure and can find his way out of trouble weaving and swerving through holes or away from sticks. He’s quick side-to-side on little jumps and drags. And when he’s playing with confidence he likes to try to take D one-on-one, which can result in some high-end plays but also some turnovers. With the national team, he has always found ways to elevate, manufacture offense, spend his shifts in the offensive zone and contribute on special teams. He has also added more of a cycle game/good wall play to add to his decent skill level, good release, comfortable one-timer and cutting game. Everybody loves a worker with skill and opportunism. That’s his game.

He passes the eye test even if the production hasn’t always been there (outside of international play). He’s not going to be a high-end NHLer but I don’t think anyone familiar with his game would be surprised if he became a contributing top-nine forward at the NHL level as some kind of third-liner/secondary play driver.

6. Lukas Fischer, LHD, 18 (Sarnia Sting)

Fischer is a player NHL scouts and folks around the OHL have a lot of time for. He has played huge minutes (28-30+ most games) for Sarnia the last two years and while he was occasionally exposed by a poor group last year, he’s 6-foot-3, he defends, he’s tough and he’s really quite mobile — and an excellent natural athlete in several ways.

He was also one of the youngest players in last year’s draft and was just a week away from eligibility for 2025. Add in good athleticism and a strong frame that will continue to add muscle and there’s a lot to like. I’ve questioned his reads/timing/decision-making at times and while he can chase it and be erratic at times, there are a lot of tools there, and he and his team have played a role in him being asked to do a lot. I think he has the tools, makeup, disposition and work ethic to become a bottom-pairing NHL defenseman. The stats don’t pop (though he did score a hat trick a couple of weeks ago!) but he’s a strong kid with a strong, wide base to his stride who can play big minutes and looks like how NHL teams want their D to look these days.

He’s closer to the players behind him here than the ones in front of him, though.

7. Colin Ralph, LHD, 19 (St. Cloud State University)

Ralph was among the final cuts on D for my final top 100 ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft and has made the difficult jump from Shattuck St. Mary’s and the U18 prep circuit directly to the NCAA this season, after a so-so World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth. At St. Cloud, he has had a fine-to-good freshman year, averaging about 20 minutes per game and holding his own. He also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa — I thought he had some tough/haphazard moments in his own zone and one-on-one, and it showed throughout that it was his first high-level international tournament, but he was ultimately fine in limited usage.

He’s a big (6-foot-5), heavy (already 225 pounds), strong D who showed some offense last year at Shattuck, moves pucks well enough to project and skates fine. He’s got work to do to continue to get quicker from a standstill but his mobility isn’t super sluggish considering his size. He defends hard, he’s got a hard point shot that he does a good job keeping low and on net, and his reads and timing are coming along. The appeal is in his size and makeup. If he progresses well, he could become a No. 5-7 D at the NHL level post-college.

8. Juraj Pekarcik, LW, 19 (Moncton Wildcats)

A standout at U18 worlds and the second-youngest player on my board for the 2023 draft, Pekarcik was born mere days away from being eligible for 2024. He was productive at Slovakia’s U20 level at 16, played pro at 17 (producing eight points in eight games in Slovakia’s second rung and three assists in 30 games with Nitra at its top flight), finished fifth in points per game in the USHL last year at 18, and is now one of the leading scorers on the QMJHL favorites in Moncton. I thought he was more noticeable than his three points in five games at last year’s World Juniors indicated, too, and then he was a top player at this year’s tournament, playing huge minutes for Slovakia with Dvorsky.

His biggest assets are his skating and athleticism. Pekarcik can really fly for a 6-foot-2 forward. He’s got both quick feet and a smooth, fast stride. He also has a sneaky hard and quick release — though his goal totals haven’t always reflected it, he can shoot it — and some one-on-one skill. He’s noticeable in puck protection, both on the perimeter and in holding pucks to attack into the slot off his hip, and off the rush with his speed to gain a step on defenders. He can play-make out of corners and in transition. I would like to see him play a little harder and use his frame a little more off the puck to win positioning and battles, or get to the inside and finish a little more than he does, but he’s got some pro attributes and is going to be a good top-nine AHLer at minimum. There are some tools to work with there and some runway to take advantage of. He’s not a finished product by any means but he’s interesting at the very least.

9. Adam Jecho, C/RW, 18 (Edmonton Oil Kings)

Jecho has been a big-name prospect out of Czechia for what feels like years now. He played in three Hlinkas, a U17 WHC, a U18 worlds, Finland, the WHL and now a World Juniors, where despite playing a third-line role and minutes he found ways to affect play and had a couple of big moments. He’s a huge center  —though he has also played a lot of wing coming up and isn’t particularly strong in the faceoff circle — with decent skills. He’s a below-average skater who has work to do on his first three strides, which was evident in a poor showing in testing at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game last year and has limited him at times from taking a step offensively in the WHL, but if he can pick up a step, there’s enough elsewhere for him to become a fourth-line NHLer.

He’s actually a fine-to-good skater for his size in straight lines once he gets going, too. He can shoot and handle the puck with a wrister that comes off quickly. He protects pucks well and will make the odd soft-area play. He has flashed some skill when he has time and space to make a play on a defender — he can take guys one-on-one and handle pucks in his feet, though less proficiently when he’s in a hurry or crowded. His curl-and-drag wrister comes off his blade hard and he’s a big (6-foot-5, over 200 pounds), strong kid already. He has learned to work and use his frame off the puck to become a more rounded player defensively.

I’ve wanted to see him take a bigger step in the WHL than he has, though. He doesn’t generate enough looks for himself individually and remains too much of an off-puck player on his lines — even though he does a good job reading the play off the puck to pick his spots to drive the middle lane or get open out wide — but there’s some definite appeal and he’s got a chance to play. I did think about ranking him a little lower here.

10. Quinton Burns, LHD, 19 (Kingston Frontenacs)

Burns, the Frontenacs’ captain this season, has size and skates well, which is the way the league is going on defense. While watching him I’ve felt at times I was looking at more of a future two-way AHL defenseman than an NHL one, but I think he has made enough progress to be considered a potential future No. 6-7 D now.

Burns is a mobile 6-foot-2 lefty who has played 25 minutes per game in the OHL to excellent results this year. He defends hard and firmly, with a good stick and mobility but also a willing physicality. He defends the rush and in zone well, closing out and taking away space to challenge opposing carriers. He can move pucks and occasionally contribute in transition/off the line. He’s got a chance and should be good organizational depth at minimum.

11. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, C, 20 (Springfield Thunderbirds)

Kaskimaki’s a player I’ve always had a soft spot for and have enjoyed watching but have never been able to confidently project into the NHL. In his draft year, he was one of the top forwards in Finland’s junior league and a first-line player at U18 worlds. His post-draft season was a bit slow as he tried to find his spot in the pro team and national team lineups, though it was a credit to him that he made the Finnish World Junior team at 18 and he did play well for HIFK in the Liiga playoffs that year. Last season, though he has still played mostly in a depth role, he established himself as an everyday pro player, scoring 10 goals in Liiga and a couple of big goals at his second World Juniors in Gothenburg, including a huge one in the final minutes to give the Finns the 3-2 lead and the win in the quarters. And after signing and coming to the AHL as a rookie this year, he has played well, producing near the top of the Thunderbirds roster as a 20-year-old.

Against his peers over the years, he has shown he can attack and create with the puck on his stick, regularly racking up gaudy shot totals at Finland’s junior level. His hands can flash. When he gets an opportunity, whether that’s being left alone in the slot or a defender making a mistake, he’s got the skill to make plays or finish. He’s decently strong for his size (6 feet) and works hard to be at the center of the action.

But he’s also one of those classic case studies where he’s really going to have to hit a lot of checkpoints to become an offensive use-case player and he’s probably not going to be a role player, even though he has been used in defensive/penalty-killing minutes at times at lower levels. He has hit one of those checkpoints this year, though. I do wonder if he’s just going to top out as a second-line AHLer rather than an everyday NHLer, but he’s on track to play some games at some point if he keeps it up.

12. Zach Dean, C, 22 (Springfield Thunderbirds)

Despite uninspiring production and a history of injuries — including a lower-body injury that has kept him out week-to-week for months now — Dean has a likable game that still earned him NHL games last year. Dean showed some really positive signs toward the end of his final junior season and into the QMJHL playoffs with Gatineau, playing the best hockey of his career and really making his game work for him, but he has mostly looked out of sorts/ineffective in my viewings with Springfield.

Between his hard work, constant application of pressure, always-in-motion movement with or without the puck, the trust he earns, his willingness to attack the interior, the tempo he plays with and sets physically, his details along the wall and the little plays he makes around the ice in give-and-gos, he plays an endearing style. Mix in fast hands, a strong neutral-zone game as a carrier, a solid stride and a decent one-timer, and you’ve got the makings of a worker with secondary skill. But he has found it harder to make plays at the pro level and was never a skill guy in junior until the end. The decision-making and reads haven’t always been there, either, and have made his adjustment to the pro game a tougher one than some expected given his pro style.

He’s probably owed some better puck luck/injury luck, though, and could still meet his contributing bottom-sixer projection if he can get back on track and healthy. Coaches have always had time for him, so I’m not prepared to write him off yet, even if the clock is now ticking.

13. Michael Buchinger, LHD, 20 (Springfield Thunderbirds)

An alternate captain and the No. 1 D on Guelph in both his 18- and 19-year-old seasons (though a thumb tendon injury that required surgery did set back his season last year), Buchinger is a mobile, smooth-passing, two-way defenseman who breaks pucks out with a consistent first pass on outlets but will also jump into the rush to create offense with his feet as a trailer. He’s got a hard shot when he involves himself, too. Defensively, he’s got a good stick that he leads with to disrupt carriers and a physicality that he’s comfortable falling back on as a backup to close out. I have seen him cough the puck up and get burned playing against better competition (World Junior Selection Camp and now the AHL), but I’ve also seen him look quick and crisp.

In the OHL, he played an aggressive style holding the point and pinching down the wall, made good decisions under pressure, slipped little five-foot passes through pressure and walked the line well. He got his shots through, kept his head up, managed aggressive gaps in neutral ice, looked to take, and liked to drive off the wall and drop a shoulder to attack into his shot. Some questioned if he’d be able to do all of that up levels as an average-sized (5-foot-11/6-foot) defenseman who doesn’t have a dynamic quality per se, though, and that has borne out this season in a very real adjustment to the AHL.

He surprised scouts with his vision inside the offensive zone and overall defensive polish as a rookie in his draft year (due to the pandemic) to emerge as a third-round pick, and he played to about a point per game in the two seasons after that, but I’m not sure about an NHL projection. He’s the kind of player who feels like he’ll be solid AHL depth at minimum and maybe he works his way into the call-up conversation in his mid-20s.

14. Jakub Stancl, LW, 19 (Kelowna Rockets)

A breakout performer at this year’s World Juniors, Stancl is a 6-foot-3 winger and fourth-round pick who played to just half a point per game at the J20 level in his post-draft season but always had more pro quality than the numbers indicated. He has had a strong season this year split between Kelowna, where he’s above a point per game, and the World Juniors, where he led the tournament in scoring with seven goals in seven games, including a couple of big ones and also a post in the bronze medal game.

He’s a big, decently strong player who can hold pucks and push through contact or get open off them. He’s got a hard one-touch shot — not the traditional one-timer but more of a low-leverage shot he goes to. He doesn’t have high-end skill or skating but he moves well enough and gives a consistent effort. The World Juniors was the best hockey I’ve seen him play and you don’t want to get carried away with one showing, but he has made enough progress that he looks like he’ll be a solid contributor in an AHL top-nine and some think he’s got a chance to play NHL games if he continues to progress.

15. Simon Robertsson, RW/LW, 21 (Springfield Thunderbirds)

I’ve always had a soft spot for Robertsson’s game and he has shown enough in his rookie season in the AHL this year to warrant a mention. I’m lower on Robertsson today than I was on draft day, though. He ranked 30th on my final list when the Blues took him No. 71, and their range was the appropriate one. I thought he should have played a bigger role at his World Juniors, though he was impressive on the PK, got some looks offensively and skated well on a team that needed more from the guys higher in the lineup.

He actually had a really solid 19-year-old season two years ago, splitting his time between the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan and finding ways to produce in both, including on a Skellefteå team that made it to the SHL final. He registered five goals and 10 points in 22 HockeyAllsvenskan games and six goals and eight points in 24 SHL games. Those are respectable numbers. Last year, he didn’t take a step and continued to split time between the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan but finished as a part of the Skellefteå team that won the SHL title. This year, after going scoreless in his first few AHL games, he has been pretty productive since.

I’m not convinced he has a defining skill that will propel him into an offensive or defensive role at the NHL level, but it’s not impossible to imagine him as a complementary bottom-six guy in a couple more years with the right patience. Robertsson is a play-driving, versatile winger with a nifty wrist-shot release who pushes tempo through neutral ice with a compact stride. He makes a lot of smart, aggressive plays inside the offensive zone and can process the game at speed. When he gets the puck, he looks to take it at defenders and attack the inside. I like the variety to his game so that when the play to the middle isn’t there, he can improvise, though I think he’s less creative today than I thought he was in his draft year which does mute some of his potential. His game works on the smaller ice in North America as well. He might just top out as a good AHLer.

The Tiers

As always, each prospect pool ranking is broken down into team-specific tiers in order to give you a better sense of the proximity from one player — or group of players — to the next.

The Blues’ pool is divided into three tiers: 1-2, 3-5, 6-15+.

Considered but not ranked were WHL forward Tomas Mrsic (the final cut at forward), Russian forward Matvei Korotky, Russian defenseman Arseni Koromyslov (the final cut on D), Czech forward Ondrej Kos, and Springfield goaltenders Colten Ellis and Vadim Zherenko, who could both play games at some point but look more like No. 3/4 goalies than No. 2s to me.

(Photo of Dalibor Dvorsky: Keith Gillett / IconSportswire)