The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects and has been condensed from two articles to one. The article will bring you: The highlighted team’s draft; insights into its off-season moves; looking at prospect risers, fallers and likely prospects to play NHL games; and of course, the writers’ top-20 prospects. Articles may be brought back when an important team update occurs, so check back because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season! 

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Make sure to check out the St. Louis Blues team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/st-louis-blues/

To view past 32s go here: https://dobberprospects.com/category/feature/32-in-32-series/

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You would be forgiven for mistaking the Blues 2024-25 season with their 2018-19 Stanley Cup season (minus the obvious). Head coach Drew Bannister started the year behind the bench, before being fired and replaced by Jim Montgomery. After the hiring of Montgomery, the club completely turned their season around, finishing with a 35-18-7 record. They entered the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league, coming off of a 12-game win streak in late March and early April. Their core players changed the narrative on their Blues’ tenures and, combined with the influx of young players knocking at the door of NHL roster spots, make the Blues a real threat in the Central Division. 

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NHL Draft Recap 

Round 1, 19th overall: Justin Carbonneau (RW) – Carbonneau took a massive step from 2023-24 to 2024-25 to cement himself as a first round talent. He is one of the most skilled forwards in this class and showcased that in the 46-goal, 89-point campaign for Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL. He plays with a lot of pace and the skill to back up his intensity. His hands are crafty and he combines excellent vision with being a dangerous scoring threat with the puck on his stick. Defenders have no ability to consistently predict Carbonneau’s next move. He also plays an underrated physical game. He is not afraid of body contact and, while not necessarily a bruiser, he will retrieve and protect pucks at any cost. Carbonneau should slot in nicely to the Blues’ forward prospect pool and be a real difference maker down the line.

Round 5, 147th overall: Mikhail Fyodorov (W) – On the surface, Fyodorov’s 152-pound frame may be a turn-off, but he brings more to the table to make up for it. For starters, he can fly up and down the ice and is a handful for defenders to manage, when he can maintain possession of the puck. Additionally, he is a threat from everywhere in the offensive zone and is able to register chances that translate to points. His 43-point campaign was accentuated by a stretch of 17 points in 13 games in the middle part of his MHL season. This earned him some time in both the KHL and VHL, where it was tough to see consistency in either league. This year, he will head back to Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk and aim to continue his development. 

Round 6, 179th overall: Love Härenstam (G) – The Blues’ future goaltending situation looks to be in good hands with Jordan Binnington under contract for two more years and 25-year-old Joel Hofer waiting in the wings. That being said, St. Louis drafted Härenstam, who is an athletic goaltender with a similar play style as Binnington. He can make a tough save when called upon, but also can play a frustrating game to watch. He spent last season with both Luleå and Skellefteå’s J20 teams and the numbers are vastly different. With Luleå, his save percentage hovered above .920, while with Skellefteå, it lingered under .900. The Blues are hoping for some more consistency in his game, but his athletic profile is intriguing for the team. 

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Off-Season Moves

Incoming 

Logan Mallioux – Acquired from Montreal Canadiens

Nick Bjugstad – Signed two-year contract 

Pius Suter – Signed two-year contract 

Outgoing 

Zach Bolduc – Traded to MTL 

Nick Leddy – Placed on waivers 

Re-Signed

Joel Hofer – Re-signed two-year contract 

Matt Luff – Re-signed one-year contract 

Nikita Alexandrov – Re-signed one-year contract 

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In the System

Risers 

Juraj Pekarcik – Pekarcik’s first season with the Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL could not have gone better after coming from the USHL. He spent the year with fifth overall pick Caleb Desnoyers, but did not look out of place. He registered 24 goals and 67 points in 53 games and was a major contributor in Moncton’s run to the Memorial Cup. In the playoffs, however, Pekarcik elevated to another level. He was tenacious and found ways to drive offense for the Wildcats. He can do just about anything offensively and is a surefire threat no matter who he is matched up against. This year, Pekarcik will join the Springfield Thunderbirds, officially putting himself into professional hockey. Management and fans alike have much reason to be excited about what the future holds. 

Logan Mailloux – Having to part ways with Zach Bolduc is not easy, but Mailloux is a very capable return that should give the Blues some good return on investment. He spent most of the season in Laval, but did see seven games of NHL action. In that stint, he impressed. Mailloux’s 6-3 frame, combined with his skating ability and offensive touch make him an exciting defender that St. Louis can rely on. At 23 years old, Mailloux may start the season in Springfield, but, excitingly, should not take too long to suit up in a Blues sweater. 

Otto Stenberg – In a similar case to Mailloux, Stenberg will likely start 2024-25 in Springfield, but is poised to see NHL action in the not-too-distant future. In 2024-25, his time with Malmo was heading in the wrong direction, but a chance of scenery to Springfield was exactly what he needed. In North America, he is able to utilize his craftiness and playmaking ability. Stenberg’s north-south speed may need some touching up, but it did not come back to bite him on North American ice. His hands and body positioning were on display. He translated this success into 17 points, more than double his total in Malmo. Stenberg is finally showing the signs of the first-round talent the Blues chose. 

Tomas Mrsic – Mrsic exploded in 2024-25 with the Prince Albert Raiders and launched himself up the Blues’ prospect list. Every facet of Mrsic’s season was an improvement from the previous. Statistically, his 33 goals, 57 assists and 90 points were all noticeable improvements. He was a multi-point game aficionado and gave Prince Albert all sorts of offense. One of Mrsic’s key elements of his game is his shot. It is both hard and deceptive. He combines his long stride with this shot to be an offensive force. Additionally, Mrsic doesn’t have to rely on dangling and magic hands to beat defenders. His anticipation, skating ability and shot make his game translatable to every level. Mrsic will play at Colorado College this year, aiming to see similar success as in the WHL. The Blues should be thrilled with Mrsic’s development so far. 

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Fallers 

Zach Dean – While there is a lot of untapped potential still in Dean, it has been a bit of a struggle for him since turning pro. He had real trouble establishing anything in 2023-24, partly due to his speed not being as much of a game-breaker as it was in the QMJHL. To compound his struggles, he missed 36 games last year due to a lower-body injury. On the bright side, Dean did find some success in the final few games of Springfield’s season, showing that there is still a player here. Staying healthy is going to be key for Dean, but he needs to impress this season and cement himself among St. Louis’ prospect pool. 

Jakub Stancl – Stancl joined Springfield for ten games last season and did not find much success in that time. He only registered one assist and didn’t really provide much of an impact. He was not as high-volume of a shooter as in Kelowna and does not provide too much in the way of advantages for his teammates. Stancl does possess a hard shot and can launch pucks on a one-timer, so there is still some offensive game to work with. Hopefully a full season in Springfield will only provide good things, but the Blues will need to see more from Stancl, as he has shown in international competition. 

Ondrej Kos – After some success at the U20 level, Kos disappointingly failed to put much together for his 26-game stint in the Liiga. His ice time was inconsistent at best and he did not provide too much reason for it to improve. While his game is a bit raw, Kos is a good skater. He has the combination of north-south speed and a motor to match that does not make you question the effort level. Hopefully Kos sees more development time at the U20 level and is able to showcase some untapped parts of his game. 

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Likely to see NHL action

Jimmy Snuggerud

Dalibor Dvorsky 

Otto Stenberg 

Logan Mailloux 

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Top 20 Prospects 

This section is intended to paint a picture of the St. Louis Blues prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

1. Jimmy Snuggerud 
2. Dalibor Dvorsky 
3. Otto Stenberg 
4. Logan Mailloux 
5. Justin Carbonneau 
6. Juraj Pekarcik 
7. Theo Lindstein
8. Adam Jiricek 
9. Tomas Mrsic 
10. Colin Ralph 
11. Adam Jecho 
12. Zach Dean 
13. William McIsaac
14. Mikhail Fyodorov 
15. Colten Ellis 
16. Matvei Korotky 
17. Simon Robertsson
18. Jakub Stancl 
19. Leo Loof 
20. Dylan Peterson

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Final Thoughts 

Of all the teams in the NHL, the Blues may be in one of the best situations. They have a solid core, headlined by Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas under contract for the long-term. The offer sheets they gave to Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg also bolster their current roster and provide more youth. As we just went over, their prospect pool features some elite talent towards the top of their list. Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky should be legit top-six NHLers, while guys like Otto Stenberg and Justin Carbonneau have a lot of talent as well. The playoffs are not necessarily a lock for this year, but in the future, they will be players at the top of the Central Division. 

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Make sure to check out the St. Louis Blues team page here: https://dobberprospects.com/team/st-louis-blues/

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Thank you for reading! Follow me on X @norr028 for more coverage all season long!