The St. Louis Blues are investing in their future, as President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong announced today that the team has signed two promising prospects to three-year, two-way, entry-level contracts.
The deals bring aboard 2025 first-round pick Justin Carbonneau (19th overall) and 2023 seventh-round selection Nikita Susuev (202nd overall), adding depth and potential to the organization's pipeline.
Carbonneau, an 18-year-old forward from Levis, Quebec, has been turning heads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada over the past three seasons. Standing at 6'1" and weighing 192 pounds, the dynamic scorer led his team and finished second league-wide in the 2024-25 season with an impressive 89 points, including 46 goals, across 62 regular-season games. His standout performance earned him a spot on the QMJHL's 2024-25 First All-Star Team.
Scouting reports describe Carbonneau as a skilled winger with a high offensive ceiling, electrifying 1-on-1 abilities, and the capacity to blend physical play with elite shooting skills, projecting him as a top-six NHL forward with shades of Filip Forsberg.
Nasty goal by Justin Carbonneau. #2025NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/Rez3YAhAHn
— Robert Chalmers (@IvanIvanlvan) March 29, 2025
On the other side of the globe, 20-year-old Nikita Susuev brings international experience to the Blues' roster. The Moscow native has honed his skills in Russia's competitive hockey circuits, including a 2024-25 campaign where he notched 18 points (eight goals and 10 assists) in 42 games across various Russian levels. At 6'0" and 172 pounds, Susuev has shown versatility as a forward, splitting time between the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and the Junior Hockey League (MHL).
In the KHL, Susuev has appeared in 55 career games with Spartak Moskva and Admiral Vladivostok, tallying nine points (six goals and three assists). His junior resume is equally solid, with 54 points (20 goals and 34 assists) in 72 MHL games. While a late-round pick in 2023,
Susuev's steady development as a forward who can break through defenses, protect the puck in traffic, and drive the net. He has great hands, offensive instincts, high hockey IQ, good strength, and a solid shot release. At 20 years old, early exposure to high-level competition make him an intriguing project for St. Louis, potentially adding speed and skill to their middle to bottom-six forward group in the coming years.