Training camp is officially underway in St. Louis, and while these early practices don’t always tell the full story, the line combinations and pairings already give us a few clues about how the Blues are approaching the season. Instead of focusing on full trios and early defensive, the staff is mixing forwards into pairs and testing chemistry between prospects and veterans while allowing the young prospects the chance to learn from them and the proper way to play Blues hockey. Here are five early takeaways from the two practice groups.
1. The Future Line Got a Test Drive
The most eye-catching trio came in Group A, where Otto Stenberg and Jimmy Snuggerud flanked Robert Thomas. That’s a glimpse of the Blues’ dream scenario down the road — Thomas centering two high-end wingers with high offensive upside. Even if they won’t open the year together, getting Stenberg and Snuggerud reps with the team’s top playmaker shows the coaching staff might want to accelerate their NHL adjustment and see where a player like Stenberg is in his development. Barring a massive change or catastrophe, Stenberg will start the season with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL while Snuggerud should see time with Thomas to start the 2025-26 campaign.
2. Dvorsky Skating With Kyrou
In Group B, Dalibor Dvorsky lined up with Jordan Kyrou and Pius Suter. It’s only camp, but putting a 19-year-old prospect next to the team’s fastest, most dynamic scorer is deliberate. The Blues want to see if Dvorsky can keep pace and complement a player like Kyrou with his level of play and speed. Like Stenberg, Dvorsky will likely start the season in the AHL seeing as the center depth is filled at the NHL level. However, should he start in the NHL, it will be on the wing. Opposite of Kyrou will likely be Holloway to reform the high-speed duo that we saw last season, but this is a good opportunity for Dvorsky to gauge where he is as well.
3. Blue Line Youth is on the Horizon
On defense, a few notable pairings stood out: Tucker–Parayko, Broberg–Jiricek, Lindstein-Faulk, and Fowler–Mailloux.
Tucker with Parayko looks like an evaluation run for Tucker, potentially for a heavier workload and more responsibility throughout the season, while also giving Fowler a chance to work with Mailloux. When it all shakes out, expect Tucker to be back on the third pairing unit while Parayko takes his place on the top line.
Broberg and Jiricek, two new(er) faces with big upside, were grouped to see who takes the initiative. Broberg returns with 68 games played with the Blues this past season and was paired with the clubs 2024 1st round draft pick. After adding around 15 pounds in weight, Jiricek is primed to make a big splash this season.
Lindstein and Faulk puts one of the Blues 2023 first round draft picks with the veteran, Faulk, with over 800 NHL games played under his belt. With Lindstein heading to North America for the first time after playing the last three seasons in the SHL. Time to see what Lindstein has ahead of his road to the NHL.
Fowler–Mailloux pairs a steady presence with a young defender looking to make an impression. After an impressive offensive outpour from Mailloux, it’s time to see what he can do defensively.
4. Bottom-Six Competition Is Heating Up
In Group A, Walker, Alexandrov, and Wagner skated together, with Lucic, Peca, and Toropchenko seeing time together as well. Alexandrov has found success on the wing and was placed at center to start training camp. As Walker has signed a two year extension, and Toropchenko is slated to start on the fourth line also, its time to see if players like Lucic and Alexandrov to crack their way into the lineup.
Final Thought
Early camp lines should always be taken with a grain of salt, but the patterns matter. Prospects like Stenberg, Snuggerud, and Dvorsky are being thrown directly into the mix with the Blues’ core, and defensive battles are limited but the fight for the seventh defenseman and first call-up’s are still to be had. If nothing else, the first set of line combos shows that the Blues are serious about evaluating their young talent — and that could make for an exciting camp storyline as the roster takes shape.