Blues’ Snuggerud to Get NHL Shot After 2024 WJC Performance

Snuggerud has played with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for two seasons and is still playing very well with them since his return from the 2024 WJC. On Monday night (Jan. 8), he scored four points, including a hat trick and scored two goals on Jan. 7 in back-to-back games against Colorado College. With his performance at its peak, let’s look at where he could be most useful on the Blues lineup if he made the jump early.

A Potential Power Play Threat

Like Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies, Snuggerud is a young player who has the potential can be pesky on the power play. If there is one thing that the Blues could use right now, it’s a decent power-play player like Snuggerud. He sets up great on the wing and always knows where to be for one-timers. It was evident in Team USA’s semifinal matchup against Finland, where he finished a one-time pass to give the USA their first goal of the game on the power play. If he were to find a spot on the Blues roster, I would definitely give him a spot on the second power-play unit and then slowly work his way up to the first power-play unit when he is warmed up. With Brad Richards helping out the coaching staff as a consultant for the power play, Snuggerud will provide depth and add another talented forward that Richards can work with.

Armstrong also talked about Snuggerud being a potential threat on the power play and how a player like Robert Thomas can be a crucial playmaking partner to Snuggerud’s already fantastic finishing ability. Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Brayden Schenn are the forwards the Blues are currently rolling with on the first power-play unit, and it would be a big decision to swap one of them out of that unit. The good thing is that if they choose to swap Schenn out, they can swap Thomas at the center position and put Snuggerud at either right or left wing since Buchnevich is also versatile at both areas of the wing and can open up a lot of space for Snuggerud depending on what area of the ice he thrives at best. The Blues’ power play is still dead last in the league this season, and if Snuggerud is on the power play, I wouldn’t expect them to make a massive push from where they are now, but any movement out of last in that category would be great.

Blues Still Haven’t Signed Snuggerud

Surprisingly, the Blues have yet to sign Snuggerud and to get him to debut this season, he would need to do that after college. The Blues’ current cap space is at $36,693, and Snuggerud’s entry-level deal would not be able to fit unless someone is traded or sent down to the AHL. As of right now, the only players from Sunggerud’s draft class (2022), who are signed to an entry-level deal are Michael Buchinger and Marc-Andre Gaudet.

Cap space has been an issue for the Blues since the beginning of the season, and since then, it’s decreased after Jakub Vrana was called up from the AHL and Nathan Walker was extended for two years. The Blues already have eight wingers on their roster, and three of them play at the right wing as their primary position. Those three are Jordan Kyrou, Kasperi Kapanen, and Oskar Sundqvist, and they would have to deal with Kapanen and Sundqvist since they do not have a no-trade clause on their contracts if they were to trade one of those three wingers.

For now, the Blues will have to figure out their cap situation and find out what’s best for the team and Snuggerud to meet their goals. With the NHL trade deadline a few months away, there is still potential for the Blues to open up some space through trade and ink Snuggerud to a contract by February or March, which would be a great time to experiment with Snuggerud on the Blues roster. This is all taking into account that he is coming back from a hot performance in the NCAA with the expectation that it will transfer to the NHL level. There are also a lot of wingers on the team with no trade clauses, so the idea that the Blues do not trade a winger is not completely out of the question.

Closing Thoughts

There is no timeline as to when Snuggerud will be signed by the Blues but it appears that they are pushing to get him into the lineup as soon as this season. His performance in both the WJC and the University of Minnesota backed up how talented he could be for the Blues. Armstrong said that Snuggerud would “have the opportunity to play very quickly, if not immediately.” With several factors in the way of an immediate entry-level contract, the Blues are better off waiting.

For now, the Blues are keeping him in the NCAA where he is performing at his best, and are doing what they can to bring him in the right way. The last thing they want to do is to rush him into the NHL a few weeks after he finished the WJC and add more pressure on his shoulders as a rookie. Keeping him where he’s comfortable and giving him some room to improve at the amateur level will also give the Blues some time to figure out their options and give Snuggerud some time to figure out whether he wants to make the jump early or wait until he’s finished college.