In a subscriber Q&A ran by The Athletic, questions were asked to St. Louis Blues assistant GM Tim Taylor. Questions ranged from prospects attending the world juniors to how some of their youngsters were performing in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Plenty of questions were asked about a boatload of prospects, but the current development trajectory of 2023 first-round picks Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein seemed to stand out.
Stenberg's 2025-26 season has been odd. In training camp and pre-season, he was noticeable for all the right reasons and caught the eye of coach Jim Montgomery several times. He demonstrated the skill that earned him the 25th overall selection, but he also showed a genuine desire to win puck battles and engage physically.
He was one of the final cuts during training camp, and the excitement following his strong pre-season was at an all-time high. Expectations grew, and the hope was that he would be a dominant force in the AHL. However, through 20 games, the 20-year-old has scored just two goals and seven points.
Despite that, Taylor and the Blues are happy with Stenberg's development.
"Otto is a very smart player. He doesn’t gain a lot of recognition around the ice because he does things that look easy, and he’s always in the right spot at the right time. He got his feet wet last season, and now he’s going through the trials and tribulations. It’s kind of like his second-year pro, where guys fall off a little bit, but then they get going again. He had a tough time at the start points-wise, but we’re happy with his play. I could see him playing some NHL games this year."
Lindstein, a fellow Swede and the third player the Blues drafted in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft, has also struggled a bit to put up points, but the Blues are big fans of other parts of his game. Taylor was asked if Minnesota Wild's Jonas Brodin was a good comparable for Lindstein, and Taylor was thrilled to see the comparison.
"This fan really knows their hockey — Brodin is a real good example! Theo has taken a big jump since the start of the year. The ebbs and flows of his game, it’s been really good. I thought it was going to be a harder transition, and we’d have to be patient with him. But he’s been a real pleasant surprise in that he’s handled the AHL grind very well. He’s the type of player where his growth is on a high incline from the start of the year until now."
In 22 games, the 20-year-old has notched just two goals and five points, but like Stenberg, the Blues believe the offense will come for Lindstein, and sooner, rather than later, we will see the pair of young Swedes in the NHL with the Blues.
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