The St. Louis Blues prospect report kicks off December with a look at the club’s prospects playing in North America. With five players spread out throughout leagues like the United States Hockey League (USHL) and the NCAA, fans have plenty to look forward to with these players.
Here’s a look back at the November performances of the Blues prospects playing in North America.
Dylan Peterson
The 2020 third-round draft choice by the Blues has hit a cold streak over the past few weeks. After scoring four points (two goals, two assists) in six games throughout October, Dylan Peterson scored a goal and an assist in the opening weekend of November and has been pointless in the past five games with a minus-3 rating and only four shots on goal.
Peterson has consistently seen time on the Boston Terriers’ third line and has done very little offensively to warrant additional ice time and work his way into the top six. The 21-year-old has plenty of work to do before turning pro.
Juraj Pekarcik
Blues forward prospect Juraj Pekarcik was limited to only two games throughout November. The Slovakia-native made the most of his two games scoring two goals and one assist with a combined eight shots on goal. In his first season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL, he has scored five goals and 18 points in 14 games. In a recent interview, Pekarcik revealed his struggles to get onto the ice and his potential risk to play in the coming World Junior Under-20 tournament.
“I have had health problems for the past two weeks. I had a lot of blood in my thigh muscle and I was also suffering from torn tendons. I trained non-contact last week and classically since Monday. I should start already this week.”
Pekarcik went on to say that he has been in communication with his team and the Blues and should be travelling to Slovakia in the coming days to join his team in preparation for the coming international tournament.
“I communicated with (the Blues) regarding injuries and my participation in the World Junior Championships. They told me to get my health back together and undergo all the necessary examinations. However, they had no reservations.”
Paul Fischer
Playing on the top-pairing for the University of Notre Dame, Blues prospect defenseman Paul Fischer has been a steady presence for the Fighting Irish this season. At only 18 years old, he is tied for ninth on his team in total points with one goal and four assists through 12 games. Fischer is a defender who will not stand out in one particular area of the game, but plays well in all three zones using his 6-foot-1 frame to his advantage in the NCAA. Over the past month, he has registered only one assist and a minus-1 rating in seven games.
Noah Beck
Defenseman Noah Beck has seen a substantial drop in his offensive production during his 2023-24 campaign. Now in his fourth season with Clarkson University, the 22-year-old senior went from scoring back-to-back 20-point seasons to a 12-point pace through 37 games. After last suiting up for the Golden Knights, Beck has missed consecutive games against both Brown and Yale.
Jimmy Snuggerud
One of the club’s top forward prospects, Jimmy Snuggerud has slowed down offensively and will likely fall short of repeating his 21-goal, 50-point performance as a freshman with the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota native was limited to three goals and four points through seven games in November. He has been consistently working and doing everything he can to score, averaging 5.7 shots on goal over the past month. Despite his inability to convert offensively these past few games, he always seems to have the green light to put the puck on the net.
Related: Projecting St. Louis Blues’ 2024 World Juniors Participants
The Blues have a wide range of prospects working their way through the junior leagues that could one day make an impact in the NHL. Whether these prospects play on the top line and top power play, or the fourth line and a penalty-killing role, these players could all earn themselves a chance at the pros one day.
