Friday is the 2025 Trade Deadline, and there’s a good possibility that the St. Louis Blues will trade some players to open some space in their cap and roster. That said, March is the second-to-last month before the playoffs begin, and teams that both clinch and don’t clinch a playoff spot call up some of their most promising prospects to get a taste of what they can bring during the season at the NHL level. Last season, that player was Zachary Bolduc, and since then, he’s played more than 50 games for the Blues. Let’s look at three players who could get an NHL call-up before the end of March.
4. Theo Lindstein
Defensively, the Blues aren’t doing well and need a player like Theo Lindstein to add more youth to their defensive core. Lindstein is one of three top Swedish defensemen drafted in the first round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, the other defensemen being Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Tom Willander. Lindstein has nine points in 40 games with Brynas IF in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and played four seasons at the professional level in Sweden. He signed his entry-level contract (ELC) in the 2024 offseason, which means he can play in the American Hockey League (AHL) or NHL level when the Blues think he’s ready.
He will be ready for a small NHL appearance by the end of March and could be one of the Blues’ first prospects from the 2023 draft to get the call-up. Playing four seasons of pro hockey in Europe has prepared him for what is to come in the NHL. I think Lindstein is getting to the point where he needs to start slowly being incorporated into the NHL level so he can adequately develop and adapt to the game, especially in North America, where he would be playing on a smaller ice surface and will ultimately be playing more intense hockey, physically speaking.
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Lindstein has been a great team player, which is why Sweden went to the gold medal game in the 2024 World Junior Championship (WJC), and Brynas IF was promoted back into the SHL from the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan for the 2024-25 season. He would also be joining three-time Swedish WJC national team member Philip Broberg from 2019 to 2021, who could be an excellent pair for Lindstein and someone he can learn from considering they have similar styles as puck-moving defensemen.
3. Otto Stenberg
Otto Stenberg is one step closer to getting an NHL roster spot. He was transferred from the SHL to play in the AHL with Blues affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds and has been exceptional for them in his 18 games thus far with 11 points in that span. Compared to his six points in 25 games in the SHL, Stenberg’s AHL performance may prove he’s more than ready to get a short call-up before the end of the NHL season.
While the Blues are receiving interest in Brayden Schenn, if he were to be traded during the upcoming deadline, the Blues could open up the roster spot for at least one center. However, Stenberg is versatile and can play left wing if the Blues are willing to send down someone or if a forward gets injured. Right now, the Blues can send Bolduc down since he is the only waiver-exempt forward on the roster, but they just recently called him back up from the AHL and it wouldn’t make sense travel-wise to send him back down right away.
Getting a call-up will not be easy for Stenberg as he will compete with other top prospect call-up considerations, Dalibor Dvorsky and Jimmy Snuggerud. In that case, the Blues would have to decide based on who they think best suits their needs offensively. If worse comes to worst and Stenberg doesn’t receive the call-up this season, that should be a sign he will be the top call-up option next season.
2. Jimmy Snuggerud
Snuggerud still has to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Frozen Four tournament with the University of Minnesota, which ends on April 12. However, the University of Minnesota could still be knocked out earlier in the tournament during the regionals. If that were the case, Snuggerud could expect a call-up on the last day of March.
Last season, Snuggerud was expected to play with the Blues, but he decided to play one more year in college instead. He still needs to sign ELC, which he’s not allowed to sign while in the NCAA. Now that the season is almost over, it’s time to see whether the Blues will live up to their plans to bring him to the NHL. Snuggerud is an up-and-coming offensive talent and continues to show that in the NCAA with 45 points through 36 games to lead the University of Minnesota in points this season.
Positioning-wise, the Blues will again have to make room because Snuggerud only plays right wing, so trading someone like Schenn can open up a roster spot. While Schenn is a center, the Blues have many versatile options on their top two lines that they can slot in at center and eventually place Snuggerud at right wing. Another right winger who can shoot well would be great for the Blues since it’s something they lack.
1. Dalibor Dvorsky
Other than Stenberg, Dvorsky is the top prospect on Springfield who will eventually get a call-up, and it’s incredible how well he’s adapted in his first AHL season. Dvorsky has 37 points in 49 games this season, the third highest on the Thunderbirds, which was enough to make him an AHL All-Star. Dvorsky even finished top three in points in the 2025 WJC with Slovakia, and I think this is the time for him to show his promise.
Dvorsky is another versatile forward option who plays both center and right wing. This is great if they decide to clean up their roster at the deadline and allow some breathing room for him in the lineup. The Blues must be careful with players who appear to be developing too fast and give them a few more games to thrive in the AHL. This will allow them to bring him to the NHL level while he’s hot. The last thing they need is a spoiled prospect in the mix, and I think this should not be an issue with general manager Doug Armstrong’s patience and diligence in team decision making.
Timing Needs to Be Right for Prospects
While at least one roster spot will open up for players, we will have to wait until after the deadline to see what the Blues will be working with regarding roster space and determine which prospects deserve to fill those. We could see Dvorsky get the first call-up for a brief portion in March, and then Snuggerud come in after the Frozen Four tournament and sign his ELC so he is eligible to play in the NHL.
Stenberg will probably be a last-resort call-up, but again, if more spots open up, it would not hurt to give him a short stint in the NHL. The Blues have a lot of injuries of the back end, so Lindstein may also get his chance at a call-up. If no prospects get the call this season, it’s a sign that next season will be their top shot at the Blues roster. The timing is right for the Blues to worry about the future of their roster and their prospects. While they are two spots away from a playoff spot in the Western Conference, they are not a strong postseason contender, so they need to test their prospects with the remaining time they have this season.
