The St. Louis Blues will be well represented as the NCAA Frozen Four tournament continues into the semifinals with Boston University and the University of Minnesota representing two of the remaining four teams. Two of the organization’s top forward prospects playing in the NCAA are still left fighting for the championship.
Related: St. Louis Blues Midseason Top 10 Prospects for 2022-23
Here’s a look at the two Blues prospects that will square off against one another in the next round of the tournament.
Dylan Peterson – Boston University
Drafted by the Blues 86th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Dylan Peterson remains a project piece for the organization. At 6-foot-4, and 203 pounds, the centerman has the build and skating ability to shut down the opposition every shift. After taking a step forward in his offensive production during his sophomore season where he scored 10 goals on 51 shots while adding an additional six assists in 37 games, his scoring ability has dried up a bit this season. Through 37 games this season, Peterson has scored only five goals on 53 shots, totaling 18 points.
Despite the regression offensively, he and his teammates at Boston University managed to secure their 10th Hockey East tournament title in program history this year. Peterson and his three teammates were also named to the Steve Nazro All-Tournament Team.
Peterson is still an unsigned draftee of the Blues at this time. At 21 years old and nearing the end of his junior year, there has been no word at this time regarding his intentions to either return to Boston for his senior year or sign with St. Louis to compete for a spot in the Springfield Thunderbirds lineup next season. Should he and the Terriers fail to either reach the finals or win the tournament, Peterson could wish for one more crack at winning the whole thing. His continued development in the NCAA among his peers could prove beneficial. However, the opportunity to play against a higher level of competition and with his potential future teammates in the NHL could provide long-term benefits for him and the Blues moving forward.
Jimmy Snuggerud – Univesity of Minnesota
Arguably one of the most highly anticipated NCAA prospects in all of college hockey, Jimmy Snuggerud took the college hockey scene by storm this past season. As an 18-year-old freshman, he finished the season appearing in 38 games where he scored 21 goals and 50 points, good for fifth in scoring among all Division I players. His performance earned him an invitation and an eventual spot on Team USA’s U-18 World Junior team where he scored five goals and 13 points in seven games.
His offensive abilities and awareness have not only helped strengthen the chemistry that he and his linemates have built up this season, but help maximize whoever he is playing with at any given time. While it has been his teammate, Logan Cooley, that has taken up much of the spotlight with his offensive production and a scoring streak of 15 games, Snuggerud is one that can take a game into his own hands at a moment’s notice.
Snuggerud was drafted 23rd overall by the Blues in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and continues to earn the title as one of the top prospects for the club. Snuggerud is also one of the Blues’ forward prospects that remains unsigned with the organization at this time. Given his age and contractual status, it is all but certain that he will return to the University of Minnesota once more next season to continue his development and education while the Blues continue to bolster their team and await his NHL debut.
The 2023 men’s Frozen Four begins Thursday, April 6, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The national championship game is Saturday, April 8. Blues fans will have the opportunity to see their forward prospects on the big stage as they hope to earn a spot in the championship game to compete for the NCAA title.
