Snuggerud’s sophomore season has mighty high expectations

The St. Louis Blues are going into the 2026-27 season with high hopes for a successful first step into what's next. Much of the old core group is gone, and the emphasis is on the youth movement rising.

One of those youth pieces is Jimmy Snuggerud, who completely aced his first go-around the NHL. Now, there is always the threat of a sophomore slump inbound, and the stakes cannot be higher for No. 21.

Can he handle it and make sure that he does not fall victim to a lackluster season in 2026-27?

Highest expectations on the team

There is a case to be made that he has the highest set of expectations on this Blues team. The only player that can really rival him in terms of impact on the future is goaltender Joel Hofer. But when looking at what Snuggerud can potentially bring to this franchise, it is overwhelmingly in favor of the forward, rather than the goaltender.

Snuggerud was up and down the lineup last season, much like everyone else in head coach Jim Montgomery's consistent line-shuffling. But, the highlight of his year came after the Olympics, when he joined Robert Thomas and Dylan Holloway on that first line. Now, they can be a sneaky good trio when compared to the rest of the Central Division.

A 30-goal season should be a guarantee for the second-year winger, and it is not far-fetched to think that if that first line can stay healthy for all 84 games, a 40-goal season should not be surprising. Snuggerud busted onto the scene last season and proved that he belongs at this level.

New General Manager Alexander Steen has not yet made any other decisions on other prospects that could get a look at the NHL roster next season, but it is to be expected that Justin Carbonneau will eventually get a look. Having Snuggerud and Carbonneau on a line together, with Dalibor Dvorsky as the center, is the cornerstone hope for the next edition of the first line once Thomas exits his prime.

Snuggerud has to put together another solid year, and most importantly, stay healthy. A setback next season is not going to help this franchise move forward, and potentially set them back a bit.

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This article was originally published on bleedinblue.com as Snuggerud’s sophomore season has mighty high expectations.