With the 29th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the St. Louis Blues selected Theo Lindstein, a defenseman from Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).
Theo Lindstein, Left-Handed Defenseman (Pick No. 29) (6-foot-0, 185 pounds)
Lindstein is the second Swedish player, and the third player from the SHL, that the Blues drafted in the first round of the 2023 Draft, following immediately on the heels of his close friend Otto Stenberg and 10th overall pick Dalibor Dvorsky. He is the first defenseman the Blues have selected in the first round since Jordan Schmaltz in the 2012 Draft — arguably the only first-round “bust” of general manager Doug Armstrong’s tenure.
Overview: What Lindstein Does Well
The Blues love players who can “think” the game, and hockey IQ has been an attribute that has served them well with previous first-round draft selections like Robert Thomas (2018) and Jimmy Snuggerud (2022). Lindstein is a player with hockey IQ in spades, and he complements it with high-level skating.
Related: Theo Lindstein — 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
Because of his high IQ, he makes smart decisions with the puck, even if his skill level is lacking (more on that shortly). He won’t make bad passes very often, and if he (or a teammate) does, he has the speed and positional awareness to break up plays. While he’ll never stand out as an offensive superstar, he can get into the play on both ends of the ice and make intelligent decisions in either end.
Overview: What Lindstein Needs to Work On
As mentioned, Lindstein’s overall skill level is unimpressive. He has a game some analysts would describe as “bland” or “unexciting,” and probably does not have the dynamism required to be a top-paring defenseman in the modern NHL.
Lindstein could also afford to add bulk. At 6-foot-0, 185 pounds, he isn’t quite “undersized,” but he won’t wow anyone with his physicality, either. Physicality might help him grow in confidence as well, and could help him make quicker decisions, which has been a shortcoming in his game before.
Scouts and Draft Analyst Thoughts
He is almost always the first player back in the defensive zone and has good footwork when he needs to transition in reverse. On defense, Lindstein could use a bit more muscle, but that doesn’t stop him from being aggressive.
Alexa Potack, Dobber Prospects
Lindstein shows a lot of initiative every time he hops onto the ice. He makes transporting the puck look easy with a great flow in his feet and huge composure with the puck.
Fredrik Haak, FC Hockey
St. Louis addresses a critical organizational need by adding Lindstein, a strong skating defenseman who can move the puck. He isn’t the flashiest player in the world and he’s average-sized, but he’s a quality defenseman with a good chance to have an NHL career.
From ‘NHL Draft analysis for every 2023 first-round pick by Corey Pronman,’ the Athletic NHL, Jun. 28, 2023
Lindstein’s Overall Upside
In choosing to use all three of their first-round picks to select players, the Blues instantly jumpstarted their prospect pipeline, but likely cemented their role as a retooling team for the next several seasons. Lindstein’s timeline to the NHL figures to be at least three seasons — which would mean he’d arrive just as some of the team’s nightmarish defensive contracts, like those for Nick Leddy, Torey Krug, and Justin Faulk, will be falling off (if they haven’t already been traded). Lindstein’s future in the NHL seems fairly certain; the primary question will be what kind of impact he will have.
Lindstein seems like a high-floor, low-ceiling defenseman who hasn’t had much time playing among men yet. Barring a big evolution in his game in the next few years, he projects as a bottom or middle-pair defenseman on the left side. Familiar comparables for Blues fans would be Carl Gunnarsson on the low end and Jay Bouwmeester on the high end. Can Lindstein develop enough two-way ability to form part of a shutdown first-pairing like Bouwmeester once did? That remains to be seen. But keep in mind that even if his ceiling remains fairly low, getting a serviceable NHL defenseman with a late first-round pick is outperforming that pick’s expected value. Lindstein might not have been the flashiest player available at 29, but if he becomes a regular NHLer, no one will have any complaints five years down the line.
