This edition of the St. Louis Blues Prospect Report will feature the seven players currently playing in the 2024 World Junior Championship in Gothenburg, Sweden. The seven players selected for the tournament mark a franchise-record number of prospects for the Blues.
Here’s a look at the prospects and how they have fared through Day 3 of the tournament. The performances are taken as of Thursday, Dec. 28.
Czechia – Jakub Stancl
Drafted 104th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Stancl has appeared in two games for Czechia registering one assist and four shots on goal. The 1-1 Czechia squad does not have high expectations this year and has managed a plus-3 goal differential through their first two games of the tournament.
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Stancl has appeared on the third line for his team averaging 13:24 of time on ice. With the tournament opening game against Slovakia resulting in a 6-2 loss, the forward still managed to record three shots on goal but was unable to put one past goaltender Adam Gajan. In his second game, he recorded only 11:27 of time on ice and recorded a secondary assist on Jiri Kulich’s third-period goal. With 12 penalty minutes taken by Team Norway throughout the game, he was limited in his ability to impact the game with the special teams units on the ice.
Finland – Aleksanteri Kaskimäki
Team Finland has not had the start to the World Juniors tournament that many have expected. After suffering a 5-2 loss to Team Canada, it was Team Germany that provided the upset in a thrilling 4-3 final. Forward prospect Aleksanteri Kaskimäki provided his team’s opening goal against Canada on a deflection from a shot from the point by Arttu Karki but was able to provide no further offensive output throughout the game. Despite their loss to Canada, Kaskimäki was not discouraged by their loss:
“We had a lot of good moments there. We were able to stay in the offensive zone for long stretches and run the game there. We got good places that way…We’ll watch a few videos today, discuss the issues raised in them and tomorrow we’ll implement them.”
Despite their efforts, Kaskimäki and Team Finland were unable to overcome Team Germany. The Blues prospect thrived at times on the ice and had several good offensive chances, but was limited to one official shot on goal and 18:12 of time on ice. Through two games he has scored one goal and recorded three shots while averaging 17:13 time on ice.
Slovakia – Dalibor Dvorsky and Juraj Pekarcik
Quite possibly the most disappointing start to the tournament has come from Dalibor Dvorsky. Team Slovakia has done well outscoring their opposition 9-2 over two games despite the forward being held off of the scoresheet. Through his first two games of the tournament, he has failed to record a goal or an assist and recorded only three shots on goal while averaging 18:30 of time on ice. Suiting up on the team’s second line alongside Martin Misiak and Alex Ciernik, it seems like it should only be a matter of time before he finds the back of the net. This season, he has recorded 18 goals and 34 points in 20 games for the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League. His offense should show up sooner than later.
On Team Slovakia’s third line, forward Juraj Pekarcik has been one-third of their best and most effective forward lines. After scoring five goals and 27 points through 18 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, he has registered one assist and four shots on goal while averaging 13:07 time on ice per game. Whether he is attempting to shoot or set up his teammates for a goal, Pekarcik should continue to provide scoring opportunities on the third line every game.
Sweden – Otto Stenberg & Theo Lindstein
The hometown team has provided its fans nothing but smiles after recording back-to-back shutout victories. In his team’s opening game, Otto Stenberg and Theo Lindstein each recorded an assist on Felix Unger Sorum’s third-period goal against Team Latvia in a 6-0 victory. While Stenberg’s performance on the third line has been effective, it was their game against Team Germany that kept fans on their feet. Scoring the lone goal of the first period, he broke the scoreless first period at the 15:48 mark of the game. Despite being denied offensively in the second period, he provided back-to-back goals to start the third period. His second goal of the game came 6:16 into the period on a power play goal assisted by Unger Sorum and Mattias Havelid. Less than three minutes later, he secured the hat trick assisted by David Edstrom and Unger Sorum.
Originally left off of the roster, Lindstein was added due to injuries to fellow countrymen. However, his addition has not been in vain with the defenseman recording three assists (two primary), a team-high plus-5 rating, and averaging 18:58 time on ice through the first two games. He is one of three first-round prospects from the Blues’ 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
United States – Jimmy Snuggerud
Tied for both second place in total points and first place in goals scored, Blues forward prospect Jimmy Snuggerud made a statement that he and Team USA were not going to be denied their shot at a gold medal at this year’s tournament. Needing only 13 minutes, he provided his team with a natural hat trick in the first period of an 11-3 victory over Team Switzerland.
After providing Team USA’s tournament-opening goal in a 4-1 victory over Team Norway, Snuggerud and the United States were looking to come out hungry and ready to reclaim their dominance in the tournament. Leading by example, he was a scoring threat every time the puck touched his stick throughout the game. Drafted by the Blues 23rd overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, he should continue to provide continuous scoring opportunities for the United States throughout the tournament.
The World Junior Championship will continue the preliminary rounds over the next few days with teams working their way into the quarterfinals that will begin on Jan. 2.