Throughout the season, the St. Louis Blues Prospect Report will work to keep fans up to date on the latest happenings with prospects from around the globe. These will be published weekly, reviewing each area of the world’s hockey hotbeds. The 2023-24 United States Report will cover players currently playing in the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) and the United States Hockey League (USHL).
The Blues prospects currently playing in the United States feature five players, three forwards and two defensemen. Here’s a look at some of the players who have already kicked off their regular season.
Noah Beck, Defenseman – Clarkson University
Drafted 194th overall in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Noah Beck is an intelligent two-way defenseman with moderate offensive upside to his game and a 6-foot-4, 183-pound NHL-ready frame at 22 years old. Playing for Clarkson University, the Richmond Hill, Ontario native is suiting up for his fourth collegiate year playing two games already this season. To date, the blueliner has collected 12 goals and 47 points over 96 regular season games.
Beck is coming off two impressive seasons at Clarkson scoring 22 goals in his 2021-22 campaign, followed by 23 in 2022-23 through all 37 games each year. This past season, he was the Clarkson Golden Knights’ top point producer after opening the season with two goals and one assist against New Hampshire in their season-opening game. With no points and only one shot on goal through his first two games this season, Beck will need to do more to earn a contract with the Blues moving forward.
Paul Fischer, Defenseman – University of Notre Dame
18-year-old Paul Fischer, a well-rounded and mobile defender for the University of Notre Dame, has already proven himself an intriguing prospect for the Blues. Coming off a season in which he appeared in 85 games for the USNTDP Juniors of the USHL, The US National U18 Team, and the USA U18 squad, he collected a total of six goals and 28 points. During his seven-game appearance with the USA U18 squad, he recorded one assist, a plus-3 rating, and won a gold medal.
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While there is not one individual standout factor for Fischer at this time, he is responsible in all three zones. At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, he does struggle at times against stronger opponents and will need to work to build muscle. If he is to make the jump to the pros, he will likely be a long-term project for the Blues with the potential of making it to the NHL several years from now.
Juraj Pekarcik, Left Wing/Center – Dubuque Fighting Saints
One of the fastest-rising prospects of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft class, Juraj Pekarcik has lit the USHL on fire this season scoring two goals and registering six points over six games. During the 2022-23 season, he spent the season in Slovakia with the HK Nitra U20 squad where he scored nine goals and 20 points in 16 regular season games and two goals and five points in five postseason games. His performance was impressive enough to warrant 30 games with HK Nitra in Slovakia’s top hockey league where he recorded three assists. At the World Junior Championship, Pekarcik, alongside fellow Blues prospect Dalibor Dvorsky, recorded three goals and 10 points over seven games.
This season, he has taken his talents to North America with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. While his offensive abilities have taken off at this point in his career, he will need to continue working on his defensive game and growth against players his age. Should this part of his game grow, the Blues could have an intriguing combination of Slovak players to look forward to in the future.
Dylan Peterson, Center – Boston University
The 6-foot-4, 203-pound forward, Dylan Peterson, has begun his fourth year with Boston University. After scoring 10 goals and 16 points through 29 games during the 2021-22 season, it seemed Peterson was taking a step forward in his development. However, despite playing in 39 games with the Boston Terriers last season, he managed only five goals and 18 points. It was quite the difficult season for the forward seeing a slight uptick in penalty minutes and his shooting rate drop from 19.6% to 9.3% year over year. He will need to make this season count and show he can be a reliable shutdown forward now and in the future.
Jimmy Snuggerud, Right Wing – University of Minnesota
Drafted 23rd overall by the Blues in the 2023 Entry Draft, Jimmy Snuggerud is set to begin his sophomore campaign with the University of Minnesota. After a jaw-dropping rookie season where he scored 21 goals and 50 points over 40 games, there will be plenty of eyes on the 19-year-old to repeat his standout performance this season.
Snuggerud is a well-rounded right wing forward who is slated to take his spot on the top line for the Minnesota Gophers this season. After doing all he could to get his team to the championship game this past season and falling just short of a victory, he will certainly be looking to do his part to bring a championship title to the university.
Several of the Blues prospects in North America could pay dividends in the long run for the team. Though some may not become standout NHL players, fans could see a few of these names in the coming years fill in valuable supporting cast and shutdown roles for the club on a nightly basis. For now, these players will continue to grow, develop, and mature with eyes to one day play in the NHL.
