The St. Louis Blues will have to wait until the end of next college season to see what happens with their former first-round draft pick. Jimmy Snaggard to the NHL full time, but that may be the longest a team can wait as a general manager. Doug Armstrong We believe Snagard could join the team towards the end of next season (Subscribe).
The Blues organization selected Snuggard with the 23rd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and he spent the past two seasons at the University of Minnesota. During that time, Snuggard was an impact player at the NCAA level, appearing in 79 games with the Gophers and scoring 42 goals and 84 points. The St. Louis prospect will hope third time's a charm and his national championship dreams come true, as the Gophers finished as runners-up in the 2022-23 season before losing to Boston University in the regional final this season.
Despite his reputation as a promising player within the Blues organization, it may be difficult for Snagard to find a comfortable spot in the lineup as the team added significant depth to its forwards over the summer, and they may have to let him go if St. Louis falls out of playoff contention by the time Snagard makes the jump to the NHL. Radek Faksa or Kasperi Kapanen Somehow, they make room in the everyday lineup.
More snapshots:
- Legendary Head Coach Mike Keenan Keenan will not return as head coach of Team Italy as he transitions to a consulting role while recovering from heart surgery (X-Link). Keenan has been the head coach of the Italian national team since being fired as head coach of Kunlun Red Star of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2022. It appears Keenan's head coaching career may be officially over. Infamously, Keenan served as a head coach in the NHL for 25 years, with a total record of 672 wins, 531 losses, 147 ties and 36 draws, and became the first coach to win the Stanley Cup and Gagarin Cup.
- Veteran defenseman of the American Hockey League, Trevor Carrickwill return to his original home as the Charlotte Checkers announced he has signed a two-year AHL contract with the franchise. Carrick spent the first five years of his professional career with the Carolina Hurricanes organization, appearing in 347 games with the Checkers and recording 40 goals and 181 points. Carrick has been one of the league's top offensive defensemen while splitting the last four years between the San Diego Gulls and Syracuse Crunch.
