ST.
LOUIS – When Otto Stenberg was recalled by the St. Louis Blues from
Springfield of the American Hockey League on Dec. 15, there was no
guarantee how much, or how little, the first-round pick in the 2023
NHL Draft would play.
Or
stay in St. Louis for his first NHL stint.
But
there was a good scouting report by Blues coaches for the work that
the 20-year-old had put in during training camp, that they were quite
comfortable in utilizing the forward as much as possible, and in most
situations.
He
came up due to a rash of injuries among the forward group, and now
that three of them (Alexey Toropchenko, Jordan Kyrou and Jimmy
Snuggerud) have returned to the lineup, one had to wonder if
Stenberg’s stint would be a short one.
But
now that Pius Suter (high ankle sprain) is sidelined and will be
reevaluated in four weeks, Stenberg’s tenure is likely to last at
least that long. And the only reason we bring him up as a candidate
to return to the AHL when numbers get crowded is due to his
waiver-exempt status.
But
Suter’s versatility of playing in a plethora of situations will be
a challenge. However, Stenberg, who picked up an assist on Monday
against the Buffalo Sabres setting up Brayden Schenn’s goal in the
first period and now has four assists in his first six games of his
NHL career, has made quite the favorable impression that coach Jim
Montgomery has a trustworthy option to use in a lot of Suter’s
spots.
“He
continues on his path that he’s trending on, yeah, he’s going to
get the opportunity because his stick is in the right position, he
stops in the right spots, he doesn’t get below pucks,” Montgomery
said of Stenberg. “He’s someone that’s developing that skill
and that the coaches are seeing.”
It’s
quite remarkable to see that Stenberg looks quite comfortable in his
own skin at this level. He doesn’t look overwhelmed, he reads the
game well, it’s not too fast for him, he’s not intimidated, and
teammates are putting him in positions to succeed, and most
importantly, vice versa.
It’s
been mentioned enough that Stenberg doesn’t cheat the game, and his
stick work may be some of the finest the Blues have on this current
roster already.
“I
think it's been when I got a bit older and started talking about
those details with sticks and everything,” Stenberg said. “I
would say the year after I got drafted, I talked a lot to ‘Steener’
in Sweden when he was the development guy there. He talked a lot
about sticks and stuff. Maybe a little bit from there, I just think
about it more. I
would say like before that, I don’t think I ever think about how I
should position my stick. Yeah,
maybe start thinking about it more and more there and just try to
read what the guy with the puck is going to do and then you can put
your stick on your reads.”
Suter
is one of the top penalty killers for the Blues, and when one talks
of players with good stick positioning on the ice, on the penalty
kill is essential, and Stenberg has already seen his ice time there
increase.
“Yeah
of course (it’s
paid off),” Stenberg said.
“(Steen)
was a good player when he played. He had a lot of good things to tell
me and even like last year and
this year,
we talked to all the development guys and coaches, they helped me
with that and
everything.
It's good.”
Stenberg
made his NHL debut Dec. 17 against the Winnipeg Jets and the
Stenungsund, Sweden native, who started that game on the fourth line,
has moved up and down and utilized wherever needed. His trust has not
gone unnoticed, and that’s why he’s playing more up the lineup;
he was on a line with fellow 2023 first-round pick Dalibor Dvorsky
and 2022 first-round pick Snuggerud on Tuesday ahead of a game
against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday.
“In
the offensive zone, you’re not going to get caught on the wrong
side of pucks,” Montgomery
said of Stenberg.
“Like if two guys are low, he’s not diving in as the third guy. I
think there’s a lot more offensive upside to Stenberg as he
continues to get comfortable at this level, but going back, I think
he has a lot more similar details, penalty kill and in the D-zone as
Suter does.”
That’s
why he feels he can replace all those elements while Suter is out.
“Yeah,
I think so,” Stenberg
said.
“Just continue to play my game and play the way I've played the
last five games and try to play good in D-zone and start making more
plays and doing more and
more with
the puck. Start in the right end and just play my game. I hope so.”
A
great example of why his offense can come around the more repetitions
he gets is after that nice touch pass to Schenn on his goal Monday,
look where Stenberg immediately goes: right to the net waiting for
that rebound:
"In
the beginning, you want to play good defense and show the coach that
he can trust you,” Stenberg
said.
“After that, I think you can start to make more and more plays, but
still be smart and
make good plays.
I
can try more and more, some more
offense, yeah.”
There was a play in the third period Monday when the Blues were down 3-2, and Stenberg and Robert Thomas nearly hooked up for what would have been a really nice tying goal that Stenberg just missed when Thomas tried to slide a pass to him on the left post.
"I would like him to be a little further wide," Montgomery said after the game. "When you drive back post, it means you're outside back post. It gives you more to shoot at, but I just like the fact that he jumped on a shorthanded situation. Thomas actually said, 'Hey, we're going to go for it here,' before they went out. And 'Tommer' made a great play, but if he's a little more backdoor, I think he has time to see it come through and then he's outside the goalie's pad, and that's something we'll continue to work on with everyone.
Including Stenberg, who once he develops those offensive instincts, he can ask himself if he can be a top six player.
“I
hope so. That's the goal,” Stenberg
said.
“I think I've said it before, I think I can play a lot of different
roles on a team. That's a good thing for me. I will play where the
coach wants me and I think I can do well on every line.”
Blues At World Junior Championship 2026 (Dec. 29): Jiricek Scores Highlight-Reel, OT Winner For Czechia; Sweden Wins Again, Harenstam Gets BreatherDefenseman, 2024 first-round pick's between-the-legs goal draws jaw drops and open eyes from all parts
Colten Ellis Grateful For Time In St. Louis Blues Organization; Goalie Is Stoked To Be In NHL With Buffalo SabresGrateful for his Blues development, Ellis embraces his NHL opportunity, seizing his Sabres chance despite a recent injury setback. "When they told me I was going on waivers, I know that’s a process, I really didn’t know what to expect."
Another St. Louisan To Play Meaningful Game In Hometown For Sabres, Josh Dunne Joins Prestigious ListSabres forward hails from O'Fallon, Mo., has played here in past but only in preseason games
Suter Sidelined At Least Four Weeks With Ankle InjuryBlues center was hurt in third period of 3-2 win against Predators on Saturday despite returning to game
Blues Will Ride Whoever The Hot Goalie Is ... For NowJoel Hofer heats up, earning consecutive starts. The Blues are riding his hand, for now, as their goalie rotation shifts.
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