2023 first-round pick has made favorable impression on coaching staff, which has trusted 20-year-old forward with more ice time
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:
For the second straight game, Brayden Schenn has the Blues' first goal. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/arjUrJzbyC
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 30, 2025
"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.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Category: General Sports
