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When Jimmy Snuggerud arrived with the Blues in March, it was unknown how the team would utilize him.

Would he ease into the red-hot Blues as a healthy scratch as he learned the NHL life? Would he seamlessly transition from big minutes at the University of Minnesota to meaningful ones in St. Louis? What would he even be able to provide the Blues when he was on the ice as a 20-year-old fresh out of college?

As it turns out, Snuggerud was used in a way that no Blues rookie forward had been used in 16 years.

In seven regular-season games, Snuggerud averaged 15:28 of ice time, becoming the first Blues rookie forward to average at least 15 minutes of ice time since T.J. Oshie in 2008-09, although Oshie did so across 57 games. In the playoffs, Snuggerud averaged 17:05, also the most since Oshie in 2009.

Teenaged rookies like Robert Thomas (13:04 in 70 games in 2018-19) and Robby Fabbri (13:19 in 72 games in 2015-16) didn’t receive the minutes that Snuggerud did in his limited action in the spring. That has, of course, elevated expectations for Snuggerud entering the fall.

Snuggerud is expected to play in the Blues’ top-six forward group, potentially even on the top line with Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich, where he played most of the first-round series against the Jets. When that line was on the ice at 5 on 5, the Blues outshot Winnipeg 24-13 and outscored the Jets 5-0 while owning 54.4% of the expected goals.

Long-term, the forecast for Snuggerud is for him to be one of the young building blocks in St. Louis, to generate offense and help lead the Blues toward a new era of their franchise. His first-round pedigree and productive career as a Golden Gopher (66 goals and 69 assists in 119 games) give fans plenty of reason to believe he’ll become that player.

But in the short-term, it’s about how much can Snuggerud help a team that is looking to improve on a 96-point season from last year?

Since 2005, only one Blues rookie has scored 20 goals, and that was Patrik Berglund in 2008-09. Zack Bolduc scored 19 last season but then was traded to Montreal in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux. Berglund was the only Blues rookie in the last 20 years with a 40-point season, too.

How productive Snuggerud might be a key to the Blues developing more depth up front. They have proven commodities in Thomas, Buchnevich, Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn. They’re hoping for a repeat of Dylan Holloway’s breakout season from a year ago. And Jake Neighbours has scored 49 goals across the last two seasons.

While Thomas is one of the league’s top players, the Blues lack another forward who can challenge to be at the top of their position. So, like always under Doug Armstrong, the Blues have built around their depth.

Last year, the Blues had five players score at least 20 goals, and only four NHL teams had more (led by Washington’s seven). Of course, in 2021-22, the Blues became the first team in almost 30 years with nine 20-goal scorers.

Should Snuggerud help the Blues in that cause, he could also pick up Calder Trophy attention. Barret Jackman is the only Blues player to ever win the trophy and he did so in 2002-03.