Blues mailbag, Part 2: John Kelly fallout, Justin Carbonneau's future, AHL prospects

New York Times

2 days ago

ST. LOUIS — I chatted with St. Louis Blues forward Jimmy Snuggerud for a Q&A that will be published later this week.
He had some good nuggets about his offseason training and his excitement for the start of the 2025-26 season. You'll hear from him soon.
look on the bright side… pic.twitter.com/deoJzytrte
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) August 18, 2025
For now, after Part 1 of the mailbag last week, let's get to the rest of your questions in Part 2.
(Note: Some questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.)
I never thought I'd write this, but the Blues ownership is really disappointing me now. The way it handled the John Kelly situation showed a complete lack of class. Chris Zimmerman is playing us for fools when he tells us this was not a money thing. If Tom Stillman and his minions can't be honest about this, I wonder what else they aren't honest with us about. Thoughts? — Michael P.
I want to start out by saying that this is a very difficult situation to write about because I have respect for all of the parties involved.
In the seven weeks since the announcement that the Blues and FanDuel were not renewing Kelly's contract, I've spoken about the decision on the radio and on social media. If you missed it, I said people in Zimmerman's position are paid to make difficult decisions, and we as outsiders can't pretend to know all of the details. I noted that these are challenging times for sports broadcasting, particularly the regional networks.
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That said, when these decisions involve someone like Kelly — who's not only been a tireless worker in the broadcast booth but also a loyal ambassador of the franchise for decades — they should not find out on Zoom while on vacation that they've essentially been fired. He was in the midst of talks to return to the club and learned instead that he didn't have a job.
I understand that these types of developments happen every day in the business world, and Kelly isn't the first to receive that phone call. That doesn't matter. It still didn't have to happen that way. For an organization that prides itself on togetherness and tradition, this blindside move was in total disregard.
My feelings have nothing to do with Chris Kerber and Joey Vitale, who will be on the Blues' new simulcast and do an outstanding job. I'm thrilled for them and the backlash the team is facing should have no reflection on those two.
However, the Blues went about this the wrong way. Sure, ripping the Band-Aid off is the only course of action in certain delicate situations, but not to this degree of disrespect.
The Blues get a lot of stuff right — an extraordinary amount of things right. This wasn't one of them, and I've heard from a lot of people like yourself who are rethinking the way they view the organization's decision-makers.
Have you talked to Kelly about his dismissal and, if so, what are his future plans? — Cj P.
I have communicated with John, but I'm not aware of his next step.
Are the Blues really that stupid that they are going to go through with this simulcast? For as expensive as it is to watch now, where's their thinking that it's a great idea to lower the production quality? — Brian R.
I can't speak to the production quality of the Blues' simulcast until I see it. Yes, in general, having one set of broadcasters responsible for both TV and radio typically makes for a poorer viewing experience. There's always going to be the question of how the broadcaster can provide enough detail for the radio listeners without overdoing it for the TV viewers who can see the plays develop.
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I can't guarantee what the overall quality will be when the season gets underway, but I can guarantee Kerber and Vitale are currently working behind the scenes to make sure everything in their control sounds as smooth as possible.
Just how good could Justin Carbonneau be when he'll be in the show? — Carl P.
It's so hard to say when projecting the career of an 18-year-old, but after chatting with Carbonneau and his family this summer, I was thoroughly impressed. Yeah, he's got a lot of bravado, but he backs it up with a genuine understanding of how much work is ahead of him and welcomes that work.
And sure, I've interviewed a lot of parents and siblings over the years who spoke glowingly about the NHL prospect in their family. However, what struck me about what Carbonneau's father, mother and brother said in the article is that he's always been very driven and applied himself. He didn't just turn on his work ethic when he got older — this is him.
Did Carbonneau benefit from choosing to stay in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) instead of going to the NCAA? — Tom K.
Time will tell, but again, I'll lean on the people who know Carbonneau best to know what's best for him. In that same article, I interviewed Yannick Tremblay, a former NHLer who is Carbonneau's skating coach, and here's what he said:
'You can't compare both leagues with the age and level of the players, but at the same time, it allows him to have a different role that maybe he would not have had in the NCAA and that can be beneficial. I don't think it's going to hinder his development because he sees what he needs to improve. He came back from (Blues) development camp and he had a bunch of things he told me: 'I need to do this. I know I will need that. Can we work on this?' I don't think that's going to be slowing down because he's going back to Armada.'
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What prospect or AHL player not named Dalibor Dvorsky or Jimmy Snuggerud will make an impact for the Blues this season? — Todd H.
I've got to go with Logan Mailloux. The 6-foot-3, 213-pound right-shot defenseman is 22 years old, he's played 135 games in the American Hockey League and he was arguably one of the best blueliners in the AHL last season.
Now, keep in mind, Mailloux has played a total of eight games in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. There are going to be some lumps, and we'll see what he's made of, but of the players poised to break out, he's at the top.
Do Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, Otto Stenberg, Simon Robertsson or Dylan Peterson see NHL time this year? — Aaron R.
In talking with some folks in Springfield, Kaskimaki and Peterson may have the best chance of the four. The Blues really like Kaskimaki, who was a third-round pick in 2022. He had 11 goals and 34 points in 63 games with the Thunderbirds last season. Kaskimaki and Peterson, a third-round pick in 2020, could be bottom-six call-ups who can provide some solid defending and penalty killing.
I thought Robertsson, a third-round pick in 2021, looked good in camp a year ago, but he played just 26 games with the Thunderbirds in 2024-25 because of injuries and needs to stay healthy. Stenberg, a first-rounder in 2023, played his first stint in North America last season, and it was only part of a season (38 games), so he'll likely need some more development.
I know Zach Dean was injured this past year. Is he still considered an NHL prospect? — Bob S.
Similar to Robertsson's situation, Dean has to put together a healthy season. For those fans still unfamiliar with the 22-year-old forward, he's the player the Blues got in return for Ivan Barbashev from the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. He had a knee injury last season and played in just 11 games for the Thunderbirds, finishing with a goal and four points. He came back at the end of the season and was noticeable in the playoff series against Providence, so there's still some hope if he can stay on the ice.
Is it realistic for Nikita Alexandrov to make the roster? — Scott F.
Alexandrov has been a forgotten man, but he shouldn't be. The 2019 second-round pick recently signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 and will be in training camp. The 24-year-old forward could battle for a spot on the opening-night roster, but if he doesn't make it, the club will likely have him on their short list of call-ups because of his reliability as a 200-foot player who had 49 points (21 goals, 28 assists) in 48 games in Springfield last season.
Is there a Calle Rosen/Chris Butler type of defenseman available who would make sense to go help bring along the young guys in AHL Springfield and be a viable defenseman in case of injury? — Daniel G.
Corey Schueneman, who signed a one-year, two-way extension with the Blues in January, is the closest thing to that guy. If you're unfamiliar with Schueneman, he's a 29-year-old left-shot defenseman who's played 35 games in the NHL, including four with the Blues in 2024-25. His experience doesn't measure up to Butler's 400-plus NHL games, or even Rosen's 93, but there aren't a lot of players who fit that description available.
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Do you think the Blues' prospect pool is undervalued/underappreciated? The common theme I see is that they don't have any 'elite' players. Personally I like where we are. — John B.
I understand where you're coming from, but I think the varying opinions of the prospect pool can both be right. The experts, such as The Athletic's Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman, can point out that there isn't a lot of top-tier talent, but we can look at the potential of the players and like what we see.
There's Snuggerud and Dvorsky, of course, but players like Theo Lindstein and Kaskimaki, who we touched on above, have a lot of upside. The Blues have a lot of prospects in their system, and when you have good — though maybe not great — players in high quantity, the odds grow in your favor.
If you had to guess, what will Alexander Steen's first priority be in his first season? Also, do you think he will follow Doug Armstrong's footsteps with his transparency to the fans? — Cayden H.
I know you're just asking me to guess here, but honestly, I think it's too early. In the final year before Steen officially takes over as general manager, he's going to be letting things play out and observing. So while it may look like the team needs a top-six scorer, etc., what if Snuggerud or someone else develops into that player?
As far as how transparent Steen will be, I don't know because he's never been in that role. I've heard from others that he's going out of his way to establish relationships with everybody in the building, and I've witnessed him shaking hands and remembering the names of ushers and security throughout the rink. It seems he's making a point to help create and be part of the organizational culture.
Are there any former Blues you could see having a reunion with the team in some capacity? — Scott F.
I believe Robert Bortuzzo, a fan favorite over his 10-year career with the Blues, will be living in St. Louis, and the Blues have already had him out to the practice facility during development camp. I could see him getting more involved.
Earlier this year, I had a conversation with Paul Stastny, who's also back living in St. Louis. As one of Steen's best friends during their playing days, I could see him having a role with the team, too.
Adam Oates has made a successful living being a private coach to NHL players, including the Blues' Robert Thomas, Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich. Has the team considered hiring Oates to work with their young prospects? — Anonymous U.
It's a fine idea, but from what I'm told, Oates is enjoying his independence as a skill coach for a variety of players around the league. He's also handsomely paid, too, so I don't think there's any desire to work with a specific team.
Will Cam Fowler switch his number from No. 17 to No. 4 now that it is available? — Scott F.
I reached out to Fowler for you, and he said he's sticking with No. 17. It worked well for him last season, so why not?
(Photo of Zach Dean and Robert Bortuzzo: Reese Strickland / Imagn Images)
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