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For three Blues, the first round won’t be a return to the playoffs or a reminder of previous series in their career. For them, it’ll be their first taste of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Jake Neighbours, Zack Bolduc and Jimmy Snuggerud are poised to make their playoff debuts when the first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets opens Saturday night. If Tyler Tucker or Matthew Kessel enter the lineup on the back end, it’ll be their playoff debut, and the same would go for Dalibor Dvorsky should he be recalled from the AHL at some point.

“I think I’m going to be pretty nervous, pretty excited,� Neighbours said. “I think the atmosphere is going to be pretty unbelievable. Being a Canadian kid watching the whiteout growing up, it’s a pretty famous event in Canada. So it’s going to be exciting to play there. I would just say a lot of excitement. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a couple years now and just excited to get the chance.�

All three forwards were first-round picks by the Blues: Neighbours in 2020, Bolduc in 2021 and Snuggerud in 2022. Neighbours established himself as a top-six forward last season with 27 goals and then followed it up by scoring 22 more this season. Bolduc has broken out in the second half of the season, scoring all of his 19 goals after Jim Montgomery took over behind the bench. Snuggerud, meanwhile, joined the Blues less than three weeks ago after his collegiate career ended in Minnesota.

“I’ve heard from a lot of guys that it’s a fortune to play in the playoffs,� Snuggerud said. “It’s not something that comes easy. I feel like joining this team the past couple weeks and being able to play in my first Stanley Cup playoffs is obviously really cool. The advice that they give is to stay in the moment and enjoy it, but this doesn’t come often, so make the most of it.�

Snuggerud, 20, would be the youngest Blues player to play in the postseason since 19-year-old Robert Thomas did so in 2019.

The Blues are in the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and the two-year hiatus robbed Neighbours of two chances to play postseason hockey and Bolduc of one.

“It’s going to be fun,� Bolduc said. “I’m really excited. I’ve been watching NHL playoff going up, and every year you watch games. I’m just super-excited to be part of it. ... I think everything is going to be a little faster. Everyone is going to hit a little harder, and it’s going to be harder to score some goals. Just got to be ready to compete and do everything you can to help your team and win.�

While they haven’t played in the NHL playoffs before, all three young forwards have played in big games at their previous stops. Snuggerud played in a national championship game with the Golden Gophers and beat Sweden for the World Junior championship in Sweden. Neighbours won the WHL. Bolduc won the QMJHL. Both played in the Memorial Cup.

“Obviously, it’s a lot different and it’s a lot of more intense and the hockey’s going to be played at a higher level,� Neighbours said. “But in terms of the mental approach to the game and how you approach big games, I think I have some experience with that. Just try to stay in the moment, stay present, take it a shift at a time, a game a time.�

Snuggerud: “It’s a different pace and a different style of game. This is the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is the end-all, be-all. Those games definitely prepare you for these moments. I’ve been lucky enough to play in a lot of those games. I feel like I’m ready to go, and same with all the other guys in here.�

Philip Broberg previously went through what the young Blues will go through.

He’s played in playoff games in each of the past three seasons with the Oilers, but only last year did he gain a large enough role to even crack 10 minutes a night as Edmonton fought its way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

“Every moment in the game could be game-deciding, too,� Broberg said. “You’ve always got to be on your toes, it’s a hard game out there.�