It won't be long now until the St. Louis Blues take the stage at the NHL draft to make up to three selections in the first round. We also now have clarity on where all three picks will be: after the Vegas Golden Knights' shocking sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final, we know that the Blues' pick they received in the Brayden Schenn deadline deal will be number 29.
We've been doing our best to keep up with the mock drafts over the last few weeks, and boy, have there been a lot of them, seemingly a new one every week. Today is no different, as, with one month to go until draft day, we've got a brand new mock draft from The Athletic. One thing to note before we break down who the experts have the Blues selecting: this mock was done before the Avs lost in the Conference Final, so the Blues still have the 31st-overall selection. Moving up two spots into the late-20s shouldn't dramatically affect their decision-making, though.
First up, with the 11th-overall selection, Athletic editor Max Bultman has the Blues taking Ethan Belchetz, a name we've frequently seen associated with the Blues in these mocks. Belchetz would bring size and skill to the Blues' forward group, and the swing for a modern power forward would be well justified at 11.
A new name enters the Blues' sphere with the 15th-overall selection, as prospect expert Scott Wheeler gives the Blues defenseman Ryan Lin. The Blues have a couple of defensemen in their system already, but the diminutive Lin would bring a different dynamic to the backend. He's got great vision and should run a power play in the NHL, traits that Adam Jiricek and Theo Lindstein don't really have, and Philip Broberg is only average at.
We get another new name with the Blues' last pick: goaltender Tobias Trejbal, courtesy of prospect expert Corey Pronman. The Blues don't have a premium prospect in goal, and without a second-round pick, it would make sense to lock one up at the end of the first round. Goalies take a long time to develop, and it's easy to envision Trejbal assuming a role the same way Joel Hofer did under Jordan Binnington, before Hofer became the clear starting netminder.
Drafting at every position--forward, defense, goaltender--is a good way to fill out a prospect pipeline. It's a little safe, though, and could be viewed as the Blues failing to take big enough swings to land a star with top-end traits but a lot of risk. Of course, maybe they won't even be making all three picks, as they decide whether to retool or rebuild.
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