Going into Tuesday night’s NHL Draft Lottery, St. Louis Blues fans held onto the hope that a miracle could happen. Last year, the New York Islanders sat 10th, won the first draw, and moved all the way up to first.
That was sort of the hope, as slim as it was. In the end, the Blues stayed precisely where they were. The Blues ended up with the 11th and 15th picks after the Lottery, with an additional first-rounder, likely the 31st pick, as that pick originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.
As a quick footnote, that pick could move up a couple of spots if the Avalanche don’t win the Stanley Cup. If Colorado goes all the way, the pick would stay at 31st, as the Ottawa Senators are locked into the 32nd pick following clemency from the NHL.
That said, there’s no reason for Blues fans to feel disappointed following Tuesday night’s draw. The team has two solid picks in the first round. As such, the organization has various paths to go forward.
As my colleague Justin Bonhard has outlined, the Blues have numerous options with the two top-15 picks in their possession.
While the natural inclination would be to keep both of them, just having flexibility allows the Blues to make deals if they come along. You would think that teams under duress may find themselves compelled to make a move.
For example, one of the teams I keep mentioning is the Dallas Stars. They have a hot potato on their hands in Jason Robertson. The 45-goal scorer needs a new contract, and it seems like the Stars just can’t afford him.
If Dallas just can’t sign him, they could look to move him. Wouldn’t it look enticing to move Robertson for the 11th or 15th pick? The Blues could figure out a way to sign Robertson, potentially moving someone like Jordan Kyrou out the door in the process.
That’s just a thought at this point. There’s no indication that Dallas is moving Robertson, and there doesn’t seem to be any inclination on the Blues’ part to trade their picks.
But then again, things can change in the blink of an eye. So, let’s see where this goes. The next few weeks will give teams not currently playing in the postseason time to calibrate their plans and see what’s out there.
Don’t look now, but this year could be a potentially transformational one for the St. Louis Blues. That’s not hyperbole. It could actually work out that way with the right moves.
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