The St. Louis Blues had one heck of a first round in the 2026 NHL Draft to say the least. The organization entered Friday’s action with four first-rounders and walked out with three solid forwards.
One of those forwards, Mason McTavish, should make an immediate impact on the team. The other two, Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Dagenais, should become fantastic additions down the line.
But one of the takeaways from the first round was the fact that the Blues did not target a defenseman with one of their first-rounders.
Granted, the high-end blueliners were gone by pick No. 9. While St. Louis could have targeted Malte Gustafsson, whom the New York Islanders took at No. 13, the Blues opted for the more skilled and talented Lawrence at No. 11.
The 16th pick didn’t yield any significant blueline options. From pick 14 to 20, everyone took forwards. It wasn't until the San Jose Sharks picked again at No. 21 that they took Ryan Lin. So, instead of reaching for a defenseman, the Blues will now have to look towards free agency to fill blueline gaps.
Assuming that Philip Broberg, Colton Parayko, and Cam Fowler will be the Blues’ top three blueliners, there could be as many as three open spots. Let’s say that Logan Mailloux has the inside track on one, that situation leaves an open spot for the bottom pair.
Unless the Blues somehow stun the NHL and can land a high-end defenseman like Rasmus Andersson, perhaps veteran options like Jacob Trouba and Ryan Shea might become targets. St. Louis has a little under $16 million in cap space. So, targeting a pricier option like Trouba for the third pair might be questionable.
Still, if the Blues can find decent veteran options willing to take a lower-paying deal, things might work.
The Blues, for their part, could target the blue line in Day 2 of the draft. The organization doesn’t have a second-rounder, but will then have a plethora of picks, with nine more in rounds 3 through 7.
So, keep an eye, particularly on picks 73, 75, and 76, because the club could be looking to target blueliners with those picks. Tankathon projects Brek Liske out of the WHL at No. 73, and Czech prospect Tomas Galvas at No. 75.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that these players may be off the board by the time the Blues pick. So, the calculus could certainly change. There’s also the chance that other options slip, giving the Blues a chance to take a more desirable prospect.
Stay tuned to Bleedin’ Blue to stay in the loop of the Blues’ picks as they come off the board.
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