The St. Louis Blues did not have a good season in 2025-26. That’s something we have discussed ad nauseam here at Bleedin’ Blue.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the Blues. There was one particular move this season that could become an unexpected coup.
The Blues were believed to be ready to jettison just about every veteran on the club. Indeed, just about everyone on the roster was part of NHL trade rumors at one point or another. In the end, it was just a couple of players who changed teams.
Among them, Justin Faulk found a new home in Detroit. And it’s that move that puts the Blues in a position to gain big time.
At the time of the trade, the Red Wings sent a first-round pick in the package of Faulk. Had Detroit made the playoffs, that pick would have been somewhere in the second half of the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
But guess what? Faulk was not nearly enough to prevent the landslide the Red Wings suffered into oblivion. The Wings missed the postseason, leaving the first-rounder in question in NHL Draft Lottery territory.
Yikes.
As Tankathon shows, the pick stands at #15. That placement won’t be enough for a shot at the first-overall pick. But the Draft Lottery could give the Blues a top-five pick.
Double yikes.
The rules state that teams can move up as many as ten spots following the Lottery. So, assuming the Red Wings’ pick moves up 10 spots, that would give the Blues the fifth overall pick.
That would make the Faulk trade a fantastic move.
Blues could end up with two top-five picks
The Red Wings’ pick is one of two first-round picks the Blues have inside the top 16th. The Blues have one more first-rounder, the one they got from the New York Islanders in the Brayden Schenn deal. That pick will be more like a second-rounder, as it’s the one that originally belonged to the Colorado Avalanche.
That other pick inside the top 16 for the Blues is the team’s own pick. Tankathon shows it’s the 11th overall pick at this time. And it could end up becoming the first-overall pick. That was the miraculous fortune the New York Islanders faced last season. They moved up all the way from 11th to 1st.
Now, let’s not assume that lightning will strike twice. So, we can forget about the Blues actually pulling off another miracle. But it’s entirely plausible that the Blues could land another top-five pick.
If such a thing were to happen, it would be an incredible stroke of good luck for St. Louis. We’ll have to wait until May 5 to find out where the Blues will be picking in the top 16 in the 2026 NHL Draft.
That’s why Blues fans should be optimistic. The club may have the unique opportunity to draft two potential generational talents in one master stroke.
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