In a dramatic and enticing night of ping pong ball-mania, the NHL got it's order of Draft selections. The Toronto Maple Leafs are your winners, as they jumped over the Vancouver Canucks for the intended first-overall pick.
The St. Louis Blues, who were projected to have the 11th pick, and then the 15th pick with their return from the Justin Faulk trade to Detroit, did not move at all. They got where they were supposed to be, and now, this is where the fun begins.
Blues got their numbers, now is time for research
The 11th and 15th overall picks are a solid place to be, as it could bring in some great prospects. This upcoming prospect pool is a deep one, with the likelihood of hitting a home run past the seventh-overall pick being much higher than that of year's past.
After a disappointing 2025-26 season, in which they played as competitive as they possibly could, this outcome is not a bad deal. This upcoming season is going to feature an influc of younger players getting more and moree responsiblitity in the Blues regiment, and that could feature one of these new draft picks.
Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic has the Blues going with center Viggo Bjorck from the Swedish Hockey League team, Djurgarden. The Blues seem to be stacked down the middle, but it is still a shaky bit without the guarentee that Dvorsky will rise to the 2C expectation. Bjorck could fit that bill as a more explosive option, albeit with a smaller frame.
Rutherford also has another SHL prospect making his way to the Sweden-led Blues, when Alexander Steen takes over on July 1. Malte Gustafsson of HV71 is the go-to at No. 15, and he has been described as a tough two-way defender. Right in the Blues wheelhouse there, huh?
There will be plenty of other mock drafts and potential selections to come over the next month and a half. Until June 28, everything is speculation, but the Blues have two top-15 picks to really stir things up in the Central Divison in 2026-27.
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