Doug Armstrong could be on the verge of shaking up the St. Louis Blues, and if he gets a few solid offers, don't think he won't start a sell-off if they keep losing. With a 6-9-4 record and just 16 points so far, the moment of truth is sinking in for the Blues, and a sell-off almost certainly foreshadows contention for the top pick.
But as the New York Islanders proved in May, you don't have to be a bottom-five or bottom-three team to win the draft lottery. The Isles had the tenth-best odds to win the lottery in 2025, yet still snagged the first-overall pick and drafted their future superstar, Matthew Schaefer.
What if the Blues end up with the best odds, whether they get there with the bland team that they already have, or if it's because Doug Armstrong has finally seen enough, but they lose out on Gavin McKenna?
It sounds like a nightmare scenario, and some fans might say it's a reason to try to salvage the season and move nobody. To some, it might not be worth the risk to sell off, get close to the best odds if not winning the best odds outright, and then losing out on the one player who is almost a surefire lock to make an NHL roster in 2026-27.
Should the St. Louis Blues start tanking, fans don't need to panic
If the Blues pick anywhere in the top five, there's a good chance that they will land a dynamic player to build around. While McKenna will keep headlining the class, Keaton Verhoeff of the University of North Dakota has also been lighting up the NCAA.
Verhoeff has eight points and four goals in 12 games, showing hockey fans that he's the top two-way defenseman in this draft class. He also more than boasts NHL size, at 6'4, 212 lbs, and he's a right-shot defenseman.
Meanwhile, Ivar Stenberg isn't your typical 18-year-old playing in the SHL. Usually, players heading into their draft year don't see a lot of ice time if they play at Sweden's highest level and take a back seat to the veterans. Stenberg didn't get the memo, as he has four goals and 15 points across 19 contests. He has room to grow his frame, but at 6'0, 181 lbs, he's also not slightly built like many prospects.
There is also Ethan Belchetz, whose monstrous 6'5, 227 lbs frame already makes him look like an NHL player spending time in the junior ranks. This season, his productivity is well over a point-per-game rate, with 27 of them and 16 goals in 21 games.
Daxon Rudolph is another name to remember. Another right-shot blueliner, Rudolph is an imposing 6'2, 203 lbs, and he shows a dangerous offensive prowess, with 16 points and six goals in 20 games. Should Rudolph keep up his scoring trajectory, his stock will keep rising.
This isn't saying that any of the above names are as likely to wind up playing full-time in the NHL in 2026-27. But it shows that even if the Blues end up picking anywhere lower than number one, should they keep losing and ultimately sell off players, there are a lot of options to build a team around.
History won't end up repeating itself if the Blues drafted first overall
Should the Blues get the first pick, some fans may look back at the last time they picked first and ended up with Erik Johnson. Johnson, who played in 203 games with the Blues, and ended his career in Arch City with 91 points and 20 goals. It wasn't what anyone had in mind, and St. Louis sent him to the Colorado Avalanche, where he ultimately became a staple for the next 14 seasons.
If Gavin McKenna ended up in St. Louis, there wouldn't be another repeat of Erik Johnson. McKenna is averaging over a point per game with the Nittany Lions, putting up 15 of them in 14 games, with four goals to show for it. He's still the consensus number-one overall pick, but as you saw above, he's by no means the only future star player to build a team around.
So, if you're a Blues fan, ideally, you want to see the losing stop and a repeat of 2019. But if it doesn't happen and you're looking at a top-five pick, the future in Arch City will be bright. There won't be another repeat of Erik Johnson; you will see a new dawn.