The St. Louis Blues needed to start adding more pieces to the center pipeline, and they nailed it with their 11th selection of the 2026 NHL Draft. By picking Tynan Lawrence, he fits in perfectly with the future trajectory of this franchise.
A left-handed shot who has seen success at multiple levels of competition. What more can you ask for?
Lawrence puts more pressure on the rest of the center group, and that is exactly what fans want to hear. Both Dalibor Dvorsky and Pius Suter are going to have some competition in training camp at the end of this summer. Not to mention the new guys brought in via trades, in Connor McMichael and Mason McTavish.
Lawrence will be ready by the championship window
The Blues are still a ways from being in a championship window. And that is completely fine, as the team has shifted its core to be comprised mostly of players under the age of 25. Inside the next three seasons is where we all see if this team has what it takes to run an 84-game season and then flourish in the postseason toward a Stanley Cup.
Lawrence will be a late addition when that time comes. But, as evident in his previous success spread across different levels of competition, he is used to the idea of winning. Not to mention the fact that he has been given some NHL player comparisons to a rising star in Macklin Celebrini.
If Lawrence was able to replicate any bit of what Celebrini brings to the table on a nightly basis, he could not only be a part of the contender window, but an x-factor. That is exactly what the Blues need.
A complete 200-foot player, both offensively and defensively sharp, eager to flip an entire game with the puck on his stick. The Blues made a fantastic decision in taking him with the 11th pick, and fans should be counting down the seconds until he hits the ice for real.
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