2024 NHL Mock Draft 1.0 reveals who the St. Louis Blues should select in each round
The St. Louis Blues should focus on improving their defensive depth in the 2024 NHL Draft, but sometimes, the best available makes for the better pick.
From now until the end of June, get ready for some serious mock drafts regarding the St. Louis Blues as they prepare for the 2024 NHL Draft. Each seven-round mock that I conduct will come from FC Hockey’s Mock Draft Builder, allowing me to simulate the drafts and pick only for the Blues.
So, the names you see below and in the following slides may not have been my initial choices, but when the players I listed as top picks went elsewhere in this scenario, I used a few creative tactics to create the best possible draft class.
For the first two rounds, I looked for size and productivity, plus need, especially on the blue line. Regarding the mid-rounders, I wanted those who produced well, but may have lacked in other areas, like size, for example. As for my late-round picks, it was all about either high-potential or if someone freefall and I scooped them up as a potential steal - like my 7A pick.
Round 1: Igor Chernyshov, LW/Dynamo Moskva
It’s always great to kick off the draft with two traits: taking someone with NHL-caliber size and sound productivity. Igor Chernyshov has both, clocking in at 6’2, 196 lbs, and finishing this past season with 28 points and 13 goals in the MHL. He even saw time in the KHL, but next season, Chernysov should develop his game further as he will likely play for the big club full-time.
Round 2A: Will Skahan, D/Boston College
The imposing Will Skahan fell to the second round in this mock, and if the same occurs in reality, Doug Armstrong shouldn’t hesitate to take the 6’4, 212-pound 17-year-old. This is a player who may not put up a lot of points, but few blueliners slated to go in the second round or later will boost the Blues prospects pool to the same degree.
Round 2B: Yegor Surin, C/Lokomotiv Yaroslavl
Yegor Surin is another forward who won’t be in North America for a while, but with 52 points in 42 games at the MHL level, plus another 23 in 19 playoff outings, his presence in the prospects pipeline will excite Blues fans. Whether he falls this far or not in the actual draft is still a mystery, but with the second pick in Round 2, taking him here would be a steal.
Round 3A: Austin Baker, LW/Michigan State
Including Yegor Surin, every player listed so far boasts the size you want to see from the newest arrivals into the prospects pool, and that’s also the case for the 6’0, 192-pound Austin Baker. Like many projected mid-round picks, he’s not putting up the same productivity, but still, 10 goals in 25 games at the USHL level is an outstanding place to begin.
Round 3B: Mac Swanson, LW/North Dakota
Mac Swanson is the first player on this list who is slightly built, standing at just 5’7. But he’s also the kind of player who, if his productivity is off the charts, you ask yourself how much higher he would have been drafted if his size matched those slated to go earlier. Swanson’s productivity - 77 points and 26 points in 55 games this past season - should be more than enough to convince you Swanson can be another Alex DeBrincat or Brad Marchand. So if he falls to St. Louis, he’s a prospect to follow.
Round 4: Luke McNamara, C/Saginaw Spirit/Kingston Frontenacs
Luke McNamara won’t put up many points, but the center is someone who helps extend a lot of plays in the offensive zone. And if he’s the catalyst for a team putting up big numbers when they possess the puck, he’s a player to watch if he ends up in the Blues system if Armstrong were fortunate enough to draft him here.
Round 5: Frans Haara, D/Skelleftea AIK J20
Frans Haara is one of the draft’s older prospects, and the right-handed defenseman is yet another pick in this mock who boasts great size. Further, his jump in productivity - 14 goals and 32 points in 32 regular contests in J20 Nationell factors him in as a decent value pick. He can also continue developing in Sweden’s SHL for the foreseeable future.
Round 7A: Anthony Romani, RW/North Bay
Versatility alone would make Anthony Romani a solid value pick so late in the draft, and 58 goals in 68 regular season games signifies that the 18-year-old would be a major steal if he falls this far. To be honest, I highly doubt he lasts until the seventh round this coming June, but if he does, Doug Armstrong has got to end the freefall.
Round 7B: Preston Lounsbury, C/Moncton Wildcats
Another older player, Preston Lounsbury just turned 19, and he brings moderate production - 57 points and 19 goals with the Moncton Wildcats. But he’s one of the most intelligent players in the draft class, and that’s always an outstanding trait to possess if you’re a late-round pick and everything else - productivity, size - clocks in as average.
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(Statistics provided by Elite Prospects)