3 first-round talents who could fall to the St. Louis Blues on Day 2 of the NHL Draft

The St. Louis Blues have a pair of second-round picks in the NHL Draft, meaning multiple first-round talents could end up in their system come Saturday.

Regina Pats v Brandon Wheat Kings
Regina Pats v Brandon Wheat Kings | Jonathan Kozub/GettyImages
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Tanner Howe, LW/Regina 

Tanner Howe is an older prospect who will be eligible to play for the Springfield Thunderbirds next season should Doug Armstrong take him in the second round. At 5’10, 183 pounds, he’s on the smaller side, but his size isn’t too detrimental, especially when you consider traits like “power forward” and “heavy hitter” are listed on his profile at Elite Prospects.

This shows us that Howe plays much bigger than his size, so imagine what kind of game he will bring when he adds another inch or two to his frame, and a good 15-20 pounds to his physique. Howe’s ability to find open teammates and score are other traits that jump out, and he’s been a point-per-game player since arriving with Regina in the WHL. 

Throughout his first full season in 2021-22, Howe put up 69 points and 27 goals in 64 games, and last season, that number hit 85 points and 36 goals in 67 regular season contests. Fast-forward to 2023-24, and Howe’s production dropped, but he was still well over a point per game with 77 points and 28 goals in 68 contests. 

Looking at his traits and overall numbers, you may ask why Howe could fall so far into the second round. To a degree, we can thank Connor Bedard for that, as Howe’s production didn’t rise following the generational talent’s departure. But on a more serious note, Howe can be one-dimensional offensively, and it’s something he must fix over the next few seasons before he’s ready to roll. 

(Statistics powered by Elite Prospects)

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