While most of the 2024 picks may not immediately step onto the NHL ice, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong's forward-thinking philosophy hints at a promising, youthful future for the team.
With an aging defensive lineup, Blues fans are aware of the need for a star defenseman to fill the void and bring fresh talent to the team.
Colton Parayko is probably the most skilled defenseman on the team, with Justin Faulk, Torey Krug, and Nick Leddy close behind.
The issue lies in the fact that the four players are aging, and certain players, like Krug and Faulk, have underperformed. Not to mention, no-trade clause restrictions surround most contracts and are hefty deals.
The St. Louis Blues are being proactive in fixing their defense
Defense wins championships. There's no other way to put it. The St. Louis Blues have several proven goal scorers on the roster, with promising prospects expected to enter the NHL soon.
Outside of last year's selection of Theo Lindstein, the Blues lack any major young defensive threat.
GM Doug Armstrong sought to address such an issue with his first three picks in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Blues selected Adam Jiricek, Colin Ralph, and Lukas Fischer.
Jiricek stands at 6'2" and is a notable first-round pick. Circle his name, as the expectations will be high. Several pundits expected him to be selected earlier than the No. 16 pick. The Blues didn't waste any time and grabbed him instead of Stian Solberg.
In the second-round, Armstrong chose Colin Ralph and Lukas Fischer.
Ralph is 6'5", 227lbs. He's a towering defenseman that some might compare to current Blues fan-favorite Colton Parayko.
Fischer is 6'3" and was the last pick of the Blues in the second-round.
The final defenseman they chose was William McIsaac in the fifth-round. He's 6'3" and has a body like Fischer.
The Blues had 9 picks overall and selected 4 defensemen. However, the top three picks were defensemen, with one chosen in the first-round and two in the second-round.
In addition to the expectations surrounding Theo Lindstein, this year's draft addressed significant needs.
Will all the selections suit up for the St. Louis Blues? If we analyze past drafts, probably not. Regardless, if two of the top three picks this year make it to the NHL and play for the Blues, Armstrong can still call the draft a success.
On top of that, the St. Louis Blues didn't trade any of their draft picks, so Armstrong could have some trade assets in the prospects.
The picks all made sense. Now, it's time to develop their skills and build their talent.
On paper, the draft was a resounding success, setting the stage for a potentially bright future for the St. Louis Blues. It remains to be seen if this talent will truly benefit the Blues in the years ahead.