The St. Louis Blues landed a can’t-miss prospect in NHL Mock Draft 2.0

In NHL Mock Draft 1.0, I had the St. Louis Blues land not a defenseman, but the best available prospect. This time, I was determined to roll with a blueliner, but fate struck again as a dynamic forward dropped to the 16th overall pick, and I couldn’t resist passing them up in Mock Draft Simulation 2.0. 

But fear not, as I managed to draft plenty of defensemen in this second mock draft simulation from FC Hockey. But which forward prospect did I insist on adding to the Blues prospects pool in this exercise? Let’s say he’s someone who could wind up going 10th overall or sooner, and one even general manager Doug Armstrong may not have it in him to pass up on June 28th if this talent falls to the 16th pick.  

Round 1: Liam Greentree, RW/Windsor

As mentioned in the first section, sometimes there is a prospect so enticing that you forgo organizational need. That was the case with Liam Greentree falling to 16th overall, who displays an elite trifecta of size (6’2, 198 lbs), productivity (90 points and 36 goals in 64 regular season outings), and leadership qualities. 

Liam Greentree is one of those prospects who could realistically compete with Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky as far as overall rankings go in the prospects pool, so if he ends up with the Blues, fans can look forward to yet another high-octane forward entering the system. 

Round 2A: Matvei Shuravin, D/CSKA Moskva

Okay, now it’s time to load this prospects pool up with defensemen, and the player I wanted dropped right to me in Round 2. Matvei Shuravin spent time in multiple leagues last season, including 11 games in the KHL, where he logged two assists. He also saw ice time in the VHL and MHL, the latter of which is where you can expect him to land next season. 

Shuravin isn’t someone who will find the back of the net often - and he finished the 2023-24 season with exactly zero goals. But his 6’2 frame is ideal for growing into, and having logged a respectable seven assists in his 22 MHL appearances, there’s two-way potential here, even if it means primarily recording helpers.