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. 

Round 2B: Veeti Vaisanen, D/KooKoo

There’s no rush to bring either players like Matvei Shuravin or Veeti Vaisanen over any time soon if they both fell to the Blues in the actual draft. But you couldn’t ask for many more high-potential players, as Vaisanen has a 6’0 frame that he can grow into as he works his way toward making his pro debut in North America a few seasons down the road. 

Vaisanen has more two-way upside, so he makes for a sensational complement to Shuravin. He’s competed well in his age group, but if he can improve upon the 10-point season he recorded during his first full year in Liiga, Vaisanen will lay the foundation for his eventual trek to North America. 

Round 3A: Jakub Fibigr, D/Mississauga

Jakub Fibigr is one of the younger players in the 2024 draft class, but like many in this mock draft simulation, he’s got a 6’0-plus frame that will fill out in time. Fibigr has spent just one season in North America, playing for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads, but wow, 36 assists and 43 points in 61 regular season games made for an incredible debut season in North America for the blueliner. 

Oh, did I mention he has a later birthday? Fibigr will turn 18 toward the end of July, so it’s more than fair to ask what the alternate captain for Team Czechia has in store for the OHL next season. If you’re a Blues fan, he’s a player you will want in the system, as he’s more than shown the potential to make the North American game look easy. 

Round 3B: Kieron Walton, C/Sudbury

Oftentimes, throughout this mock simulation, I listed players with the potential to put on NHL-caliber size, but few in this class already have that size. Kieron Walton is the one exception, as the versatile center/winger is 6’5, 203 pounds, and there is a good chance he rivals former St. Louis Blues first-round pick Tage Thompson after a few years. 

His points production sat at just 43 in 74 regular season and playoff games, with 18 goals scored in the process. He was shutout in goals and assists during the postseason, but with Walton heading into his age-18 season, expect that trend to change. 

Round 4: Zachary Bowen, G/Peterborough

The more you read my mock draft simulations, the more you’ll know that I’m taking one goaltender, sometimes two. And in this sim, Zachary Bowen of the Peterborough Petes fell to me. You may not like Bowen’s numbers, but he’s a gritty goaltender who was forced to play for one of just three teams in the OHL that ended the year with fewer than 50 points. 

I wouldn’t hold that 3.84 GAA against him just yet, and instead judge Bowen more based on what he did in 2022-23 while with the London Knights. They allowed the fewest goals of any team in the OHL’s Western Conference that year, and Bowen’s play in the crease was a big reason for that.