St. Louis Blues load up on the blue line in NHL Mock Draft 3.0 with THREE first-round talents
The St. Louis Blues need blueliners, and in NHL Mock Draft 3.0, they got plenty of them, including THREE potential first-round talents.
Wow, FC Hockey’s mock draft simulator decided to be generous this time, as I played general manager Doug Armstrong’s role once again in Mock Draft 3.0 for the St. Louis Blues. As in the previous two mocks, I used the simulator and set it to where I would pick only for St. Louis, and yeah, I landed not one, not two, BUT THREE first-round talents in this mock.
And better yet, they were all defensemen, something I’ve been hoping the simulator would give me a chance to take at 16th overall as opposed to a high-upside forward. That wasn’t the case in the first couple of mocks, but it was worth the wait here, especially with those first two picks featuring a pair of dynamic two-way blueliners.
16th Overall: Carter Yakemchuk, D/Calgary Hitmen
Just a few short days ago, I wrote an extended report on Carter Yakemchuk, and here we are in Mock Draft 3.0, with him falling to the Blues. While I’m still on the fence about whether he would actually be available for St. Louis in real life, if he is, Doug Armstrong will have his name written down long before the Blues draft time runs out in Round 1.
48th Overall: Henry Mews, D/Ottawa 67’s
Henry Mews is another player who I wouldn’t anticipate falling this far, but for the purposes of this mock draft, he’s going to the Blues at 48th overall. And if you think Yakemchuk is a great two-way player, Mews is in the same mold, with 15 goals and 61 points in the regular season for Ottawa, and he also found twine twice and had five assists in seven games at the World Juniors for Team Canada.
56th Overall: Charlie Elick, D/Brandon Wheat Kings
This was literally a dream scenario, as I was saying to the other teams in this simulation, “Don’t pick Elick, don’t pick Elick, don’t pick Elick!” And guess what? They didn’t. Elick ranked 38th overall, per FC Hockey’s rankings, so once again, another potential first-rounder, this one falling all the way to 56th overall.
81st Overall: Matvei Babenko, RW/Toros Neftekamsk
Finally, a forward, and one listed as a right wing who can really play on the off-wing as well. Matvei Babenko also boasts remarkable size at 6’3, 201 pounds, and his current contract only runs until 2024-25, so we’ll see what kind of jump he makes in the VHL this year and what his future plans are. Still, a high-potential forward who could have a future as a lower liner in the NHL.
95th Overall: Ben Danford, D/Oshawa Generals
Yep, just like that, we’re going right back to the blue line, this time snagging Ben Danford, a high-IQ player who loves pressuring opponents when his team doesn’t have the puck. With 33 points and 32 assists in 66 games, Danford has also been a catalyst in helping his team finish plays, giving him a good deal of two-way potential.
113th Overall: Lukas Fischer, D/Sarnia Sting
You can tell I went into this mock draft with the goal of filling the blue line, and Lukas Fischer was my latest find. At 6’4, he’s got the ideal height, but he still needs to get his 181-pound frame up at least 15 pounds, if not more, before he’s ready to scale up. Luckily, the rangy blueliner has a September birthday and two full seasons left in the OHL, giving him plenty of time to further develop his build and to keep trending toward two-way player range - 34 points and six goals in 68 regular season outings for the Sting.
145th Overall: Dean Letourneau, C/Sioux Falls Stampede
We got another towering prospect falling to the Blues at 145th overall, and one who dominated with 127 points and 61 goals at St. Andrew’s College. Sure, there’s marginal competition here, so we’ll get more insights on what Dean Letourneau can do at the NCAA this coming fall.
209th Overall: Bauer Dumanski, D/Prince George Cougars
Okay, I rolled with one more defenseman in this mock draft, with Bauer Dumanski clocking in as the 209th overall pick. The 19-year-old brings good size at 6’1, 196 pounds, and three seasons of WHL experience. He’s one of those players worth taking a chance on this late in the draft, especially following a nice outburst in points in the regular season that included seven goals and 26 assists.
211th Overall: Noa Vali, G/TPS
And finally, I waited until the final round before snagging my single goaltender in Noa Vali, who should see a lot of time in the cage over in Finland this season. Vali made the most of his opportunities this past season, whether it was in U20 SM-sarja, Liiga, or the World Juniors, and that gives him a chance to see his playing time skyrocket in Liiga this season.
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