St. Louis Blues: Colin Ralph selected at the 48 pick of the 2024 NHL Draft

Staying busy on the second day of the 2024 NHL Draft, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong selected Colin Ralph with the 48th pick in the 2024 draft.

The selection of Colin Ralph solidifies Armstrong’s unwavering commitment to his philosophy of building a skilled, youthful team centered on toughness and filling in weaknesses, notably on defense. Ralph, a defenseman, is the second selected in this year's draft.

Colin Ralph

“Ralph is an incredible defensive quantity. He’s just an absolute force defending the rush. A plus-plus defensive skater who is always gapped, he fluidly pivots and kills opponents on angle-offs. He’s aggressive, jumps into pass lanes (rejecting breakouts), and matches footwork expertly,” EliteProspects.

A large-sized defenseman, Ralph stands at 6’4” and 209lbs.

Armstrong is sticking to his commitment to improving the defense, both now and for the years to come. Ralph, a native of Minnesota, will have the opportunity to develop his skills and perhaps find playing time in the next couple of years.

Ralph, who came from Shattuck St. Mary’s (USHS Prep), joined good company, as Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby also played there.

"Ralph is a strong skater, being both fast and efficient. By having such long legs, he can take long strides to catch up to the opposition. He is also very methodical in his skating, often taking the most efficient route towards the puck in addition to positioning himself well in the offensive and defensive zones," wrote Michael Ostrower.

The Blues are clearly strategically planning for the future with defensive picks, trying to fill in voids as the majority of their defensemen are older players whose contracts are set to expire in the next few years.

Ralph will now have the chance to impress the staff at developmental camps and seek to earn his way to the NHL ranks.