The St. Louis Blues should choose a defenseman with the 16th pick

The St. Louis Blues are an intriguing team with several upcoming prospects expected to enter their roster in the next several years.

One can certainly say that GM Doug Armstrong had his hands full during the last draft, as he made three first-round selections, with Dalibor Dvorsky standing out as a particularly notable choice at the 10th spot.

In the past three seasons, Armstrong has loaded up on offensive weapons:

First-round picks

2021- Zack Bolduc, C. Pick 17.
2022- Jimmy Snuggerud, RW. Pick 23.
2023- Dalibor Dvorsky, C. Pick 10. Otto Stenberg, C. Pick 25. Theo Lindstein, D. Pick 29.

With the exception of Theo Lindstein, all the picks so far have focused on offensive talent, specifically concentrating heavily on the center position.

The St. Louis Blues need help defensively both now and in the future. Most of the players who see notable time on the ice are veterans, as is the case with the big three of Torey Krug, Colton Parayko, and Justin Faulk.

Theo Lindstein is a young player who is one of the few top prospects expected to compete for ice time in the future.

While Armstrong might be tempted to draft the best available player, including a surprise player who might fall for whatever reason, he should strongly consider eyeing and sticking with the decision to draft a defenseman.

Granted, the defenseman wouldn’t play right away (most likely). But the roster is desperate for help in the years ahead.

Several intriguing defensemen prospects exist:

Stian Solberg
Carter Yakemchuk
Leo Sahlin Wallenius

Most of them are ranked higher than No. 16, but defensemen can sometimes drop in the draft, just like in past years.

If Armstrong can secure a highly rated defenseman, especially one ranked higher than sixteen, he should definitely acquire the prospect.

As the saying goes, defense wins championships.