The team that everyone is monitoring during the 2026 NHL draft is the St. Louis Blues. After trading Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals, they now have four picks in the first round. It is the most of any team, and the most first-round picks a team has had since the New York Islanders in 1999. With so much capital, the Blues can be one of the teams that run the draft. They will be able to make their prospect pool even stronger.
But with so much draft capital, they can easily make a big move and trade up in the draft. They could easily package a couple of their picks and move up for a prospect they like. They also have the resources to shock the NHL and move up to the number one overall pick. This would be a huge move for the Blues and speed up their timeline. But why is this something the Blues should try to do, and how will it help their success?
The Blues should make a splash and move up to the first overall pick
Although this past season was not great, the Blues are not as far away as people think. After a brutal start to the season, they got really hot after the Olympic Break. Once the season resumed, they went on a 17-5-2 stretch to close out the regular season. This helped them finish with a record of 37-33-12 and only missed the playoffs by four points. Nobody could have seen this type of stretch coming when they were struggling at the start.
This hot streak is not enough evidence that they will contend next season. But it shows that they are closer than everyone expects. The main reason why the Blues got hot is that young players on their roster stepped up. Guys like Joel Hofer, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Dylan Holloway were the main drivers of this hot streak. It's clear they have a young core that is capable of winning hockey games. They just need a few more pieces to support that core.
One of these pieces is a superstar. Sure, the young players they have are good, but not good enough to build a roster around. A player like Gavin McKenna is. If you put McKenna on this Blues team next season, they become much more dangerous. They may not make the playoffs, but they will be in contention the whole time. It will also give the Blues the face of the franchise they lack. He'd be the player who leads the Blues and helps them get back to championship expectations.
Four first-round picks may seem like a lot, but it's the only way this deal can get done. You have to make the Maple Leafs an offer they can't refuse in order for them to give up the idea of drafting McKenna. But the picks the Blues would send the Leafs would be nothing more than lottery tickets. All the players selected in those spots won't be NHL-ready for years. Why not move them to get a player that can be a part of this young core?
While it may seem like a lot to give up, moving to the first overall pick would be a franchise-altering move for the Blues. It will help them return to the playoffs sooner than expected.
Add us as a preferred source on Google