The St. Louis Blues are preparing to select a new and exciting prospect with the 19th selection of the 2025 NHL Draft. Before they get to that point, however, they have to endure two of their biggest rivals having top-five draft picks. The Chicago Blackhawks selected Anton Frondell with the third overall pick, and then the Utah Mammoth selected Caleb Desnoyers with the fourth pick.
This is the first selection under the Mammoth branding.
The Central Division is starting to become a warzone, with heavy hitters up and down the list. There are some powerhouses, with Winnipeg, Colorado, and Dallas still being amongst the top tier of the NHL. But, the Blues have a heated battle with Minnesota in the middle of the road, with Chicago and Utah right on their tails.
When the Blues select later tonight, they must pick a stud of their own, despite being on the latter half of the first round. The NHL is getting a new look with a higher salary cap and a new CBA agreement getting ready to be put into effect in 2026-27. They cannot get left behind by or overlapped by the lower-tier teams of the Central Division. Especially since they just returned to prominence with their improbable return to the playoffs last season.
The Blues have a great group, but the Blackhawks and Mammoth just got two fantastic players of their own that will be forces of nature for years to come. The rivalries are heating up with these young guns, making this the most fun division to watch for the next couple of years.
Do you think that Chicago and Utah might have closed the gap with their two selections?