The St. Louis Blues are in the midst of an ongoning battle with the rest of the National Hockey League and themselves. With no clear direction in sight, and with the world watching the next generation of legendary hockey players in Minnesota with the World Junior Championships, the eyes should also be on the most recent first-round pick, Justin Carbonneau.
This offseason really paid off for the youngster. He has been a literal wrecking ball in the QMJHL this season and has really set himself apart from the rest of the pack. Watching him in those Blainville-Boisbrand Armada uniforms against the competition in front of him should excite all Blues fans.
But, there is a bit of a catch here. The Blues have to be cautious with this young winger, and make sure they do not have a bit of false hope here.
Let's talk about it.
Comparison to another high-draft pick
When Carbonneau makes his way from the QMJHL to the NHL and is suiting up for the Blues every night, there is one thing this team needs to avoid. This cannot be false hope. In comparison to another NHL team to draft a highly ranked player from the QMJHL, in Alexis Lafreniere and the New York Rangers, there is an argument to be made that he is on his way to being a "bust".
Carbonneau could very easily fall into that category, though there is a very likely chance that he wont. The right-handed shot has proven to be a lot better than that of his competition in the QMJHL, and that was directly seen in the training camp and preseason games. This kid is truly something special and, to put a very early label on it, generational.
The Blues are really going to enjoy it when this tank makes his way into the lineup every night. Alongside Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky, there might be a top-line trio that could rival the entirety of the NHL in a few short seasons.