With just under 24 hours to go until the 2026 NHL Draft, and the St. Louis Blues become the highlight of the first round, everything is up in the air right now. Left is right and right is upside down as every team in the NHL is making moves.
Before the craziness happens, the Bleedin' Blue team wants to pitch in their thoughts on the first night of selections. WIth four of the first 29 selections heading to the 'Lou, this could be a franchise-altering moment, and we all should brace ourselves for it.
Let's see what everyone has to say.
Joe DeMarini
For this exercise, I'm assuming the Blues do not trade any of their first-round draft picks, either for players that can help the team right now or to move up/down in the draft order (though personally, I think they should jump at an opportunity to). Centers are hard to come by so, at 11, they should go for Tynan Lawrence (or Viggo Bjorck, if he makes it that far).
With the 15th and 16th picks (which, again, they should), it's going to depend on who's still there. Coming away with Ethan Belchetz and Malte Gustafsson would be the dream, but it's unlikely both (or even one!) slide that far, so let's go with Alexander Command and Adam Novotny because the defensemen in that range may not be that inspiring.
Besides, they can take a defenseman with pick 29, and let's make it a bit spicy: I have been abecause of his puck skill and projection as a high-end power-play quarterback. There are serious concerns about his size and defense, but the payoff could be enormous--and with so many draft picks, the Blues can afford to take the swing on a risky prospect after making safe choices earlier in the round.
So, to recap, the Blues come away with Lawrence, Command, Novotny, and Villeneuve--that could be a franchise-changing haul.
Charlie Balestra
Like many Blues fans, I’d love to see the team package all four first-round picks and try to move up to No. 2 overall. However, a top-three pick hasn’t been traded in over 20 years, and the Sharks’ acquisition of the ninth overall pick could signal plans to add both a defenseman of the future and Ivar Stenberg.
A more realistic outcome may be a move for Matthew Knies, Elias Pettersson, or future draft capital to support potential offer sheets. Knies is especially intriguing after reports that he was nearly traded to the Canadiens for two first-round picks, Alexander Zharovsky, and another top prospect. I’d be interested in the Blues offering the 11th and 15th picks, along with Dalibor Dvorsky and Theo Lindstein, to acquire him. Regardless of any trades, the Blues are still likely to make at least one selection between picks 11 and 16, and I’d like to see them target upside.
If Viggo Björck falls to 11, that would be a dream scenario, but more realistically, I’d like to see them take a swing on Tynan Lawrence at 11, 15, or 16. Oscar Hemming and Wyatt Cullen would also be intriguing wing options. At 29, Xavier Villeneuve or Nikita Klepov could be worth targeting if either is still available. With four first-round picks, positional fit should be a secondary concern, and the Blues should simply take the best player available.
Justin Bonhard
The Blues are going to have a very busy night. The need for a center right now has been filled with Connor McMichael coming over in the Kyrou trade, but there will be a need if either Dalibor Dvorsky or Pius Suter start to subside in a few seasons. Keeping the center pipeline intact with Robert Thomas leading the way is how the Blues return to prominence. Expect Lawrence or even a stretch pick of Oliver Suvanto.
At 15 and 16, it has to be the Ruck twins. There is no other reason not to, as both players will be great seperately, but elite as a tandem.
The 29th pick is where the defensive help should come in with Xavier Villeneuve. He is a teammate of current Blues superstar in the making Justin Carbonneau, and that connection could be a steady transition to the NHL for him.
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