It's a drag that the Blues were eliminated from the playoffs, but their loss marks the start of what could be an exciting offseason--and the NHL Entry Draft at the end of June presents a major opportunity. The Blues don't have many draft picks this summer, as several were used to offer sheet Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, but they do retain the most valuable one: a first-round pick, sitting at 19th overall.
This isn't the strongest draft in recent memory, but a pick in the teens is a pick in the teens, and there should be a handful of promising prospects available for St. Louis. The Blues may ultimately trade the pick for immediate help, but for now, we're going to assume they make the selection at 19. With the draft lottery in the rearview and the second round of the playoffs wrapping up, scouts and experts have begun their annual ritual of making mock drafts. Let's see who they have the Blues taking this summer.
The Athletic - Scott Wheeler: Carter Bear, LW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
"In Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky, the Blues have legit prospects at right wing and center. In Adam Jiricek and Theo Lindstein, they’ve used a first-round pick in the last two drafts on a D as well. Bear would give them a legit prospect at left wing (Zack Bolduc is a left-shot but plays mostly right wing). If they go D here, Reid could be their guy if he’s available — and would give them something different from Jiricek and Lindstein."Wheeler
Wheeler has the Blues taking the six-foot, 179-pound Carter Bear with the 19th overall pick. Bear wore an "A" with the Silvertips, and he scored 40 goals and 82 points in 56 games. With Dvorsky, Snuggerud, and Bolduc in the fold, plus some high-end defense prospects in Jiricek and Lindstein, St. Louis can afford to fill a position of need (left wing) in the pipeline this year.
The Athletic - Corey Pronman: Lynden Lakovic, LW, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
"Lakovic is a big man with legit speed, skill and goal-scoring ability. He would be a highly talented forward addition to the Blues’ system, even if his compete level still draws some debate."Pronman
Like Wheeler, Pronman has the Blues filling their pipeline gap at left wing with the 6-foot-4, 190 pound Lakovic, who scored 27 goals and 58 points for the Warriors. There are questions about Lakovic's compete, but he's got some skill with the puck and, as they say, "you can't teach size." He's a raw prospect with an enticing ceiling. Lakovic was involved in an incident as a rookie that saw him suspended indefinitely (ultimately only 17 games), and a subsequent investigation by Edmonton police concluded the incident was not criminal in nature. However, the Warriors were fined $25,000.
Daily Faceoff - Steven Ellis: Cameron Reid, LHD, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
"The Blues have addressed their blueline depth over the past two years but I like Reid’s potential. He can do a little bit of everything – his three-zone game is so good, and he’s got the intelligence to beat so many players in 1-on-1 situations. I liked him in the OHL playoffs and really think he’s destined to be an impact top-four defender."Ellis
You can never have too many promising defensemen in the pipeline. Ellis has the Blues selecting Cam Reid, a smallish defenseman who wore an "A" for the Rangers and scored 54 points in 67 games. He's a good skater and offensively inclined, and could become a solid top-four defenseman if all breaks right.
Whether the Blues make their first-round pick remains to be seen, but rest assured that they'll have quite a few solid players to choose from at 19th overall.