This is shaping up to be one of the craziest draft weeks in recent memory. We're two days out, and already have seen a number of monumental, blockbuster trades around the league--including one involving the St. Louis Blues that sent Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals for a pretty fair return.
Included in that trade package was the Capitals' own first-round pick, 16th-overall in the draft order. For those keeping track at home, the Blues now have a whopping four (4!) first-round picks: numbers 11, 15, 16 and 29. While that last pick isn't particularly valuable, the other three certainly are--and the Blues have several options in front of them. Let's go over the three most likely.
Make the picks
The path of least resistance is to just make all those picks themselves; it's Doug Armstrong's final draft as general manager, and adding that many high-end prospects to the pipeline would lay a foundation for the Blues for years to come. This draft may be weaker than other years, but premium picks are premium picks. Stocking the pipeline with that many players ensures the Blues have a steady stream of young talent joining the team, all on team friendly entry-level contracts as the orgranization contends for a Stanley Cup.
Move up into the top ten
Another option would be to use any combination of picks 11, 15 and 16 to move up in the draft order, likely into the top ten. That's a tough sell to the teams in the top ten--most are in various stages of a rebuild or retool, and will want to keep their picks. The Winnipeg Jets are an interesting option though: they struggle to lure players to their market, and rely on draft picks to build their team. Adding two picks in the first half of the first round may be better for their own longterm outlook.
Use the picks at the center of a trade package
The third option for the Blues is to trade any of their first-round selections for players who can help the team right now. Last year, the Montreal Canadiens sent picks 16 and 17 to the New York Islanders for defenseman Noah Dobson--perhaps the Blues can use 15 and 16 in a similar fashion. The trade market is booming, and St. Louis could take advantage with their excess draft capital.
A lot can happen before the draft on Friday, and the Blues are poised to be in the middle of everything, if they so choose.
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