Blues target upside on Draft Night 1

Wednesday night saw the completion of rounds 1 and 2 of the RHL’s entry draft, with the St Louis Blues selecting twice, each time with their own pick. After yet another lost draft lottery, the Blues dropped from the 4th to the 6th pick in the draft, leaving them to wonder who could be available after the two expected locks of McKenna and Stenberg at the top of the draft.

Coming into this draft, the Blues were facing an interesting dilemma. They have picked in the top 15 a number of times in recent years of this long term rebuild, but almost all of those picks have been spent on forwards. While Jackson Lacombe leads a wave of some defensive prospects coming into the lineup, the Blues were looking for a true gem to add to the back end, despite their front office’s usual philosophy of drafting the best available player.

The good news on that front however is that the top end of this draft featured a number of intriguing defensive prospects. And with only Chase Reid of those players off the board at number six, the Blues were left with their choice between names such as Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, Daxon Rudolph, and Alberts Šmits.

After some deliberation, the Blues ultimately selected Carson Carels from the Prince George Cougars. Blues scouts liked his overall game and especially his high-end mobility and shot on top of being seen by some as the best shutdown defenseman in the draft. At his ceiling, he could be a true number one defenseman, and his physical gifts give him a high floor as well.

At the 36th pick, the Blues took a bit more of a risky swing in Marcus Nordmark, a LW out of Djurgården. One of the hardest to project prospects in the draft, Nordmark looks like he should have everything you’d be looking for early in the first round – scoring in multiple ways at every level, elite playmaking and puck handling skills, and all with a 6-foot-2 frame. A prospect like Nordmark normally wouldn’t fall even into the early 2nd round, and the Blues management jumped at the chance to draft a player with such high upside.

However, scouts have questioned Nordmark’s motor and his physical game, especially at his size. Nordmark will have to commit to becoming more involved in the game without the puck in order to earn the trust of an NHL coach. Blues fans will be watching the NHL draft closely, hoping that Nordmark goes to an organization with the developmental skills necessary to unlock that high end skill.

Looking forward, the Blues draft three times in the 3rd round with picks added from Chicago and Colorado landing them at 68, 79, and 85. They will then pick again at 132 in the 5th round and 196 and 221 in the 7th. Look for them to take a swing or two on a goaltender late in the draft, as questions abound on the future of that position, and with goaltending being voodoo, more darts are always worthwhile.