Blues Views

The Blues have acquired Brandon Carlo from the Maple Leafs for the 73rd and 76th overall picks in the 2026 Draft.

Carlo is a 29-year-old, 6-foot-5, right-handed defenseman who’ll add some extra veteran presence to an overall young blue line. He’s a steady, defense-first player who averaged 19:22 of ice time last season in Toronto. You can’t expect much offense or excitement from him, with 0 goals and 10 assists over his last two seasons (73 games). The Leafs gave up a 1st-round pick and a top prospect to acquire him in 2024-25, so paying two third-round picks doesn’t seem too shabby.

Right now, the blue line looks something like this (pairings will change):

Broberg - Parayko
Lindstein - Carlo
Fowler - Mailloux
Ex: Tucker

With this trade, it appears the Blues don’t expect Adam Jiricek to make the roster out of camp, which makes sense considering he’s coming straight from juniors. Carlo is a nice transition piece who’ll help the Blues in their goal to “compete” and fight for a Wild Card spot. He’s also a great player to dangle at next year’s trade deadline if Jiricek is ready and/or the Blues aren’t in the playoff picture. He has one year remaining on his contract at a $4.1M AAV.

Overall, it’s a solid trade for what the Blues are trying to accomplish. They want to make the playoffs, and Carlo helps them do that without getting too much in the way of the organization’s long-term development.

With the 11th and 16th overall picks, the Blues selected two forwards: Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Dagenais.

Tynan Lawrence

Lawrence was a player on the Blues’ radar for a while. He has slipped a bit in recent rankings, but he seems like a pretty safe pick who, at worst, projects as a future bottom-six center. Ideally, he develops into the top-six center the Blues have been searching for in the long-term.

His stats don’t jump off the page, with seven points in 18 games at BU last season and 54 points in 56 USHL games in 2024-25. But the fact that he was still considered a consensus top prospect despite those numbers says a lot about the “intangibles” in his game. He’s described as a strong skater with a high hockey IQ, excellent playmaking ability, and a solid finishing touch. He’s also one of the youngest players in the draft, so this will likely be a long-term project. If McTavish and/or Dvorsky emerge as legitimate top-six centers, Lawrence could eventually become valuable trade ammo as well. From the little I know, I like this pick a lot.

Maddox Dagenais

According to many draft rankings, Dagenais is a bit of a reach, but the Blues’ scouting department seem to be correct on a lot of their recent reaches. His size stands out at 6-foot-4, and while he primarily has plays center, most scouts project him as a left wing at the NHL level. He recorded 30 goals and 62 points in 63 QMJHL games last season, which is solid production even if the QMJHL isn’t viewed very strongly in the junior hockey world. Reports describe him as a player who isn’t afraid to use his size, competes hard every shift, and has intriguing offensive upside. Seems like a high upside pick with a lot of offensive potential, which you like to see.

Overall, they appear to be two solid picks. But the reality is nobody really knows. I’m a little disappointed there wasn’t a defenseman the Blues felt strongly enough about to move up for, but once again, you have to trust the people who are paid to scout these kids. One thing was clear: the Blues are looking for future centers. Two drafted and one 23 year-old traded for.

Not a great night. Not an awful night. Time will ultimately tell.

There’s a lot going on tonight. But we’ll start with the trade: Mason McTavish for the 15th and 29th overall picks.

Many people are going to hate this trade, and I get it. McTavish has been a disappointment in Anaheim, was a healthy scratch at times down the stretch last season, and most NHL fans think the Blues overpaid. I probably would’ve preferred keeping both 1st round picks and continuing to build the prospect pool, but the Blues clearly want to turn this thing around fast. They’re hoping McTavish can help jumpstart that. I hope they’re right.

McTavish is a 23-year-old with plenty of upside. He was the 3rd overall pick in 2021, put up 17 points in seven games at the 2022 World Juniors, and has recorded four straight 40+ point NHL seasons, including 22 goals and 52 points in 2024-25. His skating and defensive play are viewed as weaknesses, which isn’t exactly what you want to hear, but he also brings some grit and reported hockey sense that the Blues love to target.

Honestly, it feels a bit desperate and rushed. I’m not sure the Blues needed to make this move right now for a player that a lot of hockey analysts are still wary of. It’s definitely a risk, but all we can do is trust the people who are paid to make these decisions. They’ve spent years evaluating McTavish and clearly believe he has the potential to become the true top-6 center they’re looking for. I believe they are correct…because what other choice do we have?

It’s no exaggeration to say tomorrow’s NHL Draft could be one of the most franchise-defining days in recent Blues history.

As of right now, STL holds four 1st round picks (11,15,16,29). If they use all four, they’d become the first team in 27 years to make four selections. I wouldn’t hate that route. Adding four 1st round prospects would give them one of the deepest pools in the league. But my gut (and most people’s) says that won’t happen. There are simply too many options.

Trade for current talent

Using some of those picks to acquire an established player is one option. Matthew Knies’ name continues to come up, and his age (23) and contract (5 x $7.75M) fit STL’s timeline perfectly. He already has chemistry with Snuggerud and would slide nicely into the top-6. But the price will be steep. Elias Pettersson and his scary 6 x $11.6M contract has also been mentioned since STL is looking for a top-6 center. I’d personally stay far away, but if VAN wants to clear cap space, the price could be reasonable and retention may be on the table. The Blues rarely make the moves everyone expects, so there are definitely names being discussed that nobody’s talking about.

Trade up

This is the route I’m hoping for. I doubt SJ would move the 2nd, even for all four 1st rounders, but maybe there’s another miracle path to Stenberg. My expectation is that STL has a small group of players they’d move up for if the board falls a certain way. Who those players are is anyone’s guess. Maybe it’s one of the top defensemen like Reid, Verhoeff, Smits, or Carels. Maybe they target a center like Malhotra, Bjork, or Lawrence. Or maybe they fall in love with the upside of 6’5 winger Belchetz. We can speculate all we want, but the Blues have their guys. They have a plan. All we can do now is wait and see.

In the end, the Blues have turned Schenn, Faulk, and Kyrou into an opportunity to do something huge at the draft. Their long-term outlook is miles ahead of where it was four months ago, or even a year ago. It’s refreshing to see, and now it’s time to trust the scouting department to maximize the opportunity. Hopefully the 2026 Draft is one we talk about for decades. Let’s Go Blues.

The Jordan Kyrou era has come to an end in St. Louis…

Kyrou was one of the most polarizing players in recent Blues history. Some fans loved him, some hated him. For every Kyrou compliment, there were several Kyrou complaints in response, and vice versa. Some people thought he was lazy and poor defensively, while others pointed to the analytics and believed he developed into a strong forward in all three zones. Like most things, the truth was somewhere in the middle.

Kyrou is not good enough to be a serious team’s top-2 forward. He’s probably not even a true first-line winger on a Cup-contending team. He’s a great complementary 2nd line scorer who can thrive when not asked to carry an offense and won’t be too detrimental defensively. It’s not really his fault the Blues relied on him to be a star on a team that lacked star power. After signing his 8 x $8.125M deal in 2022, he largely lived up to it, posting back-to-back 30-goal seasons before last year’s disappointment. At times, he looked like an elite player. Other times, the only time you noticed him was when he fumbled the puck of the half-wall or tried forcing a pass through three defenders.

There was always something missing with Jordan Kyrou. It wasn’t necessarily an effort issue, but you never got the feeling he had the “it” factor to be a true star or leader. There isn’t an analytic for grit or championship-level compete, but I don’t think he had it. Washington is getting a very good player, which is why the return was so strong, but it was clear he wasn’t going to be a long-term core piece / veteran leader in STL. It was best for both sides to move on.

I have nothing but respect for Jordan Kyrou. As a 2nd-round, 35th overall pick (acquired for Brian Elliott), he developed into one of the organization’s “big three” prospects alongside Thomas and Thompson. Even after early struggles, he ignored the Jaskin and McRae comparisons and became a player who put up three straight 67+ point seasons. I’ll always remember his two-goal, four-point performance at the 2022 Winter Classic. An all-time game that’ll go down in Blues history forever.

Thank you, Jordan. Both you and the Blues are now free.

The Blues have traded Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals for the 16th overall pick, Connor McMichael, and Milton Gastrin.

A major move was always going to be necessary to shake up this core, and Jordan Kyrou was the obvious, ideal choice. We saw his elite potential in stretches, including a 37-goal, 73-point season in 2022-23, but after last season’s disappointment, this move felt inevitable. While he probably took more blame from the fanbase than he deserved, and it really wasn’t his fault that the team never reached its potential, he was the ideal player to move in order to change the direction of the roster. Both sides needed a fresh start.

It’s a fantastic return. Kyrou’s value has never been lower, yet the Blues still land a 1st round pick, a young NHL center, and a solid prospect. It’s especially impressive considering Kyrou held a full-NTC and had major control over where the Blues could trade him. The 16th overall pick now gives the Blues FOUR 1st round picks in the upcoming draft. Like most people are predicting, I’d be shocked if the Blues use all four selections on Friday. They can package some of those picks for current NHL talent, or more likely, and my preferred option, move up into the top 6ish to grab an elite player they’re targeting. You know the front office has a plan. Now it’s all about executing it this weekend at the draft.

Connor McMichael is a 25-year-old center who has recorded 57 and 46 points over the last two seasons. He should slide perfectly into the Blues middle six and fits the timeline of this core. He is currently an RFA and I would guess his AAV will land in the 4-5 million range, based on his production. Then there’s Milton Gastrin, who’s nothing to sneeze at either. He’s a 19-year-old center prospect who was selected 37th overall in last year’s draft and recorded 10 goals and 24 points in Sweden’s 2nd best league last season. May not be anything there, but he’s another solid prospect added to an already strong system.

It’s a Doug Steen cook. But jobs not finished. These next couple weeks will determine a lot about this team’s future. This is a terrific start. Let’s Go Blues.

Toronto and San Jose have won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.

Barring a trade-up, this will be the 18th straight season without a single-digit draft pick (top-9) for the Blues. That’s the longest active streak in the NHL, and it’s not even remotely close. It’s almost unheard of for a franchise to go this long without landing a high-end draft pick, but the Blues always find a way.

On one hand, it’s a badge of honor that they’re consistently competing and never fully bottoming out. On the other hand, it’s incredibly frustrating to miss out on elite talent year after year, even in disappointing seasons where they were at the bottom of the league since the beginning and playoffs were never very realistic (like this season). It’s definitely not the easiest way to build a true contender. Since 2002, every Stanley Cup winner has had at least one top-5 draft pick on its roster. Every one of those teams since 2009 drafted that player themselves, except for Vegas, who ironically had the last Blue drafted in the top-5, Alex Pietrangelo.

With all that said, the Blues still have plenty of opportunities to do damage with their draft picks this year. They currently own picks 11, 15, and another selection somewhere between 27-31 depending on Colorado’s final placement. There appears to be a drop-off after the first 5-6 picks in this draft, but the Blues have consistently found value in the first round. They’re coming off Jiricek and Carbonneau selections that already look like potential steals at their draft positions. There’s always a chance they package picks to move up, but getting into that true “elite” tier likely requires an overpay. They could also package one or multiple picks to acquire a proven “win-now” player if the right opportunity becomes available (Tkachuk?).

At the end of the day, all we can do is trust the scouting department to find more gems, and Steener/Army to search for potential trades. It’s a huge draft coming up, arguably the most important in recent Blues history. Let’s Go Blues.

Time to get lucky.

The 2025-26 season comes to an end tonight.

It’s a strange year to evaluate. On one hand, it’s arguably the most frustrating season possible. The Blues started terribly, they were never really in the playoff hunt, and yet ended the year on a 15-4-3 run, going from the third worst team in the league at the Olympic break to potentially falling out of a top-10 pick (8th to 11th depending on tonight). Barring a lottery miracle, St. Louis will once again end in the mucky middle, missing out on the highest-end talent in the draft.

On the other hand, this season’s result is a lot better than some outcomes that might’ve looked solid on paper, (like hanging around all year and sneaking into the playoffs). Because the Blues struggled, the trade deadline turned into a huge success. They moved Faulk for the 15th overall pick, (1.1% chance of it jumping to 5th), and will land a 27th-31st pick for Schenn, two contracts that are great to move off the books. Add in a few more picks and prospects, and STL made the most of their situation. Plus, publicly making everyone available lit a fire under the roster, something that could carry into next year or lead to changes in the offseason.

I’ve been quiet recently because I didn’t want to be the angry tank guy getting frustrated by the maddening, meaningless wins/points , even though there were a lot of positives down the stretch. Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud turned into one of the best lines in hockey post-Olympics, driving play at 5-on-5 (59.6 xGoal%), and combining for 33 goals in 22 games since March 1st. Theo Lindstein was maybe the nicest surprise, stepping in and looking comfortable at 21 y/o while averaging 15:46 a night. Logan Mailloux showed flashes, especially offensively, and you can see the upside. Dvorsky and Stenberg proved they’re smart players who should be solid middle-sixers next year. And Joel Hofer looks ready to take over.

The Blues will have options this offseason. They could continue getting younger, stay patient and add around the edges, or push more aggressively toward competing. The Central isn’t getting any easier, but there’s a path back to the playoffs next year if they choose.

Let’s Go Blues.