As seen in the 2025-26 NHL regular season, the St. Louis Blues have a handful of prospects already getting NHL action. As seen in AHL Springfield\u2019s playoff run, they have plenty more on the way.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Blues\u2019 12 selections in the NHL Draft June 26 and 27 are tied with the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators for the most in the league. That includes three first-rounders, which is the most of any club.<\/p>\n
They can\u2019t all play in St. Louis.<\/p>\n
Which prompts the question: With a prospect pool<\/a> that The Athletic\u2019s Scott Wheeler ranked No. 10 in March, would the Blues try to trade up in this year\u2019s draft?<\/p>\n As Wheeler wrote, \u201cThe Blues\u2019 pool is missing a truly elite prospect.\u201d<\/p>\n The Blues have the 11th and 15th picks in the first round and will find out where their other first-rounder slots in when the Colorado Avalanche\u2019s season ends. They also have three picks in the third round, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in each of the sixth and seventh.<\/p>\n Could general manager Doug Armstrong and incoming general manager Alexander Steen come up with a package that includes current roster players, young prospects or picks to climb up in the order?<\/p>\n There\u2019s not a projected generational talent in this draft, but there are highly regarded prospects<\/a>. In mock drafts by Wheeler<\/a> and The Athletic\u2019s Corey Pronman<\/a>, the Blues can still find a solid player if they keep their top two picks. In 2023, they took Dalibor Dvorsky at No. 10, Otto Stenberg at No. 25 and Theo Lindstein at No. 29, and they are thrilled with how each turned out.<\/p>\n But would it make sense to trade up this summer?<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we would \u2014 we can use the picks, we can use prospects, we can use players,\u201d Armstrong said in March. \u201cWe\u2019ll give it our best chance. But you also have to have someone that wants to move out of that pick, and that\u2019s where the fly in the ointment sometimes comes in.\u201d<\/p>\n The potential trade partner that sticks out is the San Jose Sharks, who have the No. 2 pick. Pronman has Gavin McKenna as the No. 1 prospect in this year\u2019s draft and Ivar Stenberg, the younger brother of the Blues\u2019 Otto Stenberg, as No. 2.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always open to listening to what\u2019s out there,\u201d Sharks general manager Mike Grier told reporters after the NHL Draft Lottery on May 5.<\/p>\n What would it take? Let\u2019s dig in on the potential trade chips and partners at play.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the value of the Blues\u2019 first-rounders?<\/p>\n Wheeler: Moving up to the very top of the draft is so rare that it\u2019s hard to gauge what the price would be.<\/p>\n If you use the Perri pick value calculator<\/a>, Nos. 11, 15 and 32 have a total combined value of 67.3, and No. 2 has a total individual value of 72.7, so you still don\u2019t get there. If the Avalanche lose in the conference finals and the Blues\u2019 third first-round pick becomes No. 30, you\u2019re still only at 68.3. And then there\u2019s always a premium placed on top of that for moving up. If I\u2019m the Sharks, I\u2019m setting that price at a significant roster piece (Jordan Kyrou) over another prospect (Adam Jiricek, Dalibor Dvorsky, etc.).<\/p>\n What would the Sharks want?<\/p>\n Eric Stephens: The mindset should be that it will take a lot to part with that pick, even if San Jose is already stacked with young talent on its roster and in its system.<\/p>\n Colton Parayko would fit as an upgrade to San Jose\u2019s blue line, especially with his size and right-hand shot. Parayko is cost-controlled, but he\u2019s 33 years old with five more seasons on his contract. That\u2019s not an ideal fit in terms of age, and at this stage of his career, it\u2019s unclear how much he would improve the Sharks defense. I don\u2019t think he and the Blues\u2019 pick at No. 11 get it done.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t see Kyrou or Pavel Buchnevich as desirable possibilities. Robert Thomas would be enticing, for sure, but the Sharks have seen enough in Michael Misa\u2019s growth in his rookie year to believe he will be their long-term No. 2 center behind Macklin Celebrini.<\/p>\n If I were Grier, I\u2019d first ask for Jimmy Snuggerud. Even knowing full well that conversation won\u2019t get far, you\u2019ve got to ask, right?<\/p>\n What might be more realistic to move off the No. 2 pick is a combination of the No. 11 selection, Adam Jiricek and one of the three St. Louis third-round choices. Jiricek may not be ready now, but the Sharks\u2019 next period of consistent playoff contention probably starts a year from now. He would fit more with the Sharks\u2019 long-term outlook.<\/p>\n My guess is Grier could get better offers than that. And he could also address his defense in free agency, or make the pick at No. 2 and use one of his young wingers with upside in a trade package for a defenseman.<\/p>\n Does any of it make sense for the Blues?<\/p>\n Rutherford: If the Blues were able to interest the Sharks in a package of Kyrou or Parayko, there might be the foundation for a deal. But that likely still wouldn\u2019t be enough.<\/p>\n Everyone has to keep in mind, like Wheeler wrote, moving up to the top of the draft is rare, and as such, the cost is exorbitant.<\/p>\n Kyrou or Parayko would make sense as trade chips from a Blues perspective because it\u2019s who they\u2019re willing to part with. And with the Sharks on the verge of being competitive \u2014 and with a prospect pool that was No. 2<\/a> in Wheeler\u2019s rankings in April \u2014 they could be eyeing established roster players who can jump in right away.<\/p>\n If not, then you move on if you\u2019re the Blues.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not undervaluing the No. 2 pick \u2014 the Sharks should get a haul \u2014 but Snuggerud and Jiricek should never enter the conversation. Yeah, Ivar Stenberg would be great to have on the roster, but I\u2019ve seen enough in Snuggerud<\/a> and seen\/heard enough of Jiricek that the risk is just not worth it.<\/p>\n If the Sharks aren\u2019t keen on Kyrou or Parayko or even Jordan Binnington, perhaps the Blues could gauge them on a package that starts with Nos. 11 and 15 and includes more. But as Wheeler illustrated with the Perri calculator, those two picks plus No. 32 won\u2019t get you there.<\/p>\n What other clubs would be options?<\/p>\n Rutherford: If you evaluate the teams ahead of the Blues in the top 10, there\u2019s only a handful that might trade out of their spot:<\/p>\n \u2022 Toronto Maple Leafs (No. 1), but it would take a lot.<\/p>\n \u2022 Sharks (No. 2), which we\u2019ve addressed.<\/p>\n \u2022 Chicago Blackhawks (No. 4), but if Stenberg is somehow still available, they\u2019re not budging.<\/p>\n \u2022 Winnipeg Jets (No. 8), and they might want an established player like Kyrou or Parayko.<\/p>\n \u2022 Florida Panthers (No. 9), but they need young talent, and the Blues wouldn\u2019t be moving up far.<\/p>\n Of those, Winnipeg would arguably be the strongest possibility. But does moving up a few spots help the Blues if they could still get a center at No. 11? Well, it would if the Jets were interested in Kyrou or Parayko because it would allow them to move Parayko, an aging veteran with a lot of term left on his contract, or Kyrou, who might not be part of their plan.<\/p>\n What would the Jets want?<\/p>\n Murat Ates: Winnipeg portrays itself as a win-now team, despite its failure to make the playoffs this season. The Jets have gaping holes on the second line and could use a right-shot defenseman, and franchise goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has ramped up the pressure<\/a> on management to make a move.<\/p>\n