Through some high-profile trades and acquiring a boatload of draft picks, the Blues have built quite an impressive pipeline. <\/p>\n
I think the selection of Tynan Lawrence is really going to pay off, even if his draft season didn\u2019t completely go to plan. Justin Carbonneau was a really nice pick in 2025, and Adam Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek has become one of the more interesting defensive prospects in the NHL. That\u2019s a really solid top three, and I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if at least seven of these players became full-time NHLers in the next few years. <\/p>\n
I\u2019d say the best thing about the Blues pipeline is the variety. You\u2019ve got some decent wingers, you\u2019ve got shutdown defenders, you\u2019ve got offensive defenders, and even a couple goaltenders with promise. So while this group doesn\u2019t have a ton of star power, you can still see that the scouting department has done its due diligence trying to tackle every area possible. <\/p>\n
Biggest Strength<\/p>\n
Like I said, it\u2019s the variety. There isn\u2019t a specific position that\u2019s overly deep but you\u2019ve got a good mix of forwards who could play a bunch of different roles and a couple defenders that don\u2019t really step on each other\u2019s toes. You don\u2019t neccesarily need a boatload of future top-six forwards to have a strong pipeline (that\u2019s hard to find, anyway). As long as everyone has a defined role, you\u2019re thrilled.<\/p>\n
Biggest Weakness<\/p>\n
St. Louis definitely lacks options on the left wing. There\u2019s only one on this list, and only a few totain the entire system. You can always move a few centermen around or even a few right wingers so it\u2019s not a huge deal but it\u2019s definitely the one spot where the Blues could use some help. Honestly, this is one spot you could easily fill in other ways and not be concerned.<\/p>\n
Fast Facts:<\/p>\n
NHL GM: Alex Steen
Dir. of Player Development: Chris Thorburn
Dir. of Amateur Scouting:\u00a0Tony Feltrin
AHL\u00a0Affiliate:\u00a0Springfield Thunderbirds
ECHL Affiliate:\u00a0Florida Everblades
Recent NHL Graduates: Dalibor Dvorsk\u00fd, C; Jimmy Snuggerud, RW; Logan Mailloux, RHD<\/p>\n
TOP 10 PROSPECTS<\/p>\n
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Credit: Steven Ellis<\/p>\n
Tynan Lawrence (Steven Ellis\/The Nation Network)<\/p>\n
1. Tynan Lawrence, C, 18 (Boston University, NCAA)<\/p>\n
Acquired: Drafted 11th overall, first round in 2026<\/p>\n
Lawrence<\/a>\u00a0was one of the smartest forwards in the draft class. He reads open ice exceptionally well and consistently makes the right passes through traffic. Lawrence isn\u2019t massive at six feet and 185 pounds, but he plays with a ton of power. He plays a solid two-way game, and he boasts a boatload of energy, too. If you\u2019re not moving quickly enough, Lawrence will swarm you instantly and make you pay. Nobody will mistake him for a burner. But Lawrence is a highly competent skater who should have no issue adjusting to the big leagues in that regard. I know his first taste of college hockey wasn\u2019t great, but a full season on the same team should do wonders for a guy many expected to originally go high in the top 10.<\/p>\n 2. Justin Carbonneau, RW, 19 (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 19th overall, first round in 2025<\/p>\n Carbonneau was one of the best goal-scorers in all of junior hockey over the past two years. He tallied 97 regular season goals in that time frame, while also being a physically dominant winger, too. He\u2019s known for making high-end moves and can beat most players in 1-on-1 situations.\u00a0Carbonneau has also shown a willingness to make himself more involved physically, which, in turn, resulted in more puck retrievals and scoring chances. If he continues to round out his game, he\u2019s going to be an absolute menace to deal with. I expect Carbonneau to slot into St. Louis\u2019 top six in another year or two, assuming he can continue scoring in the AHL.<\/p>\n 3. Adam Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek, RHD, 20 (Sprinfield Thunderbirds, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 16th overall, first round in 2024<\/p>\n Credit: Steven Ellis<\/p>\n Adam Jiricek (Steven Ellis\/The Nation Network)<\/p>\n Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek was an absoute treat to watch last season. He had over a point-per-game with the Brantford Bulldogs and was also one of the most dominant defenders at the World Juniors. I was hoping to see him play with the senior Czech team at some point too because I feel like he could have easily handled the pressure. The puck-moving defender has \u201cfuture top-four blueliner\u201d written all over him, and I\u2019m definitely higher on Adam than I am on his older brother, David. I expect Ji\u0159\u00ed\u010dek to play a ton of minutes out of the gate for Springfield and get a few NHL games under his belt, as well.<\/p>\n 4. Maddox Dagenais, C\/LW, 18 (Quebec Remparts, QMJHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 16th overall, first round in 2026<\/p>\n The son of former NHLer Pierre Dagenais managed to register a point per game in 62 outings with Quebec, often leading the team\u2019s offensive push. He has an NHL caliber-frame at 6-foot-4 and 196 pounds, and he\u2019s extremely reliable at both ends of the ice. Dagenais isn\u2019t flashy, but he\u2019s smart, toolsy and plays with a ton of power. At times, he\u2019s able to dominate the puck better than most other big forwards in this draft class.\u00a0Dagenais\u2019 hockey IQ is impressive, and he\u2019s a good skater for his size. I think he could be a solid middle-six guy.<\/p>\n 5. Otto Stenberg, C, 21 (Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 25th overall, first round in 2023<\/p>\n Stenberg split last year between St. Louis and Springfield, and while he didn\u2019t put up many points in either, it was good learning experience, regardless. I don\u2019t think he will ever have an offensive explosion or even put up the numbers that his brother, Ivar, is going to put in San Jose.<\/a> But Otto is a good skater who works extremely hard on both ends and handles himself defensively quite well. Stenberg plays a decent small area game, and while he doesn\u2019t flash a ton of skill, he is fully capable of pulling off some impressive moves every now and then. I think we\u2019re probably talking about a guy who tops out as a third-line player, but should be able to stick around for quite a while because he does a lot of things well, even if he doesn\u2019t do anything particularly amazing.<\/p>\n 6. Milton G\u00e4strin, C, 19 (Bryn\u00e4s IF, SHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Traded by Washington Capitals in 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Credit: Steven Ellis<\/p>\n Milton G\u00e4strin (Steven Ellis\/The Nation Network)<\/p>\n G\u00e4strin will be interesting to watch this season. He was outstanding during the 2025 U-18s, helping his team win silver after a 10-point performance. He\u2019s coming off his first year of pro hockey, where he put up a solid 10 goals and 24 points in 39 games in the second-tier Swedish league. I like G\u00e4strin\u2019s hockey sense and general two-way reliability. He recently impressed at the World Junior Summer Showcase, marking his first game action since the\u00a0Jordan Kyrou trade back in June<\/a>. I feel like G\u00e4strin is bound to be a third-line center in the NHL, but one you can count on to win faceoffs and contribute the odd goal every now and then.<\/p>\n 7. Theo Lindstein, LHD, 21 (Springfield Falcons, AHL)<\/p>\n Acquired: Drafted 29th overall, first round in 2023<\/p>\n Huh, seems like the Blues love their Swedes. I\u2019ve enjoyed watching Lindstein the past few years, and was one of my favorites at the 2024 World juniors. He has never really been a high-output defender, but he\u2019s a capable passer and does a decent job of getting shots through traffic. There\u2019s nothing about Lindstein\u2019s game that really stands out, but he\u2019s quite well-rounded and can play a lot of minutes. I think if the Blues pair him with somebody who likes to rush the puck a bit more, that\u2019s where Lindstein can really shine. Look for him to get some more time in the NHL this year after making his debut last season.<\/p>\n 8. Marcus Gidl\u00f6f, G, 20 (Leksands IF, Allsvenskan)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786377610_844_image.webp\"\/)
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