Two weeks ago, St. Louis Blues fans were wondering how much roster overhaul there would be leading up to the draft. The team held 3 first-round picks, and it was widely speculated that management wanted to move up to a top 5 position. Maybe they wanted to target Ivar Stenberg, brother to current Blue Otto Stenberg.
It is well known that the Blues, while they have a nice collection of young, talented players, do not have a true star. And there are 3 ways to get a star: draft one, trade for one, or sign one. They have not drafted in the top 5 in a number of years, perhaps going back to Erik Johnson in 2008, and you have to pick high to get a true star. They haven’t signed one since…..Paul Kariya? Nothing against him, but his time in St. Louis weren’t his best years.
So they tried to trade for one, according to the reporting: Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars. He apparently did not want to sign a deal with the Blues. (He is an RFA, so the Stars control his rights.)
The Blues still don’t have a true star, but they did reinforce the roster with a couple of nice players. First, they changed the scenery for Jordan Kyrou by sending him to Washington for LW/C Connor McMichael, a prospect and a first-round pick. That gave them four first-round picks in the draft. They packaged two of them to get C Mason McTavish from the Ducks.
Just like that, the top 6 looks a lot different now. McMichael and McTavish both can play center, and that gives the Blues options after Robert Thomas. The biggest need is for a 2nd line center, and I think the odds are that McTavish wins this role, at least to begin the season.
McMichael had 46 points in 78 games last season. He’s currently a restricted free agent, so the Blues will need to come to terms with him soon. He was a first round pick (25th overall) in 2019. He played all over the Capitals lineup. He likely slots in as a 2nd or 3rd line winger.
McTavish was a first round pick in 2023 (3rd overall). He played in the NHL almost right away, getting into 9 games in the 2021-22 season. Last year he scored 41 points in 75 games. The Ducks were shopping him due to him being surpassed on the depth chart by other players.
The Blues did make two first-round picks in the 2026 Draft. Both were centers, and they help the team’s prospect depth tremendously. The forwards have been thinned out with the graduation and subsequent trade of Bolduc, graduation of Snuggerud and Dvorsky, and near-graduation of Stenberg.
Open Ice Notes 