The St Louis Blues are the oldest organization in the NHL to never win the Stanley Cup. The 2018 NHL Draft will not change that fact next season but it does have a chance to move the Blues toward their ultimate goal. This year’s draft only has one generational player. He’s defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.
The Blues are well stocked on defense. The Blues need scoring. The Blues were ranked 24th in the NHL in scoring and they missed the playoffs. The last time they were ranked that low 27th in 07-08 they also missed the playoffs. 
The Blues have talented forwards, especially at wing. Vlad Tarasenko is a superstar and one of the top players in the NHL. Jaden Schwartz and Alexander Steen can also put the biscuit in the basket.
The Blues need more scoring down the middle. St. Louis traded center Paul Stastny at the deadline last year. It left a huge hole. Brayden Schenn played over expectations centering the top line last season. Young gun Robby Fabbri who missed all of last season return helps but the Blues need another scoring center.GM Doug Armstrong said as much, “We would like to have a centerman, whether it happens at the draft, in free agency or it could not happen until September, October, November, December”.
Doug Armstrong may be able to trade for a top six center but his odds on landing one via free agency are very low. The top free agent center on the market is John Tavares. Many factors are keeping the Blues from landing Tavares. Some people think Tavares is staying with the Islanders. Others say he wants to go a place where he has a great shot at winning. That place is not St. Louis. The Blues are not Tavares away from a Cup. Tavares is the most expensive free agent available. Tavares’ price will be steep and the Blues are a notorious stinging. The other star center available is Paul Stastny. Hard to imagine Stastny returning to a franchise that shipped him away last season. Albeit for greener if not colder pastures in Winnipeg.
That is why I believe Armstrong takes a center in the 2018 draft. You’re not going to get a franchise center with the 29th pick but you can get a center with definite NHL talent. Many have the Blues looking at Akil Thomas and Ryan McLaod. They have already been taken in this mock draft so I have the Blues selecting Jacob Olofsson.
Olofsson is 18-years old and projects to be a second of third line center in NHL. He is tall at 6’ 2” and will put more meat on his bones because he only weighs 192 pounds.
Olofsson is fast but not a burner. He has excellent acceleration. He is quick to the puck and has a great first step. He can score off the rush, a much needed skill in today’s NHL. Olofsson can also work on the cycle. He has an accurate wrist shot with a quick release. Olofsson is a responsible two way center. He uses his body in the defensive zone and kills penalties. He may stay in Europe to develop but the Blues are not a win now team anyway.
With the 29th pick in the 2018 NHL Draft the St. Louis Blues select Jacob Olofsson from Sweden.
You must be logged in to post a comment.