3 Blues Targets With 16th Pick in 2024 NHL Draft – Hockey Writers – St Louis Blues

On Tuesday (May 7), the 2024 Draft Lottery took place, again St.Louis Blues be confirmed as the 16th choice in the first round of the 2024 NHL (National Hockey League) Draft. Last year, they were among the top 10 picks in the draft, and it was the only time in the last five years that they were in the lottery.
This year’s draft is loaded with many excellent prospects, and the Blues could take this opportunity to add one more solid piece to their roster and push for the postseason. So, who would they select with their 16th overall pick? Let’s look at three of the best ways.
3. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
The best Norwegian prospect in this draft is Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and the Blues are in a good position to land him. Brandsegg-Nygård was excellent at the 2024 World Junior Championship (WJC), scoring five points in five games, and was a key factor in the. the best in Norway they returned to the tournament after being relegated in 2014. However, they failed to continue this year and were relegated to Division I, Group A.
Bransegg-Nygård spent two seasons in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan for Mora IK. In 11 games in his first season with Mora IK, he got three points with one goal and two assists. Before being called up, he was in Mora IK U20, scoring 38 points in 35 games. This season, he played for the U-20 team, scored 12 points in seven games, and was called up to the senior team, scoring 18 points in 41 games.
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Standing at 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds, Brandsegg Nygård has a big frame and uses it well around the boards to play the puck, except in the scrum, where he tends to get hit. He has great skill and can create space, which the Blues need. He is versatile as he enters this draft as a forward but plays on the right side, which would be good for the Blues’ second line.
If drafted by the Blues, Brandsegg-Nygård would become the first Norwegian player to be drafted by the Blues in franchise history.
2. Adam Jiricek
Adam Jiricek is expected to be selected between the 12th and 27th picks of the draft. Still, assuming he’s not picked before the Blues pick, he’ll be a player a great piece of defense, as the Blues lack strong defensive prospects. Most importantly, he’s a right-handed player, who don’t have much on the defensive end.
Jiricek is also the brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek (first round, sixth overall 2022), who is also a right defenseman. Adam and David are similar in that they are both defenders who are good at shutting down offensive threats.
Adam Jiricek could be the right-handed defensive player for the Blues Colton Parayko, arguably the Blues’ top defender right now. Apart from Parayko, the only right-handed defenders the Blues have had on their roster this season Justin Faulk and Matthew Kessel. Having someone to follow in the footsteps of Parayko, who is still in his thirties, will also give Jiricek time to develop before he leaves if the Blues don’t trade or let Parayko opt out of his contract early.
Jiricek had one point in 19 games in the Czech Extraliga for HC Plzeň before suffering. leg injury in the 2024 World Junior Championship for Czechia in their first match of the tournament against Slovakia. Injuries could be a factor that could prevent them from being selected among the top 15 teams on the list; however, other than that, he has a lot of tools to bring to the Blues, and if healthy, his footwork can help move the puck around when converting to offense.
1. Henry Mews
Henry Mews is expected to go between the late first and early second rounds of the draft despite being one of the few right defensemen to find favor in the first round and providing plenty of offensive tools. Mews is a good puck mover and plays a lot from the position, which can fit the Blue’s special teams needs.
In 65 OHL (Ontario Hockey League) games this season, Mews finished with 61 points, including 15 goals and 46 assists. He has a large frame at 6-foot-1 and 181 pounds; however, he’s not that physical when he’s fighting for the puck in transition and uses his body a lot when he plays the boards. Assuming the Blues do pick him, Mews’ slightly poor physical attributes could be improved over the years.
In the 2024 U-18 World Junior Championships, Mews showed his offensive talent during his time with the Canadian team and scored seven points in seven games, which was enough to help them. to win the gold. He finished as the leading defenseman on the Canadian roster in points and the second leading defenseman in the tournament in points.
With plenty of defender space for the Blues, Mews could be an excellent playmaking option to add to Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jordan Kyrou. He’s shown to be very effective at finding and making plays for top players and he’s shown he can be good with a top line like that.
Closing Thoughts
Of course, not all picks will be successful and promising, depending on which player they pick. However, so far, the last six players they selected in the first round of the draft have turned out to be long-awaited prospects, two have received a shot in the NHL, Jake Neighbors and Zachary Bolduc, and show promise in their skill sets. What the Blues need to focus on in this draft will be finding the best player to address their needs over the next two or three seasons, a decent shot defender and a special teams player to look for. for.
This draft has a lot of great prospects to choose from, and it could be a test for Blues general manager Doug Armstrong to see how long he can last in the front office. If he gets the gem the Blues need, this team will be a formidable contender in the Western Conference for the next four or five seasons.