The St. Louis Blues don’t have a pick in the second round as of right now for the 2022 NHL Draft, as they possess the 88th overall pick, which is towards the end of the third round.
The Blues’ third-round history has been up-and-down, especially since 2010. In last year’s 2021 draft, they took forward Simon Robertsson with the 71st pick, who most have called a steal in that spot.
Related: 2022 NHL Draft Guide
Other than that, the Blues drafted Jordan Binnington in the third round of the 2011 draft, Colton Parayko in 2012, and Jake Walman in 2014. Some of their third-round misses include Max Gardiner in 2010 and Sergei Andronov in 2009. There is always an opportunity to get high-level NHL players in the third round, and this draft presents that potential. Once again, I’ll be using the Central Scouting (CS) rankings and our very own Peter Baracchini’s May rankings to measure these players.
1. Mathew Ward, Center, Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
CS Ranking: 137th (North America) / THW Ranking: 106th (Baracchini)
This is very much a player that I like more than others seem to. Ward is another undersized forward, which is something that is becoming more and more common in the NHL. Some of the forwards in the league, such as Alex DeBrincat or Johnny Gaudreau, are undersized and are high-end point producers.
Ward is the exact type of undersized forward that a team should want, as he has incredible work ethic and makes creative plays with the puck. He had a big-time season for the Broncos in the Western Hockey League (WHL), scoring 22 goals and 57 points in 64 games. He showed flashes with the Broncos in 2020-21, with 22 points in 23 games, and he’s finally grown into that with his past season.
“A small player with big talent. At 5-foot-8, Ward oozes competitiveness, and never plays small. Calm with the puck, Ward’s hockey IQ and vision allow him to find success beyond his stature. He is dynamic, and that alone will earn Ward a shot at the NHL someday.” – Ian Kennedy, The Hockey News
Ward is the exact type of player that the Blues can develop. He plays bigger than his frame and has a dynamic offensive skillset. It may seem crazy to say, but I feel like Ward will definitely make it to the NHL one day and have a chance to stick with the team that drafts him.
2. Servác Petrovsky, Center, Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
CS Ranking: 58th (NA) / THW Ranking: 95th (Baracchini)
This is most definitely a far-fetched dream, as Petrovsky likely won’t fall to the Blues. This is me advocating for general manager Doug Armstrong to trade up for him, as he is worth that risk. He’s a quality scorer and can get to any area to score, and he’s risen up multiple draft boards after his season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He is unquestionably one of the best Slovak prospects in this draft, and it certainly helped that he played a season in the OHL.
With the Attack in 2021-22, Petrovsky had 28 goals in 65 games, as well as a quality playoff performance. He had six points in seven games in the playoffs and showed up when it mattered for the Attack. He’s produced at nearly every level and situation, with the latest being 11 points in eight games for Slovakia at the U18 tournament.
“Servác is a smooth-skating, high-skilled forward who has always done extremely well against his peer group and same age. He will bring an offensive flair to his game.” –Dale DeGray, Owen Sound Attack General Manager
Like Ward, Petrovsky has all the tools to be developed into a solid NHL player. If the Blues see a player with intangibles and tools, they likely rate that player highly. As mentioned earlier, it would be stunning if the Blues could get him without trading up, but they saw Robertsson fall to them last year and ran to the podium.
3. Ludvig Jansson, Defenseman, Södertälje SK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
CS Ranking (Europe): 35th / THW Ranking: 110th (Baracchini)
The first defenseman on the list is Jansson, who has fallen down boards over the last year. He was once viewed as one of the better defensemen from Sweden in this draft, but that has changed. A lot of his fall has to do with the fact that he isn’t playing in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), which is the first-tier league in Sweden, and other defensive prospects having surpassed him.
For Södertälje SK this season, Jansson had five points in 47 games and was a minus-9 on the plus/minus scale. Södertälje SK ranked 13 out of 14 teams in HockeyAllsvenskan this past season, with just 17 total wins in 52 games. They saved themselves from relegation, but they struggled all season, and the same could be said for Jansson as well.
“Jansson is a smooth-skating defender who plays a strong two-way game. He has dynamic skating ability with multi-directional agility. He is dangerous in transition, both fast and elusive, and he is also fluid skating backwards with a quick defensive stick. Jansson makes an excellent first pass to start the attack or a quick outlet to evade forechecking pressure. He is an all-situations player. He runs the powerplay well, always walking the line and looking for lanes. On the penalty kill, he is not afraid to play physical to get the puck out of the zone or to block shots. He plays a smart game and has top-four, two-way potential at the next level.” Jonah Fleisher, Draft Pro
The quote above is a lot about the potential of Jansson if he finds his game. He has incredible two-way potential, and much of that is due to his skating and puck play. He could be viewed as a third-round reach, as some project him to be picked in the fourth or fifth round. But I think the Blues can properly develop Jansson, and they can take their second Swedish defenseman in the third round over the last three drafts. They took Leo Lööf in the third round of the 2020 draft, and he is developing quite well.
Overall, the Blues should have plenty of solid options with the 88th pick, but don’t put it past them to trade up if they like somebody as much as I like Petrovsky. The Blues have been one of the best developmental teams over the last decade, and there’s plenty of proof of that. I expect them to make the right call with whatever they choose to do in the third round and the entire draft.