🚨 JUST IN: Should Blues consider using their 1st-rounder on a goaltender – Do You Agree With This?

🚨 JUST IN: Should Blues consider using their 1st-rounder on a goaltender – Do You Agree With This?

Should Blues consider using their 1st-rounder on a goaltender?

It’s always a risk taking a goaltender in the first round of the draft, but the Blues are in a unique position.

The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is under a month away, and, with the Stanley Cup Final starting, a lot of fan bases will be turning their attention to the draft. For St. Louis Blues fans, this draft could be a bit of a bore, as they only have three picks: 19th overall in the first round, and then a fifth- and sixth-round pick. Of course, who knows if they even make those picks, as one or all could end up traded for more immediate help.

If they do make a selection at 19th overall, there will be a lot of prospects available that could solidify the Blues’ pipeline and keep the team competitive for years to come. While the most likely pick is a skater, there’s a case to be made for the lone goaltender that’s projected to go in the first round: Joshua Ravensbergen.

Let’s make one thing clear: Ravensbergen is not the typical goaltender that goes in the first round, especially in the teens (most draft rankings have him in the 20s and 30s). He’s got size (6-foot-5) and is generally good at reading the play, but is all-around on the raw side; the tools are there, and the upside is enormous, but there’s risk in taking a goaltender at 19th overall when more projectable prospects are available.

The Blues, however, do not have picks in the second, third, or fourth rounds of the draft–the places that most teams would draft a goaltender. They also have a solid prospect pool at every position but goaltender. In fact, their goaltending pipeline is quite weak: Joel Hofer is the heir-apparent to Jordan Binnington, but it’s thin behind Hofer as Colten Ellis and Vadim Zherenko may never crack the NHL in an impactful way.

Goalies take a long time to develop, too, so adding a promising prospect in Ravensbergen this summer would shore up the position and align with when Hofer would likely be on the downswing of his career. This is a chance to take a big swing, though if the Blues were to seriously consider drafting Ravensbergen, there’s a good chance they’d be able to trade back, pick up an extra asset, and still get him. We’ll have to see what they decide on draft day, but picking a goaltender over another forward or defenseman could end up being the right choice.