The BEST Draft Class The St. Louis Blues Ever Put Together

[TBone]

The best draft class the St. Louis Blues ever put together

Most teams consider a draft successful if you get even two NHL players -- the Blues knocked this one class out of the park.

By Joe DeMarini
July 22, 2025

2010, 2007

It's a bit subjective to say which St. Louis Blues draft class was the "best." Do you go with the class that produced one of the no-doubt best players, but little else? Or the one with numerous players getting significant NHL games, even though they lack the star power or scoring? The draft class with the most total points? And that's before considering different NHL eras and how the game's evolved over the years.

For the purposes of this, we're going to go with a class that produced players with staying power who remained effective for much of their careers. There may be a bit of recency bias at play, but the NHL after 2004-2005 lockout is arguably the start of the current era, and we see a bit of stability in the draft--no more double-digit rounds like in the 1990s.

Before we get into the winner, a shoutout to the runner up: the 2010 draft. With the 14th and 16th overall picks, the Blues picked Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko, respectively. Schwartz and Tarasenko have both played in over 800 games--and still going strong!--and Schwartz has 222 goals and 527 points, while Tarasenko has 304 goals and 662 points. Most importantly, both were key contributors to the Blues' Stanley Cup Championship team in 2019. Now, withour further ado, the best draft class the Blues ever had: 2007.

https://bleedinblue.com/the-best-draft- ... k0pz5dkvc1

[britishblue]

The thing with the 2007 draft is that if we hadnt done any wheeling and dealing on draft day and kept the original 1st round picks we would have had.

Couture
Backlund
Perron

Can you imagine the Blues of the 2010's having Couture and Backlund as center options in addition to Backes and Bergy?

Steen Backes Oshie
Perron Couture Tank
Schwartz Backlund Berglund

Appreciate it doesnt work like that but jeez that would have been some team.

[seattleblue]

In 2007 had Couture in my sights for that top pick like Carbonneau back then but they took Eller.

Still a solid draft. However the 1976 draft with Federko Sutter Luit is the top Blues draft until 2023 which might truly be the one. I realize they weren't selecting "best draft year" prior to the lockout but 1976 is tops.

[STL fan in MN]

In 2007 had Couture in my sights for that top pick like Carbonneau back then but they took Eller.

Still a solid draft. However the 1976 draft with Federko Sutter Luit is the top Blues draft until 2023 which might truly be the one. I realize they weren't selecting "best draft year" prior to the lockout but 1976 is tops.

Exactly what I came to say.

2007 isn’t the best because they fumbled not picking Logan Couture. And sounds like they wouldn’t have picked him at 9 anyway. They wanted Ryan McDonough so dropped down figuring they could get him at 13. He went 12th and the Blues settled for Lars Eller. Still a great draft haul of Eller, Berglund and Perron but I’d take Schwartz and Tarasenko over those 3 combined.

But agree with 1976 being the best. My guess is the writer is too young to have considered it. But with Federko, Suter and Liut…there’s really no draft close to that IMO. But also agree 2023 has the potential to be. We’ll just have to wait 10-15 more years to truly find out lol.

[BalotelliMassive]

Kinda related - 2022 Re Draft

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/648555 ... ed_article

[larueskee]

Cole led the league in blocked shots last year. At age 36 with 908 games after being buried by Hitch early in his career. Wonder when that candle light vigil will take place.

[bluetunehead]

In 2007 had Couture in my sights for that top pick like Carbonneau back then but they took Eller.

Still a solid draft. However the 1976 draft with Federko Sutter Luit is the top Blues draft until 2023 which might truly be the one. I realize they weren't selecting "best draft year" prior to the lockout but 1976 is tops.

Yeah I remember following that draft and being so (upset) when they traded out of the #9 spot with Couture available. He seemed like such a no brainer pick. As I recall the Blues were pretty openly desperate for Voracek, and when Columbus took him at #7 they gambled that they could grab an extra 2nd and still get McDonagh. Jarmo outsmarted himself, even if Eller and Cole were both solid in their own right.

[BalotelliMassive]

Kinda related - 2022 Re Draft

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/648555 ... ed_article

[seattleblue]

In 2007 had Couture in my sights for that top pick like Carbonneau back then but they took Eller.

Still a solid draft. However the 1976 draft with Federko Sutter Luit is the top Blues draft until 2023 which might truly be the one. I realize they weren't selecting "best draft year" prior to the lockout but 1976 is tops.

Yeah I remember following that draft and being so (upset) when they traded out of the #9 spot with Couture available. He seemed like such a no brainer pick. As I recall the Blues were pretty openly desperate for Voracek, and when Columbus took him at #7 they gambled that they could grab an extra 2nd and still get McDonagh. Jarmo outsmarted himself, even if Eller and Cole were both solid in their own right.

Your memory is good - yes they were after Voracek instead of Couture. Not Jarmo's most impressive draft, but at the same time he selected my all time favorite player in that draft. Ironically that was the peak of Jarmo time, that 2007 draft special where he gushed over Ian Cole "He's a man now."

[dr0zombie]

Kinda related - 2022 Re Draft

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/648555 ... ed_article

THG did his 2021 redraft a couple of days ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByQv7QmCXqg

You have to be impressed that this team has continued to draft much stronger than their actual draft position year after year.

Not to change the topic to 2021 and Logan Mailloux, but it is on of the reasons I have confidence in that move. The group Army has assembled appear to not only draft well but to understand what these players need to grow and how to provide for that growth. It is an impressive all around organizational effort.

[DawgDad]

1976.

[BluesDom]

I think the 2023 draft class for the blues will prove to be the best ever .

[diehardbluesfan1]

I’ll take the 2025 draft

1carbonneau
2 broberg
3 Holloway.

[Sudsy 11]

I’ll take the 2025 draft

1carbonneau
2 broberg
3 Holloway.

I like what you did there

[fish]

It's got to be 76, over 2100 points and almost 300 wins in goal

[skilles]

In 2007 had Couture in my sights for that top pick like Carbonneau back then but they took Eller.

Still a solid draft. However the 1976 draft with Federko Sutter Luit is the top Blues draft until 2023 which might truly be the one. I realize they weren't selecting "best draft year" prior to the lockout but 1976 is tops.

Yeah I remember following that draft and being so (upset) when they traded out of the #9 spot with Couture available. He seemed like such a no brainer pick. As I recall the Blues were pretty openly desperate for Voracek, and when Columbus took him at #7 they gambled that they could grab an extra 2nd and still get McDonagh. Jarmo outsmarted himself, even if Eller and Cole were both solid in their own right.

Your memory is good - yes they were after Voracek instead of Couture. Not Jarmo's most impressive draft, but at the same time he selected my all time favorite player in that draft. Ironically that was the peak of Jarmo time, that 2007 draft special where he gushed over Ian Cole "He's a man now."

I always cringe at "he's a man now" So? Doing a lot of developing young athletes myself I just don't see early onset of maturity as something to pursue at all. Those athletes are very often left in the dust when others catch up.

This is especially the case with female athletes as some of them are full grown at 11 while others are still more like toddlers. I remember one locally that played on an elite STL team that hit puberty early and was full grown at 10 or 11 and made all of our girls look silly. They were already talking about her D1 scholarships and almost every one of our girls had passed her by by the age of 14 and most by 13 and she eventually got cut.

I just don't see early maturity as A transferable quality. The reality is early maturity athletes often have bad form and dominate anyway creating really bad muscle memory and lack many skills to ever compete with other full grown men/women.