St. Louis Blues 2025 Draft Target: Malcolm Spence

[TBone]

St. Louis Blues 2025 Draft Target: Malcolm Spence

June 3, 2025
by Anthony Testaguzza

Throughout the last five or so NHL Drafts, the St. Louis Blues have built a fairly balanced selection of first-round prospects, grabbing some talented forwards and selecting some outstanding defensemen. As the team recently entered into playoff contention and is building up to become a Stanley Cup contender, the emphasis will be on filling gaps, especially on special teams. In that case, Malcolm Spence should be on the Blues’ radar ahead of this draft. Here’s why he should be the Blues’ first-round pick.

Malcolm Spence Scouting Report

NHL Central Scouting: 17th (Among NA skaters)
Baracchini: 16th
Horn: 20th
Forbes: 13th
Reimer: 16th

2024-25 Stats (Erie Otters, Ontario Hockey League): 65 games played – 32 goals, 41 assists, 73 points

Spence is the best two-way forward in this draft and has the necessary tools to be a serious threat in the NHL. To start, he’s a big forward. At 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, he uses his size to be a force on offense and can shut down scoring threats with his strong defensive game. He scored five power-play and shorthanded goals during the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season with the Erie Otters.

As mentioned earlier, Spence’s most valuable skill set is his special teams play, on both the power play and penalty killing units, which has brought him a long way in his OHL career and his gold medal-winning performance in the U18 World Championship.

https://thehockeywriters.com/st-louis-b ... lm-spence/

[STL fan in MN]

If he was truly the “best two-way forward in this draft” then he would be ranked top-5. He’s not. He’s tenacious as hell but he plays the game’s least valuable position (LW) and he has 3rd line caliber skills. I see him as a future 3LW somewhat in the mold of Neighbours. He’s going to be a solid secondary piece for a team. I like some other guys more but he’s a safer option and I wouldn’t hate the pick. He’s leaving the CHL and joining the Wolverines in the fall.

[seattleblue]

Spence is a very solid player who plays at our biggest glut of talent spot. It's a totally different consideration than Cootes who plays the more scarce position and only iffily projects into it. I am very confident Spence will be a very good 3LW in the NHL but MN is right he is definitely not the top two way forward in the draft.