3 Players the Blues Should Target With the 15th Pick in the 2026 NHL Draft – The Hockey Writers – St Louis Blues

With three first-round picks at No. 11, No. 15, and a later first-rounder depending on where the Colorado Avalanche finish, the St. Louis Blues have a chance to upgrade their prospect pool even more in a single evening. That kind of draft capital does not come around often, and it puts real weight on every decision they make in that opening round stretch.

Pick No. 15 sits right in that uncomfortable but exciting zone where teams either swing for upside or lean into certainty. The Blues, as they continue building around their core group, will have to decide what they value more in that moment. Let’s get into three players who stand out.

Oliver Suvanto, C, Tappara (Liiga)

If the Blues lean toward center at No. 15, Oliver Suvanto is a name that keeps popping up in that range, and for good reason.

The 6-foot-3, 209-pound left-shot center is already holding his own in Finland’s Liiga with Tappara, where he has 11 points in 48 games. That number does not jump off the page, and honestly, it is not supposed to. What matters is that a 17-year-old is already trusted in a highly talented professional league where mistakes get punished fast. Playing against grown men at his age is a challenge, but he faces it head-on and competes with the best.

His game is built on structure and maturity. He is not flashy; he is not going to dazzle you with end-to-end rushes, but he also is not going to hurt you. He supports the puck, stays in the right spots, and plays a calm, almost veteran style that you usually do not see from players his age. There is a certain “coach’s favorite” energy to his game already.

For the Blues, that is very important. Behind Robert Thomas, the center depth chart still needs long-term stability, and Suvanto projects as a two-way middle-six center in the mold of Anton Lundell. Not the player who takes over a game with highlights, but the one who quietly tilts it by being in the right place over and over again.

Ryan Lin, RHD, Vancouver (WHL)

Ryan Lin brings a very different profile and more offensive upside from the blue line. At 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds, the right-shot defenseman is not a physical presence, but his game is driven by skating, pace, and rapid decision-making. He finished with 57 points in 53 Western Hockey League (WHL) games last season by constantly jumping into the play, pushing transition, and refusing to let the puck stay stuck in his zone.

There is a pace to his game that stands out immediately. Lin gets the puck, and things happen fast. He does not sit back and wait for structure to form. He creates it on the fly. That style naturally translates into offense. Whether it is zone exits, controlled entries, or power play activation, he is always looking to move the puck forward and put defenders on their heels.

He is committed to the University of Denver and will continue his development there against bigger, older, and more physically mature competition, which should help round out his defensive game while he refines his offensive tools. Stylistically, Lin is close to Lane Hutson, a defenseman who came into the league a little undersized but drives offense through vision, timing, and creativity rather than physical dominance. He is widely considered a power-play quarterback, and when he is on the ice, the puck is rarely going backward for long.

For the Blues, this is the type of defenseman they do not have enough of in the system. Outside of Colton Parayko, there is not a right-shot blueliner who can consistently drive offense and run a power play.

Adam Novotny, LW, Peterborough (OHL)

Adam Novotny offers a more straightforward scoring profile compared to the other two options. He put up 34 goals and 65 points in 58 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games, and the production feels steady rather than streak-driven. That matters with goal scorers. It means the shot is real, not just a heater.

Novotny’s shot is the headline. He has a quick release, and he is not shy about using it. If there is space, he is firing. If there is traffic, he is still firing. That willingness to shoot without hesitation is a big part of what makes his game translate.

But there is more to it than just shooting. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, he plays with a competitive edge that shows up away from the puck, too. He stays involved in battles and is willing to take contact if it means getting to the net. There is a straight-line simplicity to his game that works in the NHL.

The closest comparison is Mason McTavish. A power forward-style center who brings shot volume, net front presence, and a willingness to play through contact while still producing offense. Novotny may not have the same center usage, but the way he generates goals has that same heavy, direct feel to it.

Understanding Where the Blues Are

The Blues are not starting from scratch here either. There is already real young talent in the system, from emerging NHL contributors like Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky, who are beginning to take on meaningful roles at the NHL level, to prospects like Justin Carbonneau and Adam Jiricek, who are just entering their pro careers. That changes how they can approach a draft like this.

They do not need every pick to be a home run right away. They need players who either raise the ceiling or strengthen the structure of what is already being built. With three first-round picks, this is less about filling holes and more about layering talent on top of a core that is still taking shape, while also building the kind of prospect depth that can turn into real trade value down the line.