The St. Louis Blues came into the 2026 NHL Draft with not one, not two, not three, but four first round picks, and while they picked Tynan Lawrence with their first pick, the expectation was that they would be trading at least one of them.
Given the amount of speculation that’s out there, there were certainly options, and earlier on Friday, there were reports that they were one of two teams trying to acquire Mason McTavish. The other was the New York Rangers, who would go on to acquire Pavel Dorafeyev, and as a result, the Blues themselves got a draft night shocker done.
Mason McTavish Acquired by the St. Louis Blues
GettyMason McTavish with the Anaheim Ducks.
After picking at No. 11 overall, the Blues got back onto the clock at No. 15 where chaos ensued, but in the end, it was announced by Commissioner Gary Bettman that they are acquiring McTavish, giving up the No. 15 and 29 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in the process.
In McTavish, the Blues are getting a talented player that was the No. 3 overall pick just five years ago in 2021, and while the production hasn’t been as exceptional as some had expected, he can still be a very good player in the NHL moving forward.
This move comes just days after the team acquired Connor McMichael in a trade for Jordan Kyrou, and with the team looking to potentially push for a Stanley Cup Playoffs spot in 2026/27, it was always expected that they would try land a young NHL player to contribute for not only the future, but the present as well.
Blues add Young Forward to Exciting Group
The Blues top-six right now is full of young talent like Robert Thomas, Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway, but with some intriguing veterans there too, McTavish will now step in and use his versatility and his talent to become another key piece in the top-six that could be very competitive moving forward.
As of late, there’s been increased criticism over McTavish’s game and how he fits in with the modern NHL given his lack of elite level speed, but he’s always had the skill, helping him produce 77 goals and 181 points in 304 career games with the Ducks. This move will likely push Pius Suter down to the Blues third line center role, with McTavish expected to step in and compete immediately, and after he was a healthy scratch in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past year, he may be out for revenge on his now former team.
It wasn’t cheap, as the Blues sacrificed the chance to add not one, but two more prospects to the future of the organization, but after adding Lawrence at No. 11 overall, giving up two first-round picks were a no-brainer move to add McTavish, and with the team back on the board at No. 16 overall, there’s still many options for them to add to the present and the future of the team.
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