The NHL draft lottery just went down and the Blues did not luck out. They did not get the first overall pick.
They will not get a chance to draft cornerstone center Steve Stamkos. Instead, they will likely choose between elite defensemen Zach Bogosian, Drew Doughty and Alex Pietrangelo and skilled wingers Mikkel Boedker and Nikita Filatov.
All three defensemen would offer power-play potential. Filatov would be the high-risk, high-reward pick — a potential huge scorer who must get stronger and more consistent.
The Blues need more help up front than on the blue line, in the big scheme of things. But scouts really, REALLY like the top defensemen in this draft. Passing on one of them at No. 4 might be difficult.
