Jecho was the 95th overall pick by the Blues in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
An import from Czechia, Jecho's numbers in the WHL this past season don't scream "top prospect." He managed just 23 goals and 47 points in 54 games for Edmonton. The attraction here is the size. Jecho is a 6-foot-5 center, and those guys are always in high demand. Jecho doesn't skate particularly well and tends to fade into the background too often. It will be up to the Blues and their development staff to work with Jecho to impact games in a variety of ways on a more consistent basis.
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Blues' Ondrej Kos: Adds depth to St. Louis system
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Kos was the 81st overall pick by the Blues in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Kos' season was derailed by illness, and his numbers suffered. He never got back on track while splitting time with three teams in Finland. He also played for his native Czechia at the World U18s. Kos is a tall (6-foot-2), 165-pound kid with good hands and a decent amount of speed, but he tends to get pushed around in the offensive zone simply because he doesn't have much muscle on his frame at this point. Kos is still several years away from potential NHL duty, but he could be a long-term upside play for St. Louis.
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Blues' Lukas Fischer: Defender latest to join Blues
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Fischer was the 56th overall pick by the Blues in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
The son of former long time Red Wing Jiri Fischer, who is currently Detroit's Director of Player Personnel, Lukas played his youth hockey in the Michigan area and is currently with OHL Sarnia. He took on significantly more responsibility in his second year with the Sting and his production increased as a result. Fischer finished this past season with a half dozen goals and 34 points in 68 games. The minus-27 rating is a concern, but that's how it goes at the junior level when you're logging heavy minutes for a poor team. Fischer might not bring one elite skill to the table, but there's no significant weaknesses in his game, either. He has a chance to make it as a third-pairing NHL regular at some point down the road, filling a role similar to the one his dad held down for many years in Motown.
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Blues' Colin Ralph: Grabbed in Round 2
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Ralph was the 48th overall pick by the Blues in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Saturday.
Playing last year at the famed Shattuck St. Mary's Prep School, Ralph caught the attention of scouts with his physical, honest game. He's strong positionally in the defensive end and plays with a ton of energy. Ralph has work to do offensively, but it's easy to project him as a future depth, stay-at-home regular for St. Louis down the road. Ralph, a native of Maple Grove, Minnesota, will stay home and play for St. Cloud State this coming fall.
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Blues' Adam Jiricek: Top-four defender off to St. Loo
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Jiricek was the 16th overall pick by the Blues in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Jiricek is a bit of a wild card. He seemed poised to rise the rankings after a standout U18 Gretzky/Hlinka Cup performance, but this season was a disappointment -- then injuries struck. Jiricek has good size, skates well and can move the puck, but didn't inherit the offensive skills or presence of his brother, David Jiricek of Columbus. Still, he projects as a top-four NHL defender, albeit one who may not see power-play time. It's going to take a while for him to grow into his game at the NHL level. But one only needs to look at Gustav Forsling's value to the Cup-winning Panthers to see what Jiricek might become over time. No need to roster now, but play a wait and see for a future fantasy team.
Texier was acquired by the Blues from the Blue Jackets on Friday in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round pick, per Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch. The trade also resulted in Texier inking a two-year, $4.2 million contract, according to PuckPedia.
Texier had 12 goals and 30 points in 78 games with Columbus in 2023-24. Before signing his new deal, he was set to become a restricted free agent Monday. The 24-year-old should enter the 2024-25 campaign as a part of the Blues' bottom six.
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Blues' Scott Perunovich: Inks one-year contract
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Perunovich signed a one-year, $1.15 million contract with St. Louis on Tuesday.
Perunovich produced 17 assists, 36 shots on goal, 53 blocked shots and 30 hits in 54 games with the Blues during the 2023-24 campaign. The 25-year-old defender doesn't have a goal in 73 career NHL appearances. If Perunovich can remain healthy, he should be a regular on the St. Louis blue line during the 2024-25 season.
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Blues' Nick Leddy: Plays big minutes
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Leddy posted three goals and 25 assists across 82 games during the 2023-24 season.
Leddy also added a career-high 127 blocked shots while averaging 22:22 of ice time. The 33-year-old has proven he can eat big minutes on the blue line, but his lack of power-play minutes over two seasons with the Blues has limited his fantasy upside.
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Blues' Tyler Tucker: Two points in second season
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Tucker posted a goal and an assist across 26 games during the 2023-24 season.
Tucker played exactly 26 games for the second consecutive season but averaged just 12:27 of ice time while firing 42 shots on net. He showed some promise as a third-pairing defenseman, but he's at risk of spending next season in the minors if the Blues sign an established blueliner in free agency.
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Blues' Colten Ellis: Inks one-year deal
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Ellis agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with St. Louis on Tuesday.
Ellis split his time between the AHL and ECHL this season, logging 16 games for AHL Springfield in which he posted a 7-9-0 record and .924 save percentage while also going 12-5-2 for ECHL Orlando. Selected by the Blues in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, the Nova Scotia native shouldn't be expected to make his NHL debut anytime soon but could push for a more prominent role with the AHL Thunderbirds.
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Blues' Mathias Laferriere: Inks two-way deal
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Laferriere signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Blues on Sunday.
Laferriere tallied seven goals and 25 points in 68 games with AHL Springfield last season. He has yet to make his NHL debut. The 23-year-old forward will continue serving as organizational depth.
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Blues' Jakub Stancl: Inks entry-level deal
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Stancl signed a three-year, entry-level contract with St. Louis on Saturday.
Stancl potted one goal in seven outings for Vaxjo Lakers HC of the SHL in 2023-24. He also notched four goals and six points in seven contests with Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. The Blues selected the 19-year-old winger with the No. 106 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
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Blues' Juraj Pekarcik: Agrees to entry-level contract
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Pekarcik signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blues on Wednesday.
Pekarcik scored nine goals and 59 points in 43 regular-season contests as well as three markers and 10 points in 11 playoff games with USHL Dubuque in 2023-24. St. Louis selected him with the No. 76 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
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Blues' Aleksanteri Kaskimaki: Secures entry-level deal
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Kaskimaki agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with St. Louis on Tuesday.
Kaskimaki should make the jump to North America next season after having spent the past two seasons playing in his native Finland for HIFK Helsinki. This past year, the 20-year-old center notched 10 goals and seven assists in 47 contests. Looking ahead to 2024-25, Kaskimaki likely will be hard-pressed to see much, if any, NHL action and should probably be expected to spend the year developing in the minors.
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Blues' Hugh McGing: Signs two-year extension
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McGing signed a two-year, two-way contract extension with the Blues on Wednesday.
McGing spent most of the 2023-24 campaign with AHL Springfield, picking up eight goals and 39 points through 51 contests, but he also drew into five games with St. Louis, going scoreless over that span. He'll likely continue to fill a similar role for the organization over the next two seasons.
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Blues' Otto Stenberg: Inks entry-level deal
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Stenberg signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blues on Wednesday.
Stenberg provided three goals and six points in 31 outings with Frolunda of the Swedish League in 2023-24. St. Louis took him with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Although the 18-year-old has the potential to someday be a top-six forward with the Blues, he'll likely start the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL.
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Blues' Simon Robertsson: Inks entry-level contract
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Robertsson signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Blues on Wednesday.
Robertsson had four points in 27 Swedish League games with Skelleftea as well as nine points in 12 outings with Brynas of HockeyAllsvenskan, which is Sweden's second-highest professional league, in 2023-24. The Blues selected him with the 71st overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old is likely to begin his North American career in the AHL.
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Blues' Marcus Sylvegard: Signs entry-level contract
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Sylvegard signed a one-year, entry-level contract with St. Louis on Tuesday.
Sylvegard logged 23 goals and 18 assists in 51 regular-season games for the Vaxjo Lakers HC of the SHL in 2023-24. The 24-year-old also added two goals and two assists in six playoff contests with the team. He will compete for a spot on the Blues' Opening Night roster during training camp in September.
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Blues' Samuel Johannesson: Inks entry-level deal
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Johannesson signed a two-year, entry-level contract with St. Louis on Tuesday.
Johannesson produced 11 goals and 27 points in 43 regular-season contests for Orebro HK of the SHL in 2023-24. He also added one goal in three playoff outings. Johannesson was originally selected with the No. 176 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft by Columbus.
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Blues' Nikita Alexandrov: Plays sparingly during 2023-24
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Alexandrov recorded two assists across 23 games during the 2023-24 season.
The Blues kept Alexandrov with the big club all season because they feared he would be claimed off waivers if they sent him to the AHL. The 2019 second-round pick barely played as a result, and he averaged just 8:32 of ice time when he was in the lineup. This isn't a great option for the youngster's development, but barring a trade, he'll likely stick with the Blues next season because he's a restricted free agent this summer.
