Could the St. Louis Blues select the Ruck twins with the 15th and 16th overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft? TSN's Craig Button believes that's exactly what they should do.
Outside of the San Jose Sharks and possibly the Buffalo Sabres, there is no other team more compelling to watch than the St. Louis Blues in the 2026 NHL draft.
With four first-round picks, the Blues can completely revitalize their prospect pool, whether they make all four selections or package some of those picks to move up in the draft.
If the Blues decide to keep their picks, TSN’s Craig Button suggests the Blues use their back-to-back picks at 15 and 16 to select the Ruck twins, Markus and Liam.
“We know what two twins playing together can do and they’ve spent their whole life playing together,” said Button. They’ve been dynamic. They’ve been productive.
“And for the St. Louis Blues, these are two really good offensive players. You think about on the Mock Draft 1.0, we had them going to the Vancouver Canucks. The Sedins had a big part of it. Well, don’t forget - the Sutter twins Ronnie and Richie played for the St. Louis Blues at one time. Maybe this is the next generation of twins to suit up for the St. Louis Blues.”
The Ruck twins spent the 2025-26 season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, where they were dominant. Markus and Liam led the WHL and the CHL in scoring, as Markus scored 21 goals and 87 points for 108 points, while Liam notched 45 goals and 104 points.
Liam has been ranked ahead of Markus in most mock drafts, as his goal-scoring ability from the wing is more highly regarded than Markus’ playmaking up the ice.
The twins are great offensive players, but there are faults in their games. Their defensive game isn’t as well-rounded as others in the draft, but their biggest weakness is their skating.
Because their skating is poorer than that of other draft-eligible players, most analysts have them ranked lower in the first round, and sometimes into the second. The question being asked is whether their skating can improve, and if not, will their hockey IQ mask those skating issues?
The twins each stand six feet, with Markus a left-handed center and Liam a right-handed winger. They’ll both return to Medicine for the 2026-27 season before joining the University of North Dakota in the 2027-28 season.
Most scouts don’t believe Liam or Markus are worthy of being selected this highly, but maybe Craig Button knows something everyone else doesn’t. It would be a gamble to take the Ruck twins that early in the first round, but if they panned out, it would be a major win for the Blues.
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