The Blues drafted a St. Louis Hall of Famer in the second round of the 1976 NHL Draft
Continuing with our series of the best St. Louis Blues draft picks, we head on to the second round of the NHL Draft, where the team found a couple of future captains and three members who played roles in their 2019 Stanley Cup Win.
In case you’ve missed it, we revisited the best third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh round draft picks in the team’s history.
The Blues haven’t made a selection in the second round since they drafted Nikita Alexandrov 62nd overall in the 2019 draft. They have two second round picks this year in picks No. 48 and No. 56, which they got from Toronto in the Ryan O’Reilly trade last year.
Reminder, the career statistics for players include data from both the regular season and playoffs.
Left Wing: Brian Sutter
20th overall, 1976
We’re going back to the early days of the Blues franchise for this one. Brian Sutter’s 12-year career was spent all with the St. Louis organization. He was captain of the team from 1979-1988 and was known widely as one of the most competitive leaders the franchise has ever had.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RvcwYflDSE[/embed]
Sutter’s play on the ice was a treat to watch for Blues fans. He was a six-time 30-goal scorer and recorded a total of 2,035 penalty minutes in his career. The Alberta native played 844 games, tallying up 324 goals and 678 points. Also, he was a three-time all-star.
The Blues retired his No. 11 in December 1988, a year after he retired from playing due to a nagging back injury. Following his retirement, Sutter immediately became Head Coach for St. Louis, serving in his role up until 1992.
Center: David Backes
62nd overall, 2003
David Backes served as the team captain from 2011-2016. He was a fan favorite for many years in St. Louis with his physical play, fierce competitiveness, and leadership. Some would say he helped shape the winning culture in St. Louis that ultimately led them to the Stanley Cup in 2019 through his incredible work ethic on and off the ice.
Backes played for the team for ten seasons from 2006-2016. During that time, he led the team in games played (727), goals (206), points (460), and penalty minutes (969). Backes posted a career-high in goals (31) and points (62) in 2010-11 with the Blues.
David’s time in St. Louis came to an end when the team decided not to re-sign him upon the expiration of his five-year, $22.5 million contract in 2016. He signed another five-year contract, but this time worth $30 million with the Boston Bruins. Backes was a member of the Bruins when they lost in Game 7 to the Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
Backes signed a one-day contract with St. Louis on Sep. 9, 2021, to retire as a member of the team. While his career in St. Louis didn't end the way he wanted, Backes embodied what it meant to be a St. Louis Blues captain.
Goaltender: Jake Allen
34th overall, 2008
I've lost track of the number of high-quality goaltenders the Blues have drafted in their franchise's history. Even though Jake Allen was replaced by Jordan Binnington as the team's starter during their Stanley Cup run in 2019, Allen had an excellent tenure in Missouri.
He has the best career statistics in goals-against average (2.50) and save percentage (.913) amongst Blues goaltenders with 200 or more games played. Additionally, some may surprised to hear his playoff statistics are the best as well, with a 2.06 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in 29 games.
Allen appeared in only one playoff game in 2019 but still earned his name on the Cup since he played 46 regular season games. His time with the organization was memorable.
Right Wing: Jordan Kyrou
35th overall, 2016
Jordan Kyrou has cemented himself as a top six forward in the NHL and has performed as if he was a first-round pick. He’s recorded two 70+ point seasons and back-to-back 30-goal campaigns. Kyrou had a down year this past season (not by much), but with a long-term contract, he will be a focal point for the Blues getting back to their winning ways, hopefully in 2024-25.
Kyrou doesn’t have the experience or accolades as other second-rounders on this list. But his quick emergence to NHL stardom deserves recognition as one of the team’s best second round. He’s produced the tenth most points from the 2016 draft class.
If he continues on his current pace and plays out the remaining seven years on his deal, Kyrou could put himself up there as one of the most productive Blues players in history.
Center/Left Wing: Ivan Barbashev
33rd overall, 2014
The next three players on the list are members who played small, but impactful depth roles on the Blues in their Stanley Cup run in 2019. First up is the gritty Russian forward, Ivan Barbashev.
Barbshev spent six-and-a-half seasons with St. Louis before being traded to Vegas last year to help them earn their first Stanley Cup. He played mostly in the team’s bottom six during his tenure, suiting up in the third-most games (460) from 2016-2023. He was a specialist on the penalty kill, drew a lot of penalties himself, and was a punishing player to play against having recorded 830 hits.
Barbashev broke out offensively in 2021-22 playing in a top six role and utilized on the powerplay, setting career-highs in goals (26) and points (60). Following in the footsteps of fellow great second round Blues draft picks, St. Louis fans had a strong appreciation for Barbashev because of his incredible competitiveness.
Defenseman: Vince Dunn
56th overall, 2015
Just like Kyrou, Vince Dunn wasted no time jumping into a full-time NHL role. He spent the 2016-17 season with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL before making the jump and playing 75 games with the big club the following year. Next thing you know, Dunn is playing an important depth role and winning the Stanley Cup in just his second season.
Dunn spent four seasons with the Blues totaling 113 points in 296 games along the blueline. The team unfortunately lost him to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. Vince has turned into the Kraken’s No. 1 defenseman and has recorded 110 points in 140 regular season games over the last two seasons.
There's a good chance Dunn would still be a Blues if it wasn't for the expansion draft.
Defenseman: Joel Edmundson
46th overall, 2011
Edmundson is more of an honorable mention but had to be included since he’s a member of the 2019 Cup-winning team.
He spent four seasons with the team before departing to Carolina for the 2019-20 season. No player on the Blues team had more hits (623 in 318 games) than Edmundson from 2015-2019. Known for being a real pain in the rear end to play against, and his cross-checks in front of the net, he quickly became a defenseman who played that “Playoff style” hockey and has gone on to play over 500 games in the NHL.
Honorable Mention
Defenseman: Steve Staios
27th overall, 1991
Steve Staios never played a game for St. Louis. However, the current Ottawa Senators GM played in the NHL for 16 years and eclipsed the 1,000-game mark, spending visits with Boston, Vancouver, Atlanta, Edmonton, Calgary, and the Islanders.
Honorable Mention
Center: Jay McClement
57th overall, 2001
McClement spent six-and-a-half seasons as a roster player for St. Louis from 2005-2011. He played 453 games for the organization before he was traded to Colorado in the 2010-11 season. McClement spent time in Toronto and Carolina to end his NHL career, playing over 900 games.
The Blues' 57th overall pick in the 2001 draft turned into a shutdown centerman, killed penalties, and was terrific in the faceoff department. He’s served as a pro scout in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization for the last five seasons.
Next up will be the last edition of our article series here, featuring the best first round picks in St. Louis history.