ST. LOUIS -- The puck will drop for Canada on Wednesday night for the first time in the World Junior Summer Showcase in Windsor, Ontario, and the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Tynan Lawrence, will be in the mix for the home country.

But one player St. Louis Blues fans thought had a chance to be part of Team Canada's group this week is the 16th overall pick in the 2026 Draft, Maddox Dagenais. But alas, the forward was not selected to be part of Canada's group. It seems to coincide with his selection as a mid-first round pick.

A lot of the mock drafts had the 6-foot-4, 196-pound Blainville, Quebec native, the son of former NHL forward Pierre Dagenais, as a mid-to-late 20s first round pick. Some had him as late as 30th and beyond into the early second round.

But the Blues saw something that had seemed to blossom within the past year or so, and as then-general manager Doug Armstrong said, Dagenais is, "a big man that's a boy."

Dagenais, 18, still is a boy, but the boy is quickly turning into a man, and the numbers with Quebec of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League showed it when two seasons ago he went from 26 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 43 games to 62 points (30 goals, 32 assists) in 62 games this past season whose offensive skill set really took off at both 5-on-5 and power play chances (25 points; 10 goals, 15 assists).

But this is a player that has taken a quick understanding that skill set is one thing, adding muscle to complement a physical component to add to those skills could make him a unique player as he continues to grow and develop.

"His runway might be a little bit longer as he grows into his body, as he adds muscle, as he adds strength," Armstrong said of Dagenais. "But we think the finished product, when he totally matures, he's going to be a handful that can score."

Dagenais admitted he was a little surprised the Blues grabbed him at No. 16, but he's a determined kid that saw someone was willing to take a chance on him, now it's up to him to continue finding that growth spurt both physically and with his play on the ice that he was worth it.

The multi-versatile player who's a center by trade but also can play the wing, is good wherever the organization feels he's a fit.

"I think I'll play anywhere. ... I'm ready to do anything to help the team," Dagenais said. "I think I learned both and I think it's just a plus in my baggage."

More like his package, but Dagenais, who will play a third season with the Remparts in 2026-27, displays everything the Blues like in a big, skilled player that has multiple tools that can be developed into a NHL player.

There is a reason he was the No. 1 overall pick in the QMJHL Draft in 2024.

"We certainly do like the big body, the willingness to get in and finish a check along with that elite shot," Blues director of amateur scouting Tony Feltrin said. "... He is a good player regardless of wing or center ice.

"He was the player that we wanted at that point on the list and his name was up. Very happy about it."

Dagenais has a connection with Blues' 2025 first-round pick Justin Carbonneau from their days of competing against each other in the 'Q' last season when Carbonneau was with Blainville-Boisbriand.

Their paths crossed facing one another in a game that turned into chirping one another.

"Basically one time, I scored a goal at the start of the game and when you play against good players, you try and get into his head," Carbonneau recalled. "A bunch of guys on my team were trying to chirp him and get in his skin. He scored on the power play and he stared us down on the bench. I thought it was funny, but everyone was so pissed. It was a funny moment."

Dagenais said, "I remember that one. They were going on their bench a little bit and I score and I start screaming at their bench, just part of the game. It was a good game. I think the intensity was high. I think it was just part of the game."

Make no mistake, the two are friends. They messaged the night Dagenais was drafted on June 27 and were at the development camp earlier in the month in St. Louis.

"It's nice. I didn't know a lot about him before, but just spending some time with him and all the other guys, meeting some new guys and Carbo was there. It's nice."

Carbonneau said, "I played against him for two years. We played in the summer together. He's a great guy. He's funny, not funnier than me, but he's getting there. He's a great guy. As a hockey player, he's a big guy that can shoot the puck really well. We had some good matchups in the 'Q,' some good goals against."

Dagenais has headed into this off-season knocking his plight and what he needs to do physically.

"Working my hardest," he said. "For sure I need some upper body strength and also put some weight on my body. That's what's going to help me. Try to be 205. That's good for me. I think that's what I'm focusing on for sure. Doing all the other stuff just to improve everything. ... I still need to put (on) some weight and some muscle. I think it's going to come easy."

As for the on-ice portion, it's simple.

"My speed," Dagenais said. "You're always working on that. I'm a big guy so a big guy always needs to improve his skating and I think I really did last summer. I (need) to keep doing it."

He also better learn to one day get used to summers in St. Louis. Being a Quebec kid, they're not used to hot, sweltering days like what was present when the prospects were in town.

"After we got our flight to St. Louis, it's pretty hot here," Dagenais said. "In Quebec, it's not the same heat but I've got to enjoy it."

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