Drafting a goaltender in the first round is always a gamble, but the Blues find themselves in a situation where it might make sense.
With the 2025 NHL Entry Draft less than a month away and the Stanley Cup Final underway, attention is starting to shift toward draft season. For St. Louis Blues fans, however, this year’s draft may not be the most exciting — the team holds only three picks: the 19th overall selection, followed by picks in the fifth and sixth rounds. It’s also possible that these picks could be traded to bring in more immediate help.
If they hold onto the 19th pick, the Blues will have the opportunity to add a promising prospect to strengthen their future. While a skater is the more likely choice, there’s a case to be made for goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen — the only goalie expected to go in the first round.
To be clear, Ravensbergen isn’t your typical mid-first-round goalie. He’s a towering 6-foot-5 with strong instincts but remains a raw talent. The tools and potential are certainly there, but selecting him at 19th overall would be a risk — especially when safer, more polished options will be available.
That said, the Blues’ situation makes this gamble more understandable. They don’t have any picks in rounds two through four, which are the usual spots to take a goalie. On top of that, while their pipeline is solid in most areas, it lacks depth in net. Joel Hofer is seen as the likely successor to Jordan Binnington, but beyond him, the system thins out, with Colten Ellis and Vadim Zherenko not guaranteed to make a meaningful NHL impact.
Goaltenders typically take longer to develop, and drafting someone like Ravensbergen now could time out well with Hofer’s eventual decline. It would be a bold move — but potentially a smart one. The Blues might even be able to trade down, gain an extra asset, and still land Ravensbergen later in the first round. Ultimately, while taking a goalie over a forward or defenseman might raise eyebrows, it could prove to be the right call depending on how the board shakes out on draft day.
