Blues Select Center Tynan Lawrence With No. 11 Pick in 2026 NHL Draft

The St. Louis Blues have made their first major splash of a historic draft night. With the 11th overall selection in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, General Manager Doug Armstrong and the Blues front office have selected center Tynan Lawrence out of Boston University.

Lawrence, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound left-handed shot, is slated to be a massive injection of high-end skill, pace, and hockey intelligence into the middle of the Blues' emerging prospect pipeline.  

The Scouting Report: A Game-Warping 200-Foot Center

Lawrence has been a fascinating prospect to track over his draft year. Originally a dominant force in the USHL with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, he captured playoff MVP honors during a Clark Cup championship run. Lawrence made the aggressive decision to jump directly into NCAA hockey with Boston University midway through the 2025-26 season.  

While transitioning to playing against an older group of players at 17, his stat line (7 points in 18 games) dropped substantially on a point per game pace. Despite this, scouts rave about his elite tools. Lawrence is a naturally explosive skater who pairs high-end vision with a relentless, competitive motor. He plays a complete, 200-foot game, using his solid frame to win puck battles along the wall and generate offense directly from defensive turnovers.  

How He Fits in St. Louis

By securing Lawrence at No. 11, the Blues continue to build an enviable, bulletproof spine down the middle of the ice. Alongside Robert Thomas and Dalibor Dvorsky, Lawrence gives St. Louis a potential trio of high-end NHL centers to build around for the next decade.

With young, aggressive wingers like Jimmy Snuggerud, Jake Neighbours, and Dylan Holloway already establishing the team’s identity, Lawrence's elite playmaking capabilities and defensive reliability make him an ideal long-term fit for the Blues' retooling core.