St. Louis Blues 2026 NHL Draft Dream Scenario: Viggo Bjorck Falls To Pick No. 11

The St. Louis Blues made a late-season push for a playoff spot, which, as many predicted, fell short.

With that, the Blues pushed themselves into the ‘Mushy Middle,’ just outside the playoffs but too far from landing a potential top-five pick.

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The Blues moved to 11th last by the end of the season, and did not move in the draft lottery, so their top pick this season will be the 11th overall.

While it is very possible that they can still find a very skilled player who could change the franchise, it’s far less likely than if they were selecting in the top five. But each draft is unique, players rise or fall, whether there is a good reason or not.

This year, a prime candidate to be selected far lower than he should be is Viggo Bjorck, and that’s why he can be considered the dream draft scenario for the Blues.

Bjorck is an ultra-skilled center with two-way versatility. The 18-year-old loves to have the puck on his stick, and he excels with it. When watching Bjorck, his ability to pick up the puck from his own end and skate in transition is evident each shift. At times, he can look like a one-man breakout and zone entry.

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But he also excels when he has the puck in the offensive zone. He possesses slick hands with the ability to make passes into the slot and carry the puck into dangerous areas of the ice.

Defensively, Bjorck is smart with his positioning in his own end, and along the boards, he’s able to position himself and utilize his stick to win puck battles.

With all those traits, it’s odd to see many draft analysts think Bjorck will fall in the draft, but the reason is due to his size.

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Bjorck is listed at just 5-foot-9. That’s very undersized, especially for a center. While there is plenty of evidence that smaller players can be successful NHL players, Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Mats Zuccarello, Alex DeBrincat, Brad Marchand, and Jonathan Marchessault all come to mind, none of those players are centers, and they were all selected outside of the top 10; in fact, Caufield is the only player selected in the first round.

With all that evidence against Bjorck, it’s understandable why some believe he could drop in the draft.

But with all that, there’s still reason to believe he can be a top-six center. Take Logan Stankoven, for example. Stankoven stands at just 5-foot-7, but his relentless motor and fearlessness to get to the front of the net has seen him be successful in the playoffs.

The best example might be Brayden Point. Point does stand a couple of inches taller than Bjorck, but they possess so many similar traits, and Point has been a key contributing player, and at times the best player on a Tampa Bay Lightning team that won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

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Like Point, Bjorck owns a relentless motor, a strong lower body, and a high hockey IQ. Very few players have had the success Point has shown in the bumper spot, and we’ve already seen Bjorck have success in that position at the world juniors and the World Championship.

In all, Bjorck notched six goals and 15 points in 42 games in the SHL this season. He then won the championship in Sweden’s U-20 league, posting eight goals and 20 points in nine games.

After a successful SHL season and a gold medal win with Sweden at the World Junior Championship, where he posted three goals and nine points in seven games, he was selected to represent Sweden at the World Championship.

So far, he’s posted one goal and two points in four games. Bjorck is the youngest ever player to represent Sweden at the World Championship.

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NHL clubs might fear his size, but they could risk missing out on a future star. At pick No. 11 and with two picks still in the first round, selecting Bjorck would be a worthwhile gamble.

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