As the anticipation for the 2026-27 NHL season grows, TheHockeyNews.com will be taking a look at the top 10 prospects in the St. Louis Blues’ system, with towering defenseman Colin Ralph coming in at the ninth spot.
The players in this ranking do not have extensive NHL experience and are all 23 and under. Therefore, players like Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux, among others, won’t feature in this ranking for those reasons.
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The order of these rankings reflects a mix of their ceilings and potential, as well as how they’ve performed over the past year with their respective clubs.
Ralph completed his NCAA career after two seasons, one with St. Cloud State University and another with Michigan State University. His two seasons combined saw him score two goals and 19 points in 72 games.
But Ralph’s game isn’t built on offense; it’s built on the defensive side of the puck.
Drafted in the second round (48th overall) by the Blues in the 2024 NHL draft, Ralph is a 6-foot-4, 216-pound left-handed defenseman. His size is his calling card on the defensive end, using it to clear out space in front of his net, separate opponents’ bodies from the puck, and close gaps and break up plays.
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He effectively uses his stick to poke-check, but also to deflect passes and intercept them whenever the opportunity presents itself.
What Colin Ralph Will Bring To The Blues And Thunderbirds
What Colin Ralph Will Bring To The Blues And ThunderbirdsColin Ralph is a stay-at-home defenseman who will bring size and physicality to the Springfield Thunderbirds in the short term, and hopefully the St. Louis Blues in the long term.
When Ralph’s sophomore season in college ended, he signed his entry-level contract and began his professional career in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 20-year-old participated in six regular-season games, notching two assists while also finding himself playing in eight post-season games.
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Heading into the 2026-27 season, Ralph is projected to play a key role on the Thunderbirds blueline, which is projected to roster fellow rookies such as Adam Jiricek and Lukas Fischer, as well as fellow youngsters like Michael Buchinger, Quinton Burns, Arseni Koromyslov, and possibly, if he doesn’t make the NHL roster, Theo Lindstein.
Ralph possesses the size the Blues love in a blueliner. The opening-night projected roster will feature six defensemen, all 6-foot-2 or taller. When defenders like Cam Fowler, Colton Parayko, and Brandon Carlo move on from the Blues, Ralph will have the size and dependable defensive game to replace them.
St. Louis Blues NHL Prospect Rankings: No. 10, Aleksanteri Kaskimaki
St. Louis Blues NHL Prospect Rankings: No. 10, Aleksanteri KaskimakiAs we begin our top 10 St. Louis Blues prospects, two-way Finnish center Aleksanteri Kaskimaki kicks off our list at No. 10.
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The Maple Grove, MN, native may never be a top-pairing defender scoring 50 points a season, but Ralph can be used in a defensive situation on the bottom pair while being a solid penalty killer.
Those players aren’t the most fun to watch, but they are essential in building a Stanley Cup roster.
St. Louis Blues Prospect Rankings:
10. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki
Honorable Mentions: Love Harenstam, Marcus Gidlof, Juraj Pekarcik, Zach Dean, and Lukas Fischer
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