On April 3, the St. Louis Blues signed Colin Ralph to a three-year, entry-level contract, bringing the highly anticipated defenseman into the organization. He is finishing the 2025-26 season on an ATO with the Springfield Thunderbirds, as his ELC will kick in at the start of the 2026-27 season.
Ralph spent his two seasons following the NHL draft in the NCAA, first with St. Cloud State University as a freshman before entering the transfer portal and joining Michigan State University as a sophomore.
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Michigan State was one of the favorites to win the National Championship, and although they did fall short, Ralph had a strong year.
Ralph won’t blow you away with his offense, as he finished this season with just one goal and 11 points in 37 games, but the 20-year-old is a stout defender and has quickly earned the trust of his coaches at every level.
With Michigan State, Ralph averaged nearly 21 minutes of ice time on a blueline that featured four other drafted prospects. Standing 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Ralph has the frame of a physical defenseman, and he utilizes it to his advantage. Like Colton Parayko, his physicality might be his best trait in the NHL, but he has shown that his skating and puck-moving abilities are strong enough for the higher level.
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His calling card in the NHL, and even in the AHL for the next couple of seasons, will be his defensive game. His size, reach, and defensive understanding are already at a high level, and he’ll be able to polish them in the AHL.
His short-term outlook is in the AHL, but if Ralph can continue to develop and work his way into the NHL, he’ll be exactly what the Blues will need. The 2024 second-round pick (48th overall) played his first three AHL games this weekend, failing to record a point.
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While it is still no guarantee that Adam Jiricek, Theo Lindstein, and Logan Mailloux reach the levels some anticipate they will, if they meet expectations, the Blues will have three smooth-skating, puck-moving defensemen with plenty of offensive skill in their top four alongside Philip Broberg. As Parayko ages, they’ll need a replacement for him, and Ralph has the skill set to do so, rounding out the backend.
Ralph can be that defensive first defender who allows Jiricek, Lindstein, and Mailloux to thrive and play their own game.
The Blues have plenty of depth within their prospect pool, which means Ralph will have several competitors to deal with.
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