The St. Louis Blues may have their NHL center depth mapped out for the next few seasons, but the pipeline keeps moving. Robert Thomas, Mason McTavish and Dalibor Dvorsky sit at the top of the current picture, and the organization is still working to develop the next group of centers who could eventually push for bigger roles.
That next wave starts with Tynan Lawrence, the 18-year-old left-shot center the Blues took 11th overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft after he split time between Muskegon and Boston University. In 31 regular season games combined, he put up 12 goals and 24 points.
Lawrence brings a motor, a consistent 200-foot game and what the source describes as a “dog on a bone” mentality. The big question now is whether he can keep building on what fans saw from him late in the 2025-26 season at the NCAA level.
The projection here is a two-way, middle-six center with enough upside to become a second-line driver if his hockey sense keeps climbing.
Right behind him is Maddox Dagenais, another 18-year-old who went only five picks later in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The power forward was the Quebec Remparts’ main force up front and finished second on the team with 30 goals and 62 points in 62 games.
He can line up at center or wing, but the next steps are clear: improve the skating and sharpen the decision-making. His upside points to a middle-six power forward, though the more likely NHL outcome is a 3C who can move up to 2C in a pinch.
He’s more about physical wins and goals than pure playmaking.
Milton Gastrin is one of the newer names in the system, and he arrives with some draft pedigree and a trade story attached. The 19-year-old was taken 37th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and later moved to St.
Louis in the package deal for Jordan Kyrou. He’ll spend this season on loan with Brynas IF in the SHL.
Last year, while playing for MoDo in HockeyAllsvenskan and Sweden’s U20 team, he recorded 12 goals and 28 points in 51 games. The expectation is a middle-six, two-way center, with a safe projection as a penalty-killing 3C who can chip in offensively.
There’s also a note to keep watching him, because he could end up as a late bloomer in the scoring department.
Matvei Korotky is the sleeper with the overseas buzz. Drafted 211th overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the 20-year-old just completed his first full KHL season and produced 14 goals and 27 points in 43 games despite having his year limited by a long-term injury.
He’s under contract in the KHL through the 2026-27 season, so the wait continues for now. If he does come to North America, the profile is a middle-six, two-way center who goes hard to the net and can finish the greasy chances.
Zach Dean rounds out the group, and his path looks different from the others. He missed a substantial portion of the 2025-26 season while in the NHLPA Players Assistance Program, then returned to post four goals and 14 points in 36 regular season games.
The belief in his upside has changed; he no longer looks like a middle-six center, but he could still carve out a role as a bottom-six energy forward. Faceoffs remain a work in progress after he finished the season around 45% on draws, though his pace and compete are still there.
At this stage, he’s closer to organizational depth than a sure NHL regular, but there is still a chance he works his way into a third-line role.
In Other News...
Robert Thomas Trade Buzz Puts New Pressure On The Blues
Robert Thomas was one of the more closely watched names around the league leading into the 2026 NHL trade deadline, and the discussion around him never quite went away even after St. Louis chose to hold onto him. For the Blues, that decision kept an important center in place, but it also left the door open for more speculation once the next round of roster pressure begins to build.
The interest makes sense because there are clubs still searching for help down the middle, and Thomas fits the profile of a player teams would keep circling if they believe he could change their lineup. Montreal, Los Angeles and Boston have all been mentioned in that conversation as potential fits, which is enough to keep the rumor mill active and the Blues in a familiar spot - trying to manage a valuable asset while the rest of the league keeps calling. [Read more 🡒]
Nathan Walker Suddenly Has Real Pressure In Blues Camp
The Blues bottom-six picture is starting to come into focus for 2026-27, and it leaves Nathan Walker with a familiar but meaningful camp battle on his hands. Jack Finley is expected to handle the fourth-line center role, while the mix on the wing will be sorted out among a few hard-working, physical options as the coaching staff pieces together the last spots.
Walker has given St. Louis plenty to like in that role before, appearing in 46 games last season and bringing energy, goals and a heavy dose of contact with 179 hits. But with training camp still ahead, the competition for those final jobs is real, and Walker will have to earn his way into the lineup again rather than assume the sort of steady ice time he has chased in past seasons. [Read more 🡒]
Blues Prospect Is At The Center Of A Frightening Situation
Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich remains in a coma after collapsing during a strenuous outdoor workout in Tempe, a frightening development that has drawn concern from across the hockey world, including the St. Louis Blues organization. Emergency services treated Mayich at the scene before he was taken to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition, and the situation has cast a heavy shadow over a player whose ties to the Blues make the news especially difficult to process.
The university is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the workout, which took place in extreme heat, as questions continue to build around what happened before Mayich went down. For the Blues, the priority now is simple support for Mayich and his family while the broader details are sorted out, but the uncertainty around his condition leaves the story with far more worry than clarity. [Read more 🡒]