Re-Drafting the 2006 NHL Draft

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 24: (L-R) Second overall pick Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins, first overall pick Erik Johnson of the St. Louis Blues, and third overall pick Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks pose for a portrait together backstage during the 2006 NHL Draft held at General Motors Place on June 24, 2006 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images for NHL) /

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Apr 5, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Los Angeles Kings goalie Jhonas Enroth (1) warms up against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports /

Sodertalje SK. Jhonas Enroth. 25. player. 99. . Goalie

Original pick: Patrik Berglund

With Berglund already off the board, the St. Louis Blues must shift their focus towards a player that could’ve proved to be valuable in more ways than you think.

The Blues like to go with a two-pronged approach at goalie, as ever since the 2006-07 season, they’ve never had their backup goalie play less than 23 games. This approach has both positive and negative effects – on the one hand, it’s always good to have a reliable option at goalie, and be able to rotate them willingly on back-to-back nights. But on the other, it can divide teammates and fans over which goalie they prefer and create a controversy.

Since 2006-07, the Blues have seen Manny Legace, Chris Mason, Jaroslav Halak, Ryan Miller, Brian Elliott, and Jake Allen take turns being the starting goalie. By using the tandem approach, they don’t have to go far to find the next starting option since it usually ends up being the back-up.

But the lack of a dependable goalie is why the Blues, among other reasons, haven’t experienced playoff success. Brian Elliott was the closest thing they had to having someone be “the guy”, and he took them to the Conference Finals as a result. And in that Conference Final, they decided to switch to Jake Allen when Elliott had an off-night rather than stick by him, which costed them a crucial Game 5.

So where does Jhonas Enroth come in? If they had drafted him, he would’ve been a backup goalie, with a reliable option already in net, and there wouldn’t be any cause for a goaltending controversy. He has, after all, been a backup goalie practically throughout his NHL career, and has proven to be a reliable flyer option. When he was signed by the Kings, he was under no illusion that he would challenge for the starting spot.

Having Enroth on the Blues would’ve given their starting goalies the confidence needed to go out and perform without the looming threat of being supplanted. Perhaps if Enroth had backed up any of the Blues’ starting goalies from above, they might have stayed longer than they did.

Next: 26. Calgary Flames

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