It's cool seeing the name on a Jr Blues jersey, but I'd be very annoyed if the Blues drafted him. This is his draft year and he is a couple leagues below the ones where actual NHL prospects come from. Drafting him would 100% be throwing away a pick for a press release and creating some wildly unrealistic expectations for the kid.
The Jr Blues are a tier 3 junior program that is below the NAHL (tier 2) and USHL (tier 1). Other than some 16 year olds putting some time in there instead of AAA before quickly jumping up a tier, it is not a league for NHL prospects. For an 18 year old joining the team, it is largely a pay-to-play program intended to get yourself an opportunity to play some type of college hockey (generally ACHA D1 or NCAA D3).
There are currently two Jr Blues alumni playing NCAA D1 hockey: One played there as a 16 year old, then played 2 years NAHL and a year of USHL before becoming a 20 year old freshman at Arizona State. He's now on his 3rd NCAA team in as many years. The other played a single game for the Jr Blues at 18 and played the rest of that year in the NAHL. He played 2 more NAHL seasons after that before becoming a 21 year old freshman at Niagra. He's entering his final year of NCAA eligibility as a grad student at Merrimack. Neither were (or currently are) on NHL team's radars and both of them outgrew tier 3 junior by their draft eligible seasons.
There are about a half dozen Jr Blues alumni playing NCAA D3 right now and 15+ playing ACHA D1 (with the majority playing for your Missouri State Ice Bears).
I don't know anything about this kid's aspirations, but joining the Jr Blues as a senior generally means that you want to keep playing competitive hockey after high school. Some kids decide that they will delay college to grind through junior and try to get a scholarship as a 20+ year old freshman. Others are doing it because they plan to go to college right away and want to be prepared to make a good ACHA club team.
I'm really not trying to dog him and I wish him the best. I played ACHA and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I'm looking at my framed college jersey as I type this in my office. But at 18 it was clear to me that my path was going to lead to an office and not getting paid to play hockey. No shame in that. This kid is probably better at hockey than I ever was and I wish him the best in whatever dream he is chasing. Maybe he has the talent and drive to grind his way into pro hockey. But even if that is his outcome, it is not as a legit NHL prospect. To get there, he is going to have to play out his junior eligibility, make a college team, work his way up the lineup over several years and then sign a pro deal after graduating in his mid-20s.
I don't want our organization making nepotism draft picks to select guys who just aren't NHL prospects. If you want him in the organization in some capacity, give the kid an internship as he grinds his way through his junior and college career.
Edit: I really want to stress than I'm not trying to dog on this kid, the NA3HL, or the Jr Blues. The NHL isn't and shouldn't be the only goal for a talented young high school player. The vast majority of incredibly good teenage hockey players will never even sniff the show. Playing at the highest level you can as a teenager is commendable. College hockey is incredibly fun and getting there is a real accomplishment. It's still on my resume 15+ years later and damn near every prospective employer brings it up during job interviews. Guys who "only" get to college hockey are success stories and college hockey wouldn't be what it is today without AAA programs and all three tiers of USA junior hockey. Jr Blues games are fun and I encourage any hockey fan to go to some games. These programs need the ticket revenue and it is a hell of a lot cheaper than a Blues game.
Quick check of Elite Prospects, and sure enough: He's Barclay's grandson Jack playing his first season of junior hockey (U.S. Tier III), after 3 years of play for Lindbergh High School.
wi-fi network to access Elite Prospects ...
