Blues Pick Schwartz & Tarasenko,
Send Runblad to Senators

The first round of the draft took place on Friday, and the Blues were scheduled to pick 14th overall. In a surprising move, the club dealt their first round pick from last year, David Rundblad to Ottawa in order to secure the 16th overall pick as well. The team then took Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko.

Jaden Schwartz (14th overall)
The Blues knew they needed to address their offense, so they select Schwartz 14th overall. The 18-year-old skated in he USHL last season and won the league scoring title with 83 points – 33 goals, 50 helpers. He is set to play for Colorado College next season, and brings explosive offensive prowess to the draft.

Vladimir Tarasenko (16th overall)
Schwartz may have fallen earlier in the draft, but if you look around the Blues forums/message boards, you’d think Tarasenko was the top pick based on all the attention he has received. David Rundblad, the Blues first selection last season, was shipped to Ottawa for the rights to the 16th overall pick which the Blues promptly used to snatch Tarasenko off the board. The Russian has stated he desperately wants to play in the NHL, which should at least calm some fears in the effort it will take to bring him here and out of the Russian system. He is a skater that could, keyword could, see time in the NHL in 2010-11, based on his dynamic talent and size. The upside here is enormous.

Need some proof that the Terasenko pick is one to get excited about? Look below.