St. Louis Blues 2025 Draft Target: Cameron Reid

You’d also think a player of his size wouldn’t be as physical defensively, but Reid is the opposite. In almost every defensive play he makes, he closes the gap and denies opponents chances. He can combine his great skating ability with physicality to push opponents back. In addition, Reid has a great defensive IQ and knows where to be at all times when facing an offensive threat in his zone. He’s patient and doesn’t crack under pressure when he plays the puck or is in the defensive zone.

What Others Say About Reid

“Cameron Reid continues to fly under the radar as his play throughout his draft year continues to improve his draft stock. He’s one of the more productive defenders in the OHL as he’s ninth among defenders with 50 points in 61 games, but it’s his simplistic style and execution as a defender that really impresses me. He isn’t flashy by any means, but he’s smart and is always making the right play in any situation. He’s quick and strong on puck retrievals and has the ability to rush a play or break out effectively. His timing to break up plays is impeccable and has the ability to quickly transition for a rush opportunity.” – Peter Baracchini, The Hockey Writers

“Another player who might end up going higher than this ranking would suggest. It’s an interesting year for defenceman. Reid is an excellent puck mover, and he skates like the wind. Those two key elements have him ranked amongst the best at his position in this class.” – Sam Consentino, Sportsnet

“Reid is a very smart, smooth-skating defenseman who uses his mobility and quick processing ability to make a positive impact at both ends of the ice despite lacking the physicality of other big-minute defenders. He is an excellent skater with strong four-way mobility, using his agility to create space from opposing players and find lanes in the offensive zone. While he doesn’t have elite top-end speed, he compensates with great anticipation and positional awareness, enabling him to defend rush chances and stop odd-man plays at his own blue line. Reid makes excellent decisions with the puck, utilizing his skating to exit the defensive zone quickly and carry the puck with control into the offensive end.” – Joseph Aleong, FC Hockey

Reid’s Place in the Blues’ Prospect Pool

The Blues have many great left-handed defensemen in their prospect pool, including Michael Buchinger, Theo Lindstein, Quinton Burns, and Lukas Fischer. Of all of those defensemen, the only one drafted in the first round was Lindstein, so drafting Reid would add more first-round talent to that group. While the Blues have struggled to get their power play going, in the grand scheme of things, Reid seems like a player who could fix that from the defensive end and be a leader on it, too. Also, the Blues have no defensive identity, which is why their defense is ranked so low. Reid could help turn that narrative around.

The only problem will be finding Reid a spot on the roster. Lindstein, who plays a similar style, hasn’t even been called up to the Blues’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Instead, he was placed on loan to stay with his Swedish Hockey League (SHL) club Brynas IF.

Lindstein also didn’t receive an entry-level contract (ELC) until a year after he was drafted, so Reid will have to wait to ink his ELC with the Blues, which also means he will have to wait until he turns pro and won’t start in the NHL immediately. But that should give him time to fix his shot selection and play awareness.

Should The Blues Put Their Pick on Reid?

Taking in all of the defensive breakdowns and mistakes in the Blues’ first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Reid is a much-needed pick. The team is right in the sweet spot with the 19th pick, and Reid is projected to be somewhere between the 15th and 23rd selection.

His skating ability is too good to pass up, and he is probably one of the best skating defensemen in this draft. Again, while his shooting and awareness are an issue, some fine-tuning in his development process can fix these minor problems. If he does turn out to be a perfect one, Reid could join some great two-way skilled skating defensemen in the NHL, such as Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Lane Hutson, to name a few.