With the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the St. Louis Blues have selected Justin Carbonneau. The announcement was made on June 27 at the Blues Season Ticket Holder Summer Social at Enterprise Center by St. Louis native and comedian Nikki Glaser.
Carbonneau, an 18-year-old right winger from Lévis, Quebec, Canada, has emerged as a highly touted prospect with a knack for finding the back of the net. He most recently played for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Prior to joining the Armada, Carbonneau briefly played for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL. Before that, he played for the Levis Chevalier. Carbonneau significantly improved during the 2024-25 season with the Armada, achieving career highs in goals (46), assists (43), and points (89) in 62 games. He ranked third in the QMJHL for goals and second for points, earning him a spot on the league's first all-star team. His performance helped the Armada secure fourth place in the Western Conference, though they were defeated in the first round by the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
In addition to his junior league success, Carbonneau gained international experience representing Canada White at the 2022 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge.
Leading up to the draft, NHL Central Scouting ranked Carbonneau as the 16th-best North American skater and 11th among forwards. Daily Faceoff draft expert Steven Ellis ranked Carbonneau as the 15th overall prospect and 11th among forwards. Ellis notes that Carbonneau is a great skater with an excellent shot release and a penchant for making flashy, high-end plays, and that his willingness to generate offense will be valuable in the NHL. Ellis suggests that Carbonneau could improve his shot selection and make better use of his linemates, and sees potential for him to develop into a player similar to Brock Boeser.
With this pick, the St. Louis Blues add a promising offensive talent to their prospect pool as they aim to build a team capable of contending for the Stanley Cup. The Blues had three picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. However, their second-round pick (No. 51), third-round pick (No. 83), fourth-round pick (No. 115), and seventh-round pick (No. 211) were traded to other teams.
