ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - With the 26th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft on Tuesday night, the St. Louis Blues selected 18-year-old winger Jake Neighbours. Many mock drafts had the 5-11, 201-pounder going later in the first round or early second, but Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said he was "the player we coveted."
Here are a few things Blues fans should know about him:
1. He plays a "Blues-style" of hockey.
That's what Armstrong said when describing his first pick.
"He's a left winger. He plays 'Blues style hockey.' Very competitive, can play up and down your lineup. Goes to the hard areas of the ice very willingly, he's someone that I think can complement very good players. Someone that is just, I think, going to fit in with his character and his work ethic into our group moving forward."
2. Others compare him to Brenden Morrow and Milan Lucic.
The NBC Sports Network says Lucic, but the Blues scouts say they see Morrow.
"Which was music to my ears," Armstrong says of his scouts comparing Neighbours to Morrow. "That's the type of player they think he can become."
Neighbours is described as a "deceptively fast skater who likes to get in on the forecheck. He plays with an edge and knows how to operate in any role offensively," according to Dobber Prospects.
3. Neighbours says he's more of a Matthew Tkachuk-type.
That's who he says he has emulated is game after, a combination of talent and being a pest, just like the St. Louis-born star of the Calgary Flames and son of Blues legend Keith Tkachuk.
"I love the way (Tkachuk) is always invested in scrums and being physical and being that presence out there," Neighbours says. "He does it all for them and that's something I try to emulate."
4. He's got a green thumb and a good heart.
All summer he's been growing a "Victory Garden" in partnership with Kubota Canada. The campaign helps promote Canadians to start their own garden to grow food and supports Food Banks Canada by donating a meal for every person who shares their #GrowStronger social media message.
Neighbours apparently has had the best luck with cucumbers and dill:
5. He's got an impressive highlight reel.
Since we can't imagine you've been watching a lot of his Edmonton Oil Kings junior team play in the Western Hockey League ... Here are his top highlights:
Jake Neighbours highlight reel from the WHL.#stlblues pic.twitter.com/kmiLxVUcBc
— STL Blues History (@STLBlueshistory) October 7, 2020
Neighbours has played the last three seasons with the Oil Kings. Last season, he tallied 23 goals and 47 assists (70 points) in 64 games.
The draft continues Wednesday as rounds two through seven are completed started at 10:30 a.m. The Blues don't have another pick until the third round.
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