NHL.com

Fantasy Summary

Massive left-shot shutdown blue-liner who boasts a unique blend of mobility and reads. Doesn’t bring much offensively, but projects well as a bottom-pair play-killer.


Observations

June 2026 – Ralph signed a three-year entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues in April 2026. His deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $1.07M and runs through the 2028-29 season. The 20-year-old defender totaled 11 points in 37 games for Michigan State (NCAA) during the 2025-26 season. Ralph recorded two points in six games for the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) in the regular season before appearing in eight postseason games. He didn’t record a point and posted a minus-6 plus/minus rating in his first taste of pro playoff action. Ralph is a player to keep an eye on with a rebuild underway in St. Louis. Chris Babos

August 2025 – As expected and written about when he was drafted, Ralph is a big, towering shut down defenseman, and his NCAA rookie season showed a goal and seven assists in 35 games played. Ralph also featured in the World Juniors, winning gold with the United states. Your league settings will determine his value for you. If your league rewards defensive defensemen who can hit and block, but not show up on the scoresheet in other areas- he manages to stay out of the penalty box quite well- then he could be worth acquiring and stashing on the cheap to fill that role for you in a few years. Alex Wyatt

June 2024 – Ralph was selected in the second round, 48th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2024 NHL Draft. Hadi Kalakeche

June 2024 – Ralph is about as unique as a massive shutdown defenseman from the Prep school circuit can get. Although his size and reach serve him well against the rush, he adds an unusual level of mobility to the mix, on top of some solid reads and high-end awareness. Very little gets past him. But don’t be fooled by his 66 points in 57 games — he’s a black hole offensively. There isn’t much in terms of habits, and even less in terms of tools, to suggest he could be efficient enough on the puck to be anything else than a bottom-pair defenseman in the NHL. The one saving grace in his on-puck game is his ability to read the play on breakouts. If that works out, maybe he makes it as a number 4, but it’s a stretch. Hadi Kalakeche

Final rankings: 111th

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 5.0
NHL Certainty 6.0
Country USA
Position D
Roster Type AHL
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth October 4, 2005
Height 6‘4”
Weight 216 lbs
Drafted 2024 Round 2; Overall: 48
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Stats – Frozen Tools – Profile on FT

SeasonLeagueTeamGPGAPTSPIM+/-
2025-2026NCAAMichigan State Univ.37110112920
2025-2026AHLSpringfield Thunderbirds60220-2
2024-2025WJC-20USA U20701100
2024-2025NCAASt. Cloud State Univ.3517820-4
2023-2024USHS-PrepShattuck St. Mary's 18U Prep5785866300
2023-2024USHLDubuque Fighting Saints200000
2023-2024PHCShattuck St. Mary's 18U Prep141151640
2022-2023USHS-PrepShattuck St. Mary's 18U Prep5423335300
2022-2023PHCShattuck St. Mary's 18U Prep14167180
2021-2022USHS-MOKirkwood High1236920
2021-2022NAPHL 16UCarShield AAA 16U2821719260
2021-2022MNHPB16 - Section 4311200
2021-2022MNHPB16 - White (Final 54)302200
2021-202216U AAACarShield AAA 16U6333033550
2020-2021NAPHL 15UMN Walleye 15U AAA301100
2020-2021MNHP 15OMN Walleye 15U AAA903300
2019-2020NAPHL 16UOmaha Mastery 16U AAA401120

Highlights