ST. LOUIS — The Blues might have taken a risk, and now they’ll have to wait to see if the reward is realized.

With the 16th pick in the first round of Friday’s NHL draft, the Blues selected defenseman Adam Jiricek, the Czech defenseman who missed the last half of the season with a knee injury. Jiricek suffered the injury at the World Junior Championship, and his lack of recent playing time made him more of an unknown commodity in draft circles.

Jiricek became the highest-drafted defenseman by the Blues since 2008, when the organization took Alex Pietrangelo with the No. 4 pick.

Before the injury, Jiricek had one assist in 19 games playing for Plzen HC in Czechia. Jiricek — 6-2 and 167 pounds — is one of the youngest players in the draft this year and he turned 18 on Friday night. He was ranked by NHL Central Scouting as the fourth-best international skater.

Jiricek is the younger brother of David Jiricek, who was picked sixth by Columbus in 2022.

Before the draft, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong was asked about the organization’s philosophy surrounding injured players.

“You have to weigh the risk with the reward,” Armstrong said last week. “Modern medicine changes so much, too. Things (that) used to be career-ending injuries are now just on the shelf for a small bit and then back on the ice. It certainly adds another layer to the process that you go through to select a guy. Every injury is an injury on its own, but you have to do your research. I wouldn’t say we would totally back away from someone because of an injury that another player has healed up on in six to eight months, and plays another 15 years with.”

In selecting Jiricek, the Blues addressed a need for a top defenseman in their prospect pool. Across the previous eight years, St. Louis drafted 10 forwards in the first round and just one defenseman. That came last year, when the Blues used their third first-rounder on Swedish defenseman Theo Lindstein.

But St. Louis has restocked its prospect pipeline by filling its forward lines. Jake Neighbours just had a breakout season in the NHL. Zack Bolduc got a taste in St. Louis, as did trade acquisition Zach Dean. Jimmy Snuggerud and Dalibor Dvorsky had posted gaudy numbers in their respective amateur levels.

On defense, the Blues boast a first-rounder in Lindstein, but little firepower behind him. Michael Buchinger is developing and will turn pro this fall, and third-rounder Quinton Burns will hope for a healthy season after injuries interrupted his 2023-24 campaign.

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