Prospect Info: Blues 2023-2024 Prospect Thread

[Frenzy31]

Great interview. It goes into prospects are assets.... Pretty interesting to hear the quite part said out loud.

Army also really looks like he has aged quite a bit on the past few years.

 

[TK 421]

Great interview. It goes into prospects are assets.... Pretty interesting to hear the quite part said out loud.

Army also really looks like he has aged quite a bit on the past few years.

The other key part for me was when he was asked about Jake Neighbours. He starts by noting Jake arrived sooner than his peers drafted late in the 1st of the '20 draft and that most of that was Jake himself putting in the work but also that the Blues wanted to provide exactly the right environment at exactly the right time for him which obviously meant AHL time.

This is reflective of how they'll view their prized 19 year old center headed into camp in '24-'25. Dvorsky will likely be starting with Springfield to establish a foundation as a NA pro and have a chance at big minutes if his play warrants it. If he adjusts slow so what? Doesn't seem to be bothering Zach Dean in his 1st pro season despite an almost season long adjustment period. In that case Dvorsky can relax and just play his game in relative anonymity as a bottom 6 player as he adjusts. You've removed pressure from the equation entirely for the moment and allowed the players natural assertiveness to emerge when it's ready while providing them with the opportunity they need exactly when they need it. This is how monster growth is achieved in a relatively short amount of time in prospect development. I always laugh to myself when people say this is the slow path, it's actually the fast track. The slow path is throwing them at NHLers too early and risking stagnation or regression.

 

[ArenaRat]

The other key part for me was when he was asked about Jake Neighbours. He starts by noting Jake arrived sooner than his peers drafted late in the 1st of the '20 draft and that most of that was Jake himself putting in the work but also that the Blues wanted to provide exactly the right environment at exactly the right time for him which obviously meant AHL time.

This is reflective of how they'll view their prized 19 year old center headed into camp in '24-'25. Dvorsky will likely be starting with Springfield to establish a foundation as a NA pro and have a chance at big minutes if his play warrants it. If he adjusts slow so what? Doesn't seem to be bothering Zach Dean in his 1st pro season despite an almost season long adjustment period. In that case Dvorsky can relax and just play his game in relative anonymity as a bottom 6 player as he adjusts. You've removed pressure from the equation entirely for the moment and allowed the players natural assertiveness to emerge when it's ready while providing them with the opportunity they need exactly when they need it. This is how monster growth is achieved in a relatively short amount of time in prospect development. I always laugh to myself when people say this is the slow path, it's actually the fast track. The slow path is throwing them at NHLers too early and risking stagnation or regression.

Great observation. Slow down to go faster is a proven method.

 

[BadgersandBlues]

One of the things that I thought was interesting is that he talked about good skating teams - he specifically said, "We're not there yet, but we're getting better." I think he knows that the game is getting faster and you need to be able to move the puck quicker and transition up the ice - and he knows that the Schenn, Saad, Hayes, and Krugs of the world aren't those guys.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

The other key part for me was when he was asked about Jake Neighbours. He starts by noting Jake arrived sooner than his peers drafted late in the 1st of the '20 draft and that most of that was Jake himself putting in the work but also that the Blues wanted to provide exactly the right environment at exactly the right time for him which obviously meant AHL time.

This is reflective of how they'll view their prized 19 year old center headed into camp in '24-'25. Dvorsky will likely be starting with Springfield to establish a foundation as a NA pro and have a chance at big minutes if his play warrants it. If he adjusts slow so what? Doesn't seem to be bothering Zach Dean in his 1st pro season despite an almost season long adjustment period. In that case Dvorsky can relax and just play his game in relative anonymity as a bottom 6 player as he adjusts. You've removed pressure from the equation entirely for the moment and allowed the players natural assertiveness to emerge when it's ready while providing them with the opportunity they need exactly when they need it. This is how monster growth is achieved in a relatively short amount of time in prospect development. I always laugh to myself when people say this is the slow path, it's actually the fast track. The slow path is throwing them at NHLers too early and risking stagnation or regression.

Bingo.

Fans are starting to come around to this idea, but the whole, “he has nothing left to learn” in whatever developmental league is B.S. 95% of the time. Making the NHL and being an NHL players are vastly different things. Just because a player seems to dominate in a junior league doesn’t mean NHL readiness. The NHL is, frankly, unfathomably hard for any player to break into. We as fans have no clue how hard honestly. I don’t see a problem in spending a long look on these guys so we know that they are not only ready, but will be what we hope he can be.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Simon Robertsson is showing some life in Allsvenskan. 5 goals in 9 games. I sure hope we bring him over for a shot. I’ve been impressed with his play in prospect camps.

 

[execwrite1]

The T-Birds ground out an equalizer just 2:40 into the third when Tanner Dickinson crashed the blue paint to finish off a pass from Mikhail Abramov, bringing the score even at 2-2. It was Dickinson's second goal in his first three games as a T-Bird.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

The T-Birds ground out an equalizer just 2:40 into the third when Tanner Dickinson crashed the blue paint to finish off a pass from Mikhail Abramov, bringing the score even at 2-2. It was Dickinson's second goal in his first three games as a T-Bird.

So great to see. Happy for him after what he has been through.

 

[tfriede2]

Zherenko saved 53 of 56 in his return yesterday in a 7-3 win.

 

[execwrite1]

Zherenko saved 53 of 56 in his return yesterday in a 7-3 win.

And Leo drops the mitts

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

And Leo drops the mitts

Always have liked him back to his days in Sweden just crushing folks with solid hits.

 

[execwrite1]

Great fan support in Springfield. Super move by the Blues affiliating there.

.... before a seventh straight sellout crowd of 6,793.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Great fan support in Springfield. Super move by the Blues affiliating there.

.... before a seventh straight sellout crowd of 6,793.

I’d imagine as far as AHL destinations go, Springfield is probably one of the more desirable. Many of your main rivals quite close so shorter bus rides than most.

 

[PocketNines]

don't have an Athletic subscription but it didn't paywall me when I clicked Wheeler's top 75 drafted prospects

anyway he has The Midnight Snuggler tier 3 at #19, Dvorsky tier 4 at #30 and Stenberg tier 5 at #72. Scott Morrow is in the Dvorsky tier at 54

edit:

RHD
1. Nemec 2 tier 1 NJD
2. Clarke 3 tier 2 LA
3. Jiricek 10 tier 2 CBJ
4. Sandin Pelikka 24 tier 3 DET
5. Reinbacher 25 tier 3 MTL
6. Willander 28 tier 4 VAN
7. Luneau 48 tier 4 ANA
8. Morrow 54 tier 4 CAR

LHD
1. Nikishin 8 tier 2 CAR
2. Edvinsson 11 tier 3 DET
3. Hutson 14 tier 3 MTL
4. Zellweger 23 tier 3 ANA
5. Mateychuk 26 tier 4 CBJ
6. Molyndyk 32 tier 4 NSH
7. Simashev 43 tier 4 ANA

Dvorsky is #9 center and Snuggerud is #4 RW, Stenberg #23 center according to his rankings. Above Snuggy is Michkov (also #1 overall), Leonard #13 and Lekkerimaki #17. Above Dvorsky is Smith, Gauthier, Stankoven, Wright, Yurov, Savoie, Kulich and Moore.

 

[stl76]

^^^Lindstein and Bolduc are in the HM’s.

 

[Bonin21]

Snuggerud has basically been a non-factor for 12 games.
2-5-7 in that time, and ZERO 5 on 5 goals.

Seems like he has one foot out the door but he's in a for a rude awakening in the pros at this rate.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

Snuggerud has basically been a non-factor for 12 games.
2-5-7 in that time, and ZERO 5 on 5 goals.

Seems like he has one foot out the door but he's in a for a rude awakening in the pros at this rate.

Or he's in a slump...

 

[joe galiba]

Or he's in a slump.

a lot of scorers are streaky, the puck just doesn't always go in

 

[Majorityof1]

Or he's in a slump...

A slump while in college is concerning when people want him to join the NHL in a few weeks/months.

 

[Bonin21]

a lot of scorers are streaky, the puck just doesn't always go in

I wonder if he has gone 12 games without scoring 5 on 5 in his life.

 

[joe galiba]

I wonder if he has gone 12 games without scoring 5 on 5 in his life.

hope he uses it as an opportunity to learn to overcome adversity

 

[stl76]

I wonder if he has gone 12 games without scoring 5 on 5 in his life.

Rang one off the cross bar the other night against MI and generated several chances his line mates couldn’t finish. Fantastic end to that second game!

Agreed, he looks like he has 1 foot out the door. Frankly tho, it looked to me like he was frustrated playing with guys below his talent level and going thru a slump more than an attitude issue or something that would impact his future pro career.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I looked up Boeser, he had a 9 game stretch in his sophomore season where he didn't score a goal. Those expecting Snuggs to be Hull 2.0 are going to be disappointed, expecting Boeser type production is pretty reasonable. I don't want to go crazy with projections, but depending on who he plays with, I think he'll come in and be an immediate contributor. He will play a big role on the PP, and that could very well drive a bulk of his early production as his overall game develops during 5v5. He can step into that PP1 though since we don't really have anyone with his skillset.

Boeser is also someone that went from playing with future NHLers during his 1st year to some pretty significant downgrades in year 2.

 

[Bonin21]

Difference is Boeser was the man that first year and Snuggerud was the 3rd man. But the similarities are there.

 

[bleedblue1223]

But then, Snuggs had great performances at WJC, Boeser did not.