Prospect Info: Blues 2023-2024 Prospect Thread

[LGB]

I disagree that he wasn't good in Allsvenskan. He put up similar numbers to players like Forsberg, Pettersson, and Bratt did while playing at the age of 17. Playing against men as a 17 year old is not a walk in the park.

I'm not talking about his production for a 17 year old. I'm saying he wasn't a top player for his team in the Swedish 2nd tier. Why would we put him in the NHL immediately?

 

[Linkens Mastery]

I'm not talking about his production for a 17 year old. I'm saying he wasn't a top player for his team in the Swedish 2nd tier. Why would we put him in the NHL immediately?

I don’t think he should be in the NHL next year either. But saying he was bad is untrue.

 

[LGB]

I don’t think he should be in the NHL next year either. But saying he was bad is untrue.

If you don't grade on a curve for age Dvorsky wasn't a very good player in the Allsvenskan last year. I don't think that's even arguable. He was mostly benched during post season play. I think he's a good prospect, but he has a lot of development to do and I'd be surprised if he was an NHL regular even in 24/25.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

If you don't grade on a curve for age Dvorsky wasn't a very good player in the Allsvenskan last year. I don't think that's even arguable. He was mostly benched during post season play. I think he's a good prospect, but he has a lot of development to do and I'd be surprised if he was an NHL regular even in 24/25.

So I have to ignore what a 17 year old does compared to 17 year Olds in the same league and grade him solely against the 23-37 year old he plays against? Among all 17 year olds in the past he 10th all time in Points/PG, 11th all time in Goal/PG, and 13th all time in Assists/PG at the current time. I'm sorry but that doesn't scream bad. He's 100% not ready for the NHL. And I'm not saying he is ready. Just that he was not bad.

 

[LGB]

So I have to ignore what a 17 year old does compared to 17 year Olds in the same league and grade him solely against the 23-37 year old he plays against? Among all 17 year olds in the past he 10th all time in Points/PG, 11th all time in Goal/PG, and 13th all time in Assists/PG at the current time. I'm sorry but that doesn't scream bad. He's 100% not ready for the NHL. And I'm not saying he is ready. Just that he was not bad.

You can compare him to whoever you want. I was saying he will not be in the NHL this year as a few people were thinking he might push for a roster spot.

 

[Blueswin]

Tim Taylor video

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

So I have to ignore what a 17 year old does compared to 17 year Olds in the same league and grade him solely against the 23-37 year old he plays against? Among all 17 year olds in the past he 10th all time in Points/PG, 11th all time in Goal/PG, and 13th all time in Assists/PG at the current time. I'm sorry but that doesn't scream bad. He's 100% not ready for the NHL. And I'm not saying he is ready. Just that he was not bad.

If we're projecting when he'll be NHL ready, its a lot more useful to compare him to grown men.

I'm really excited about him. I think the notion he can challenge for a roster spot now is just enthusiasm talking without reason. Doesn't mean he won't be a difference maker for this team in the future, but he needs some seasoning and maturation.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

If we're projecting when he'll be NHL ready, its a lot more useful to compare him to grown men.

I'm really excited about him. I think the notion he can challenge for a roster spot now is just enthusiasm talking without reason. Doesn't mean he won't be a difference maker for this team in the future, but he needs some seasoning and maturation.

I did not say he was ready.

 

[542365]

I've seen some quotes online about the Lindstein pick, either bashing taking safe players in the 1st round or cherry picking a quote from a team that didn't have him in their 1st 4 rounds. A couple things with that bother me. I'm sure there are a ton of teams that regret picking other defensemen ahead of someone like Carlo or other defensemen taken in the late 1st or later that project to be defensive defensemen for the 2nd pair. And if you are going to cherry pick a quote from some random NHL team about a prospect, it doesn't really mean anything, they could be the worst drafting/scouting team in the league and their opinion means very little compared to a team with a better track record.

I had the same reaction to the Lindstein pick. He might very well be a solid top 4 defensive Dman, but those types of players are available in trade and free agency pretty regularly. When you have three first round picks and have spent the first two on relatively safe forwards, I would’ve taken a bigger swing with the third one. He’ll likely be an NHLer, but will he be more than a Mikkola type? Is that worth a late first in what is thought of as a great draft. It will be interesting to see how Lindstein and Gulyayev compare in a few seasons. Safe versus more aggressive home run swing pick. I would’ve preferred the latter.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I had the same reaction to the Lindstein pick. He might very well be a solid top 4 defensive Dman, but those types of players are available in trade and free agency pretty regularly. When you have three first round picks and have spent the first two on relatively safe forwards, I would’ve taken a bigger swing with the third one. He’ll likely be an NHLer, but will he be more than a Mikkola type? Is that worth a late first in what is thought of as a great draft. It will be interesting to see how Lindstein and Gulyayev compare in a few seasons. Safe versus more aggressive home run swing pick. I would’ve preferred the latter.

If you think he is like Miko I can only assume you’ve never seen him play.

 

[Blueswin]

From Flo hockey

St. Louis Blues: Dalibor Dvorsky, C​

I am such a believer in Jimmy Snuggerud, who went in the first round to St. Louis last year. Also Zachary Bolduc has shown a low of promise as a top-tier offensive talent in the last few years in junior. That said, I think Dvorsky's value as a two-way center with scoring pop puts him atop the prospect pool. It isn't by a significant margin, but St. Louis is starting to build up a young core that they should be able to rely on more in the next two to three years.

Dvorsky has more development to do and I think he's got big-time potential. While I think Snuggerud can be a top-line wing, I think Dvorsky ends up no worse than a No. 2 center. He can drive play, get after it defensively and he's got a goal-scorer's shot. The combination of skills he brings to the table could allow him to impact the lineup in more ways than the other two players.

The top of the Blues' prospect system got a very nice boost, particularly with Dvorsky and Otto Stenberg.

 

[ezcreepin]

If you suspect Snuggerud has a good chance of being on the team next year, that's two years after he was drafted. Do you expect Stenberg to make the team one year from now?

What I mean to say is Bolduc and Snuggerud carve out this sort of top 6 forward role, one who is less engaged in the defensive work, one who will hound the puck but aren't touted as strong defensive players. Maybe that changes, but at this time I haven't heard that comp yet. Dvorsky is absolutely a two-way threat, and Stenberg has the comp as a two-way threat and appears to have great hockey sense. I think Dvorsky and Stenberg will contribute more than Snuggerud and Bolduc will with both their defense and offense, whereas the latter guys may struggle the first year but could outpace the former in overall scoring. This is just how I feel right now and this could all change based on how guys perform this coming year, but contributions from both offense and defense would almost surely go to Dvorsky and Stenberg.

 

[DatDude44]

What I mean to say is Bolduc and Snuggerud carve out this sort of top 6 forward role, one who is less engaged in the defensive work, one who will hound the puck but aren't touted as strong defensive players. Maybe that changes, but at this time I haven't heard that comp yet. Dvorsky is absolutely a two-way threat, and Stenberg has the comp as a two-way threat and appears to have great hockey sense. I think Dvorsky and Stenberg will contribute more than Snuggerud and Bolduc will with both their defense and offense, whereas the latter guys may struggle the first year but could outpace the former in overall scoring. This is just how I feel right now and this could all change based on how guys perform this coming year, but contributions from both offense and defense would almost surely go to Dvorsky and Stenberg.

Dvorsky
Snuggy
Stenberg
Bolduc

For me

 

[ezcreepin]

Dvorsky
Snuggy
Stenberg
Bolduc

For me

I think that's probably reasonable. I think we all agree Bolduc has the lowest floor of the bunch. I can't say for sure how close Snuggerud and Stenberg are, but the two-way play is going to add to the value of a player for me unless of course Snuggerud comes out with 60 points his first year.

 

[DatDude44]

I think that's probably reasonable. I think we all agree Bolduc has the lowest floor of the bunch. I can't say for sure how close Snuggerud and Stenberg are, but the two-way play is going to add to the value of a player for me unless of course Snuggerud comes out with 60 points his first year.

Snuggerud defensive stick and ability on the walls and in pursuit of the puck is impressive, he’s smart defensively and breaks up a lot of plays. I’d be shocked if Stenberg were an even better defensive player. I haven’t studied him as much yet

 

[ezcreepin]

Snuggerud defensive stick and ability on the walls and in pursuit of the puck is impressive, he’s smart defensively and breaks up a lot of plays. I’d be shocked if Stenberg were an even better defensive player. I haven’t studied him as much yet

Right on, I'll trust your scouting of Snuggy. I don't know his defensive game really well so I could be totally off base

 

[STL fan in MN]

I had the same reaction to the Lindstein pick. He might very well be a solid top 4 defensive Dman, but those types of players are available in trade and free agency pretty regularly. When you have three first round picks and have spent the first two on relatively safe forwards, I would’ve taken a bigger swing with the third one. He’ll likely be an NHLer, but will he be more than a Mikkola type? Is that worth a late first in what is thought of as a great draft. It will be interesting to see how Lindstein and Gulyayev compare in a few seasons. Safe versus more aggressive home run swing pick. I would’ve preferred the latter.

Lindstein’s hands and hockey sense are both way better than Mikkola’s. Mikkola treats the puck like a grenade; Lindstein is a transition machine.

I get the safe vs potential home run preference but I think you’re way underestimating Lindstein.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

If we're projecting when he'll be NHL ready, its a lot more useful to compare him to grown men.

I'm really excited about him. I think the notion he can challenge for a roster spot now is just enthusiasm talking without reason. Doesn't mean he won't be a difference maker for this team in the future, but he needs some seasoning and maturation.

This. Best player there, but go get stronger and work on your skating. I wouldn’t rule out next year, but no need to rush him

Snuggerud defensive stick and ability on the walls and in pursuit of the puck is impressive, he’s smart defensively and breaks up a lot of plays. I’d be shocked if Stenberg were an even better defensive player. I haven’t studied him as much yet

He must be hurt or out of shape. Played better last year and in his college season. Played lazy.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

After the final day of prospect camp I have put together my most impressive players and most disappointing players. Before I start though I will say the talent at this camp was a lot better than last year. Our prospect pool is deep now and I think players know they need to stand out in order to make it which is good to see a few rise to the occasion. If a player isn't on this list he simply met my expectations.

Impressive:
Ivan Vorobyov (86): The most impressive player to me by a mile was Vorobyov. I was excited to see him as I had heard he was doing great in the VHL but wow did he impress. He was the second best player at camp behind Dvorsky and that's saying something because there were a lot of impressive players. Overall he shows amazing hands and could be a high end playmaker at the next level. On top of that his compete was amazing and he was constantly on the backcheck and stealing pucks. Truly an amazing camp. I think he is going back to the KHL for one year and then will likely join the Blues where I could see him push for a roster spot next year.
Updated Projection: Top 6 Play Driver

Dalibor Dvorsky (54): Dvorsky is the most talented 18 year old I have seen at a Blues camp. He showed why he was the 10th pick and teams in front of us are probably going to regret passing on him. It seemed like every one on one with the goalie he would score and his shot was just overall very impressive. On top of that he was just dominate at using his body to protect the puck and fight through traffic. He showed high end offensive and defensive awareness and had great positioning. One of the other things I loved is he took this camp seriously. He wants to make the team year one and is doing everything in his power to do just that. You love to see that from a high end player and pick. I think he could play in the NHL year one and put together a solid season but with how loaded our forward group is I think Dvorsky will go to the SHL this upcoming year and hopefully dominate. I expect him to make the roster as a 19 year old next year and am excited to see him play in the future.
Updated Projection: Number 1 Center

Tanner Dickinson (78): Again, for a player coming off a broken leg he was incredible. Great speed, high end passing, and a high level of compete. He showed no fear going into the corners even after a major injury. I will say he sometimes takes too long to make a play or shoot the puck but that could just be him adjusting to game speed again. He will go to the AHL for this upcoming year and hopefully stay healthy for an entire season. I could see him starting the season slow but near the end he could start dominating. He has an exciting future ahead of him.
Updated Projection: Top 9 playmaker

Michael Buchinger (62): Buchinger has such a high level of awareness and he just processes the game faster than almost any player on the ice (maybe Stenberg does better but still). He makes hard, accurate passes and isn't afraid to join the rush to make a play. He is the Blues best defensive prospect and the closest to making an impact in the NHL. He could be the perfect modern day dman. The other thing I love is he has a high compete level and actually has really good defensive positioning.
Updated Projection: Top 4 Two-Way Defender

Otto Stenberg (70): I think Stenberg thinks faster than any other prospect the Blues have. He is constantly looking to set his linemates up and if they aren't open he doesn't hesitate to shoot the puck. He could be a real steal at 25 and I am excited to see how he performs in the SHL this upcoming year.
Updated Projection: Top 6 Winger

Theo Lindstein (77): Lindstein has perfect defensive positioning and great stickwork. He is the ideal modern day defensive dman. He also has a heck of a shot and most times if he is one on one with the goalie he will score. He just needs more confidence in himself as a player and hopefully that comes as he matures. I think he could be better offensively but most times he settles for the easy pass or dumping the puck off to his defensive partner. If he improves his offense he could be an amazing 2 way defender but if not I still think he has top 4 upside as a steady defender.
Updated Projection: Top 4 Defensive Dman

Juraj Pekarcik (88): Pekarcik has the most raw talent of all our prospects. He already has great size and just needs to continue to add strength as he gets older. He can pull off highlight real moves with ease. Sometimes he gets a little overwhelmed though or he can rush a play. Again right now he is not mature and that will come with time but a few years down the line I see Pekarcik being the Blues best prospect if all goes right.
Updated Projection: Top 6 Winger

Dylan Peterson (71): The reason Peterson is here is because I had zero expectations for him coming into camp. Now I'm left wanting more from him which isn't a bad thing. He has the perfect build for a hockey player with great height, strength, and speed. He also has a powerful shot. The problem is his stickwork and awareness are overall brutal. If those don't improve slightly he won't even make the NHL. He has to know this though and I would imagine he goes back to Boston for a year and focuses on stick work and passing. I think he could have a career route like Torpo if all goes right.
Updated Projection: Fringe NHLer

Dissapointing:

Zach Bolduc (76): Bolduc has some of the highest skill of any of the Blues prospects. He simply doesn't try most times and doesn't care about backchecking or going into the corners. He got outworked by almost every player defensively which is just rough. Bolduc knows the reason he got sent down so early last year was his poor 2 way game so you would expect him to be trying harder but he just isn't. He is the type of player who would be very good in the top 6 but just can't play a bottom 6 role. Usually those types of players struggle to make it in the NHL. Another thing is for how much floating he does he needs to finish more of his chances. He pulls off the amazing goal once in a while but a lot of times nothing comes from his opportunities. He is still a while away and hopefully time in the AHL will help round out his game or just teach him to try harder.
Updated Projection: Powerplay Specialist

Jimmy Snuggerud (81): I thought Snuggerud would dominate this camp and he just didn't. Really nothing stood out at all. Apparently he was battling soreness so that makes his play make sense. Even if he was sore though I would expect his shot to be better and I'm not sure if he had a goal the entire prospect camp (correct me if I'm wrong maybe I missed it). He does have NHL size and speed and showed some effort on the backcheck so those are all good signs for his future. He will go back to college this year and hopefully dominate with Cooley again before possibly joining the Blues late in the season.
Updated Projection: Top 6 Powerplay Specialist

Simon Robertsson (80): I will say I didn't have the highest expectations for Robertsson so I almost didn't put him on this list but I just wanted to say a few things about him. He is years away still which is completely fine. He needs to add more strength and improve his decision making but he does have NHL size and speed and is a hard worker. He skates with his head down a lot which limits his ability to be a threat offensively because by the time he looks up he is out of position. I would bring him over to the AHL so he can get consistent playing time because right now overseas he keeps getting bounced around and I think that has hurt his development.
Updated Projection: Fringe NHLer/Overseas Player

Best Tryout:

Colton Huard (67): Get this man a contract. Every day he showed up with a lot of skill and I was overall impressed with his play. At the start I thought he was a forward because of how often he was in the rush but turns out he is a dman. He was fast and has great size (6'3 - 200). The Blues desperately need defensive prospects and Huard could give us a promising one. He will likely go back to New Hampshire for this upcoming year but I think after that the Blues should attempt to sign him. Very impressive for a tryout.


If you made it through the entire list hopefully you enjoyed the read. If anyone else wants to add to the list feel free!

It’s a nice write up, but I question your defensive call on Bolduc. On two different occasions he caught and broke up breakaways the defense couldn’t catch. One was a 2-0 he turned into a 3 on 1, broke it up and turned it into a breakaway with a slick pass the other way that wasn't converted on. Several guys cheated like Vorobyov often. He wasn’t one of them.

My biggest take? Follmer is terrible. Yikes!
Write up more later.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

I just listened to the 32 thoughts episode immediate post draft where they had Jason Bukala on. He made it very clear that he loved the Stenberg pick. And said that he had him as a top 10 pick on his board. So some pretty high praise there.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Lindstein’s hands and hockey sense are both way better than Mikkola’s. Mikkola treats the puck like a grenade; Lindstein is a transition machine.

I get the safe vs potential home run preference but I think you’re way underestimating Lindstein.

Agreed. I think with defender like lindstein it’s hard for folks to conceptualize that he is both safe and a potential home run. he is safe bc (once he gains man strength) he is basically plug and play as solid top 4 d. But I think that with his skating and passing and smarts, once he gains more confidence against men there is untapped offensive potential. He is never going to be Erik karlsson, but if he plays 23 minutes a night and keys transition game that is a home run. Nobody would be disappointed if he was the next Scott Niedermayer.

 

[542365]

If you think he is like Miko I can only assume you’ve never seen him play.

I’ve not seen much of him, but scouts have pretty universally said he’s solid defensively and will likely never be productive offensively. We just had a deal in place for a guy like that and the cost was a horrible contract and a late 1st. Gunnarsson was had for very little. Scandella too. Hjalmarsson, maybe the best defensive D of the generation, was had for 2 B prospects etc. It’s a relatively easy position to fill. In the draft I’d rather go after harder to obtain talents because it’s by far the cheapest way to obtain them.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I’ve not seen much of him, but scouts have pretty universally said he’s solid defensively and will likely never be productive offensively. We just had a deal in place for a guy like that and the cost was a horrible contract and a late 1st. Gunnarsson was had for very little. Scandella too. Hjalmarsson, maybe the best defensive D of the generation, was had for 2 B prospects etc. It’s a relatively easy position to fill. In the draft I’d rather go after harder to obtain talents because it’s by far the cheapest way to obtain them.

Competent d is fairly cheap, you are correct. but combine that with elite transition and its much rarer and far more valuable.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I also don't agree with the idea that homerun swings in the late 1st and even 2nd result in stud top pair guys, you are typically talking about guys like DeAngelo that have a ton of talent, but plenty of other holes in their game. Or even looking at Gulyayev. If we want to say Lindstein is someone that you can acquire fairly easily, you can also fairly easily acquire a PP QB that is under 6 ft. A guy like Tyson Barrie.

 

[DatDude44]

Agreed. I think with defender like lindstein it’s hard for folks to conceptualize that he is both safe and a potential home run. he is safe bc (once he gains man strength) he is basically plug and play as solid top 4 d. But I think that with his skating and passing and smarts, once he gains more confidence against men there is untapped offensive potential. He is never going to be Erik karlsson, but if he plays 23 minutes a night and keys transition game that is a home run. Nobody would be disappointed if he was the next Scott Niedermayer.

Easy there, he's certainly not HOF'er Scott Niedermayer, but that said, if he becomes our Niklas Hjalmarsson or a younger version of what Martinez was for Vegas this season, I'd be thrilled. Anything more is just gravy

I think the opportunity for us to land our next pietrangelo will be at the 2024 draft, kinda hoping we suck again just one more season lmao