Prospect Info: Blues 2024-2025 Prospect Thread

[TheOrganist]

If he’s not quite ready for the AHL then where else is he supposed to go? He could go back to Europe but he came over here to learn the language and adapt to the smaller ice surface so that doesn’t seem to be in the cards either.

Interesting that the tool man confirmed Pekarcik will be playing in the CHL but he couldn’t say which team yet. As of today, Acadie–Bathurst owns his CHL rights. But he clearly doesn’t want to play there. My guess is the Blues are trying to facilitate a trade to a more desirable location. BUT I’m almost certain they can only trade him to other Q teams. He can’t be traded to the O or Dub. So maybe Gateneau? That’s essentially Ottawa.

There was some talk over on the prospects board that perhaps A-B lost Pekarcik’s rights since they had the max 2 imports on their roster last season but that seems to not be the case as if so, someone would’ve selected him again in this year’s import draft, which was today. I’ll look forward to hearing where he’ll eventually be playing this season.

I think he's saying he could always just play another year in Dubuque...

 

[DatDude44]

Nikita Susuyev is disgusting. Easily our highest ceiling prospect outside of Dvorsky and Snuggy. Hope we can get him to NA in a year or two.

Love his speed, compete level, mental processing ability and vision.

He made so many nice hockey sense/skill plays.

Everyone losing it over Dvorskys goal last night when he was all alone in front, go watch the 10 seconds before and see the play Susuyev made to set him up


If we can find a top pair caliber LHD we’re gonna be in serious business 2026 and beyond.


Our prospect pool is better than people realize. Outside our obvious guys and 1st rd picks. We have a bunch of guys I could see carving out impactful NHL roles like Susuyev, Stancl, Kaskimaki, Pekarcik and Lukas Fischer

 

[BluesReport25]

After the final day of prospect camp I have put together my thoughts on each player at the camp. For players I was impressed with I will write a little more and players that met my expectations I will write less for. Our prospect pool continues to get deeper and it's a struggle to see how all of these highly touted prospects will fit in the NHL There will be a lot of competition amongst these players over the upcoming years to make the NHL, which isn't a bad thing. People will always have differing opinions when watching these players so let me know your thoughts.

Team Tkachuk:

Ondrej Kos (36): This kid already has NHL size and speed. Really nice backcheck ability and he likes to drive the net offensively. He clearly needs a lot of time to refine his offensive game and he was just drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL which would be a great spot for him to go instead of going back overseas. If all goes right this kid could be a star defensive forward. The thing is does he make the NHL with his current offensive toolkit, unlikely.
Projection: Bottom 6 PK specialist

Adam Jecho (39): Another massive forward here. For such a big guy I thought he moved pretty well. He has some good hands and nice agility to pair with good vision. I think the big thing holding him back is he looks weak to me. His shot and passes don't have any power behind them and if he can add like 25lbs of muscle over the next 2 years he could become a force to deal with. I'd also like to see him utilize his body more and his reach defensively but those are things you can work on. Overall I was pretty impressed with him I'm surprised he fell to 95th.
Projection: 3rd line center

Lukas Fischer (43): The Blues second round pick has ideal NHL size and speed for a dman. On top of that I really liked his vision and defensive positioning. It's always hard to tell how good of a defensive player someone is at these camps but I will say Fischer was actively trying to clear the net break plays up along the board. He definitely needs to add weight but I see a lot of potential in his game. I also think his offense is there though I would like to see him utilize his shot more.
Projection: Number 4 defender

Will McIsaac (56): I honestly didn't see much from McIsaac. I think he's more of a steady stay at home dman and those type of players don't shine in camps like this. He had a few flashes where I saw him but for the most part I didn't notice him. I will say he's a righty and pretty big which help his NHL odds.
Projection: AHL dman

Michael Buchinger (62): Every year Buchinger impresses me. He is clearly the Blues most talented offensive dman in their prospect pool. He has great breakout passes and is so calm with the puck and always looking for the best play. I like his stick defensively too and he is always looking to join the rush. Overall he's a really talented player but the Blues don't seem to like guys that play his style I.E. Dunn and Perunovich.
Projection: Top 6 PP specalist

Otto Stenberg (67): First I'd like to say who gave Stenberg 67 that's just horrible...Besides that Stenberg looked like a beast. He's a true driver and always the most noticable player when he's on the ice. He has a ton of energy and is always driving towards the net and wanting his teammates to drive the net. He pairs great vision and passing with a really good shot. The Blues have a keeper here. He's a player that should be able to play anywhere in the lineup when he's ready which will greatly help his odds of making the team.
Projection: Top 6, all situations winger

Arseni Koromyslov (68): First time seeing Koromyslov, first thing that stood out to me is he is very poised. He never looked panicked and he shouldn't I mean he's been playing against men for most of the past 2 years. Offensively he made a few nice passes but other than that it feels like he is a dman that is at his best when you don't notice him. I have a hard time seeing him as an NHLer with the Blues given how loaded our prospect pool is on the left side so it's hard to project him in the lineup.
Projection: 3rd pair dman

Marc-Andre Gaudet (73): Gaudet has a wicked shot for a dman but he just seems to be missing something. His offense is clearly there but defensively he doesn't have the best stick. He reminds me of a point producing AHLer who is a fringe NHL guy (similar to Rosen).
Projection: AHLer

Theo Lindstein (74): Poise. That is the name of the game for Lindstein. He never looks rushed or pressured and is always making the right play in the right moment. He had a few shifts where he just took over offensively and looked dominate, I'd love to see more of that from him. Defensively, he has a great stick and looked good in the corners. I, unlike others, just don't see enough talent from him to be a true top pair dman. I've always thought he will be an excellent 2nd pair dman and I still think that is the case. I will say he looked a lot bigger and more confident than last year and of any of the Blues dmen he has the highest chance of being a top pair defender.
Projection: Top 4 dman

Tanner Dickinson (78): Same as last year, sparkplug who is noticeable on every shift. Always giving 110% but is destined to be an AHLer with the Blues. If given the chance he could be a Walker like player in the bottom 6 on an NHL team.
Projection: AHLer

Jimmy Snuggerud (81): Snuggerud looked better than last year but still doesn't wow me. These camps are just not meant for players like him. That was proven to me by Bolduc who looked bad in these camps and then looks amazing in the NHL. Snuggerud showcased his quick and accurate shot and he looked a bit quicker and stronger which is good to see.
Projection: Top 6 winger

Juraj Pekarcik (85): Pekarcik is still raw but he might be the most talented Blues prospect in terms of natural ability. My biggest concern with him is I don't think his brain can keep up with his hands and foot speed. He loses the puck a ton in his feet and seems like a very turnover prone player. I know a lot of what I said was negative there so let me end on a bright note. Pekarick has the potential to be a truly elite difference maker in the NHL, he's that talented, it's just a matter of time. He needs a lot of time and next year it seems like he's going to the CHL which to me is the wrong choice (I would've rather him go to college for 2 years and then the AHL) but the Blues seem to think it's the right move and I trust their scouting.
Projection: Top 6 winger

Team MacInnis:

Colin Ralph (41): This kid is big and raw. At the start of camp he looked so nervous with the puck and looked like he just didn't want the puck anywhere near him. As camp went on he looked more poised and confident with the puck which is great to see. He has amazing speed and agility for being such a big player but he needs a LOT of time to develop. The good news is he's going to a smaller school where he should play a ton of minutes and his confidence should grow a lot. I'm excited to see him at this camp next year to see how he's grown as a player. I see what the Blues like in him, but I still think this pick might've been a reach especially with Stiga and Artamonov on the board.
Projection: Bottom 4 defensive dman

Tomas Mrsic (46): One of the biggest standouts to me at this camp, Mrsic has great hands and a lethal shot. He arguably has one of the best shots already from a Blues prospect and I'm not sure how he fell to the 4th round. The rest of his game is just average but with an elite shot and elite hands, you can become a really valuable player. I'm excited to see him develop next year on a loaded Tigers team.
Projection: Middle 6 winger

Dalibor Dvorsky (54): The one that everyone wants to hear about. Dvorsky has a lot on the line this camp as he is trying to make the NHL team. I'll start with the negatives and then go to the positives. I think Dvorsky needs to be more engaged. He is so laid back that you lose him on the ice and that shouldn't happen with a player of his talent. You'd like to see more energy and pace from Dvorsky and I'm sure that's what the Blues will ask from him (that's a hard thing to teach). Now on to the positives, Dvorsky has an elite shot. And I mean truly elite. If he is one on one with the goalie, he is putting the puck in the net. He has great hands around the net and just makes goalies look silly with his moves. On top of that he's an elite passer and he can create open lanes for his teammtes with some quick moves. Also, I don't think I saw him lose a faceoff. He has a very active stick defensively and broke up a lot of plays which is great to see. Dvorsky is going to be a keeper, if he can increase his pace and get more involved he could very easily be a star.
Projection: Number 1 center

Antoine Dorion (58): Didn't notice him a ton but when I did it was usually a great play. He has an awkward skating stride and is clearly a long way away but that is expected for a 7th round pick.
Projection: Fringe AHLer

Isaiah Norlin (61): The one tryout that I'm going to mention. I really hope the Blues can sign Norlin after his college season. He's massive and yet such a fluid skater. He never seemed pressured and he made some really good breakout passes. On top of that he's a rare right handed dman. He reminds me of Parayko a bit and that's saying something. Overall I was extremely impressed with his game and have high hopes for him in the future if the Blues sign him.
Projection: Top 6 dman

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (65): Really not impressive for me. I was expecting more from him as one of the older prospects and he just didn't deliver. He looks like a career overseas player to me. He does have good speed.
Projection: Fringe AHLer/Career Overseas Player

Dylan Peterson (71): Another player I wanted more from. Through 4 years of college, Peterson still hasn't learned how to use his body and he doesn't have good enough senses or visions to ever be a threat offensively. I will say he could be an elite defensive player as his backcheck and stick work are really good. Reminds me a lot of Torpo but without the stick work.
Projection: AHLer

Simon Robertsson (80): The Blues failed Robertsson. They let him get buried overseas for years and he is no better than he was in his draft year. He always shows signs of being good offensively but it's getting to the point where it's too late for him. I would bet he's in the ECHL this year.
Projection: Overseas player

Nikita Susuyev (88): The Blues always seem to hit on their late round Russian prospects. Susuyev showed a ton of skill and had great hands and offensive instincts. He's signed in Russia for a LONG time but when/if he comes over he could be a really good player.
Projection: Top 9 winger

Quinton Burns (92): Burns looked pretty solid to me. Nothing special but nothing really bad either. It's hard for a physical player like him to show a lot in camps like this. He does have NHL size and good speed but after the Blues drafted so many LHD it's hard to see a future where Burns makes the NHL with the Blues.
Projection: 7th dman

Paul Fischer (94) + Matt Mayich (95): Both players didn't show much to me. Fischer has some upside to work with but Mayich looks no better than last year and I'd be surprised if the Blues even sign him.

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

 

[ezcreepin]

Nikita Susuyev is disgusting. Easily our highest ceiling prospect outside of Dvorsky and Snuggy. Hope we can get him to NA in a year or two.

Love his speed, compete level, mental processing ability and vision.

He made so many nice hockey sense/skill plays.

Everyone losing it over Dvorskys goal last night when he was all alone in front, go watch the 10 seconds before and see the play Susuyev made to set him up


If we can find a top pair caliber LHD we’re gonna be in serious business 2026 and beyond.


Our prospect pool is better than people realize. Outside our obvious guys and 1st rd picks. We have a bunch of guys I could see carving out impactful NHL roles like Susuyev, Stancl, Kaskimaki, Pekarcik and Lukas Fischer

It seems like the Blues have done a much better job as of late in identifying the attributes they want on their team and discerning the character of players that would make them more likely to hit their ceiling. Guys like Lindstein, Dvorsky, Stenberg, Kaskimaki, Pekarcik, Snuggerud, Bolduc, Neighbours, Toropchenko, etc all seem to have a really high drive to play the game tough and get better at hockey. They all seem like really nice kids too, but combined with their skill and temperament, they all (and have) seem like they will get close if not reach the ceiling the Blues think they have.

Take for example Toropchenko, guy has hands of stone, but it was clear seeing him that he outworked everyone, skated better than everyone, and was a massive kid. He needed time to mature and develop his craft, but I remember saying years ago that if he can adapt to playing on the penalty kill, that I can see him being a 20 point player. I'm happy to say I was right about my assessment and he has become an important depth player for us.

Or Neighbours, he showed obvious skill, but his skating and covid limited him a little bit. He worked a lot, got chances, and then something finally clicked and he understood what role he could play effectively. I don't know what we can expect from him next year, but to break out this past year and nearly score 30 goals is impressive when you look at the kind of player he is. I'd definitely like him to improve his skating some more and develop a better ability to distribute the puck, but he's been a quality 26th overall selection.

 

[Mike Liut]

This is my favorite time of the year. The draft, the prospect camp and the write ups from all you guys.

 

[Mike Liut]

Isn’t Susuyev coming over for prospect camp a good sign he wants to eventually come over?

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

After the final day of prospect camp I have put together my thoughts on each player at the camp. For players I was impressed with I will write a little more and players that met my expectations I will write less for. Our prospect pool continues to get deeper and it's a struggle to see how all of these highly touted prospects will fit in the NHL There will be a lot of competition amongst these players over the upcoming years to make the NHL, which isn't a bad thing. People will always have differing opinions when watching these players so let me know your thoughts.

Team Tkachuk:

Ondrej Kos (36): This kid already has NHL size and speed. Really nice backcheck ability and he likes to drive the net offensively. He clearly needs a lot of time to refine his offensive game and he was just drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL which would be a great spot for him to go instead of going back overseas. If all goes right this kid could be a star defensive forward. The thing is does he make the NHL with his current offensive toolkit, unlikely.
Projection: Bottom 6 PK specialist

Adam Jecho (39): Another massive forward here. For such a big guy I thought he moved pretty well. He has some good hands and nice agility to pair with good vision. I think the big thing holding him back is he looks weak to me. His shot and passes don't have any power behind them and if he can add like 25lbs of muscle over the next 2 years he could become a force to deal with. I'd also like to see him utilize his body more and his reach defensively but those are things you can work on. Overall I was pretty impressed with him I'm surprised he fell to 95th.
Projection: 3rd line center

Lukas Fischer (43): The Blues second round pick has ideal NHL size and speed for a dman. On top of that I really liked his vision and defensive positioning. It's always hard to tell how good of a defensive player someone is at these camps but I will say Fischer was actively trying to clear the net break plays up along the board. He definitely needs to add weight but I see a lot of potential in his game. I also think his offense is there though I would like to see him utilize his shot more.
Projection: Number 4 defender

Will McIsaac (56): I honestly didn't see much from McIsaac. I think he's more of a steady stay at home dman and those type of players don't shine in camps like this. He had a few flashes where I saw him but for the most part I didn't notice him. I will say he's a righty and pretty big which help his NHL odds.
Projection: AHL dman

Michael Buchinger (62): Every year Buchinger impresses me. He is clearly the Blues most talented offensive dman in their prospect pool. He has great breakout passes and is so calm with the puck and always looking for the best play. I like his stick defensively too and he is always looking to join the rush. Overall he's a really talented player but the Blues don't seem to like guys that play his style I.E. Dunn and Perunovich.
Projection: Top 6 PP specalist

Otto Stenberg (67): First I'd like to say who gave Stenberg 67 that's just horrible...Besides that Stenberg looked like a beast. He's a true driver and always the most noticable player when he's on the ice. He has a ton of energy and is always driving towards the net and wanting his teammates to drive the net. He pairs great vision and passing with a really good shot. The Blues have a keeper here. He's a player that should be able to play anywhere in the lineup when he's ready which will greatly help his odds of making the team.
Projection: Top 6, all situations winger

Arseni Koromyslov (68): First time seeing Koromyslov, first thing that stood out to me is he is very poised. He never looked panicked and he shouldn't I mean he's been playing against men for most of the past 2 years. Offensively he made a few nice passes but other than that it feels like he is a dman that is at his best when you don't notice him. I have a hard time seeing him as an NHLer with the Blues given how loaded our prospect pool is on the left side so it's hard to project him in the lineup.
Projection: 3rd pair dman

Marc-Andre Gaudet (73): Gaudet has a wicked shot for a dman but he just seems to be missing something. His offense is clearly there but defensively he doesn't have the best stick. He reminds me of a point producing AHLer who is a fringe NHL guy (similar to Rosen).
Projection: AHLer

Theo Lindstein (74): Poise. That is the name of the game for Lindstein. He never looks rushed or pressured and is always making the right play in the right moment. He had a few shifts where he just took over offensively and looked dominate, I'd love to see more of that from him. Defensively, he has a great stick and looked good in the corners. I, unlike others, just don't see enough talent from him to be a true top pair dman. I've always thought he will be an excellent 2nd pair dman and I still think that is the case. I will say he looked a lot bigger and more confident than last year and of any of the Blues dmen he has the highest chance of being a top pair defender.
Projection: Top 4 dman

Tanner Dickinson (78): Same as last year, sparkplug who is noticeable on every shift. Always giving 110% but is destined to be an AHLer with the Blues. If given the chance he could be a Walker like player in the bottom 6 on an NHL team.
Projection: AHLer

Jimmy Snuggerud (81): Snuggerud looked better than last year but still doesn't wow me. These camps are just not meant for players like him. That was proven to me by Bolduc who looked bad in these camps and then looks amazing in the NHL. Snuggerud showcased his quick and accurate shot and he looked a bit quicker and stronger which is good to see.
Projection: Top 6 winger

Juraj Pekarcik (85): Pekarcik is still raw but he might be the most talented Blues prospect in terms of natural ability. My biggest concern with him is I don't think his brain can keep up with his hands and foot speed. He loses the puck a ton in his feet and seems like a very turnover prone player. I know a lot of what I said was negative there so let me end on a bright note. Pekarick has the potential to be a truly elite difference maker in the NHL, he's that talented, it's just a matter of time. He needs a lot of time and next year it seems like he's going to the CHL which to me is the wrong choice (I would've rather him go to college for 2 years and then the AHL) but the Blues seem to think it's the right move and I trust their scouting.
Projection: Top 6 winger

Team MacInnis:

Colin Ralph (41): This kid is big and raw. At the start of camp he looked so nervous with the puck and looked like he just didn't want the puck anywhere near him. As camp went on he looked more poised and confident with the puck which is great to see. He has amazing speed and agility for being such a big player but he needs a LOT of time to develop. The good news is he's going to a smaller school where he should play a ton of minutes and his confidence should grow a lot. I'm excited to see him at this camp next year to see how he's grown as a player. I see what the Blues like in him, but I still think this pick might've been a reach especially with Stiga and Artamonov on the board.
Projection: Bottom 4 defensive dman

Tomas Mrsic (46): One of the biggest standouts to me at this camp, Mrsic has great hands and a lethal shot. He arguably has one of the best shots already from a Blues prospect and I'm not sure how he fell to the 4th round. The rest of his game is just average but with an elite shot and elite hands, you can become a really valuable player. I'm excited to see him develop next year on a loaded Tigers team.
Projection: Middle 6 winger

Dalibor Dvorsky (54): The one that everyone wants to hear about. Dvorsky has a lot on the line this camp as he is trying to make the NHL team. I'll start with the negatives and then go to the positives. I think Dvorsky needs to be more engaged. He is so laid back that you lose him on the ice and that shouldn't happen with a player of his talent. You'd like to see more energy and pace from Dvorsky and I'm sure that's what the Blues will ask from him (that's a hard thing to teach). Now on to the positives, Dvorsky has an elite shot. And I mean truly elite. If he is one on one with the goalie, he is putting the puck in the net. He has great hands around the net and just makes goalies look silly with his moves. On top of that he's an elite passer and he can create open lanes for his teammtes with some quick moves. Also, I don't think I saw him lose a faceoff. He has a very active stick defensively and broke up a lot of plays which is great to see. Dvorsky is going to be a keeper, if he can increase his pace and get more involved he could very easily be a star.
Projection: Number 1 center

Antoine Dorion (58): Didn't notice him a ton but when I did it was usually a great play. He has an awkward skating stride and is clearly a long way away but that is expected for a 7th round pick.
Projection: Fringe AHLer

Isaiah Norlin (61): The one tryout that I'm going to mention. I really hope the Blues can sign Norlin after his college season. He's massive and yet such a fluid skater. He never seemed pressured and he made some really good breakout passes. On top of that he's a rare right handed dman. He reminds me of Parayko a bit and that's saying something. Overall I was extremely impressed with his game and have high hopes for him in the future if the Blues sign him.
Projection: Top 6 dman

Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (65): Really not impressive for me. I was expecting more from him as one of the older prospects and he just didn't deliver. He looks like a career overseas player to me. He does have good speed.
Projection: Fringe AHLer/Career Overseas Player

Dylan Peterson (71): Another player I wanted more from. Through 4 years of college, Peterson still hasn't learned how to use his body and he doesn't have good enough senses or visions to ever be a threat offensively. I will say he could be an elite defensive player as his backcheck and stick work are really good. Reminds me a lot of Torpo but without the stick work.
Projection: AHLer

Simon Robertsson (80): The Blues failed Robertsson. They let him get buried overseas for years and he is no better than he was in his draft year. He always shows signs of being good offensively but it's getting to the point where it's too late for him. I would bet he's in the ECHL this year.
Projection: Overseas player

Nikita Susuyev (88): The Blues always seem to hit on their late round Russian prospects. Susuyev showed a ton of skill and had great hands and offensive instincts. He's signed in Russia for a LONG time but when/if he comes over he could be a really good player.
Projection: Top 9 winger

Quinton Burns (92): Burns looked pretty solid to me. Nothing special but nothing really bad either. It's hard for a physical player like him to show a lot in camps like this. He does have NHL size and good speed but after the Blues drafted so many LHD it's hard to see a future where Burns makes the NHL with the Blues.
Projection: 7th dman

Paul Fischer (94) + Matt Mayich (95): Both players didn't show much to me. Fischer has some upside to work with but Mayich looks no better than last year and I'd be surprised if the Blues even sign him.

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

You da man! Love these write-ups these years since I'm rarely able to pull myself away from work to drive out to camp.

Nikita Susuyev is disgusting. Easily our highest ceiling prospect outside of Dvorsky and Snuggy. Hope we can get him to NA in a year or two.

Love his speed, compete level, mental processing ability and vision.

He made so many nice hockey sense/skill plays.

Everyone losing it over Dvorskys goal last night when he was all alone in front, go watch the 10 seconds before and see the play Susuyev made to set him up


If we can find a top pair caliber LHD we’re gonna be in serious business 2026 and beyond.


Our prospect pool is better than people realize. Outside our obvious guys and 1st rd picks. We have a bunch of guys I could see carving out impactful NHL roles like Susuyev, Stancl, Kaskimaki, Pekarcik and Lukas Fischer

I sure hope you're right. I've had five people that were at camp point to Susuyev as one of the most impressive players.

 

[Mike Liut]

Is Pekarcik playing for Springfield this year?

 

[Blueston]

Is Pekarcik playing for Springfield this year?

No. Taylor said he would play in CHL for team tbd.

 

[TK 421]

Blues had Stenberg at center in the scrimmage which seems to indicate that's how they view him or at least that they view him as a legit C/LW as opposed to just purely a LW. He moved through the middle beautifully slicing the D up on numerous occasions and it was fun to watch. Pissed somebody off too, got dumped hard on one play but his team won.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Blues had Stenberg at center in the scrimmage which seems to indicate that's how they view him or at least that they view him as a legit C/LW as opposed to just purely a LW. He moved through the middle beautifully slicing the D up on numerous occasions and it was fun to watch. Pissed somebody off too, got dumped hard on one play but his team won.

Was it Burns who dumped Otto?

 

[execwrite1]

Isaiah Norlin (61): The one tryout that I'm going to mention. I really hope the Blues can sign Norlin after his college season. He's massive and yet such a fluid skater. He never seemed pressured and he made some really good breakout passes. On top of that he's a rare right handed dman. He reminds me of Parayko a bit and that's saying something. Overall I was extremely impressed with his game and have high hopes for him in the future if the Blues sign him.
Projection: Top 6 dman

Interesting on Norlin - looks like he was committed to Clarkson for 23-24 season but he didn't go.

 

[execwrite1]

Interesting on Norlin - looks like he was committed to Clarkson for 23-24 season but he didn't go.

UPDATE - Now he's going to -

03’ defencemen @isaiah_norlin64 has committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha​

​

Last season Isaiah Norlin had 48 points (12 goals & 36 assists) in 51 games with the West Kelowna Warriors​

​

Isaiah Norlin was originally committed to Clarkson University​

​

@tamiquanphotography_hockey​

​

#bchl​

UPDATE - Now he's going to -

03’ defencemen @isaiah_norlin64 has committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha​

​

Last season Isaiah Norlin had 48 points (12 goals & 36 assists) in 51 games with the West Kelowna Warriors​

​

Isaiah Norlin was originally committed to Clarkson University​

​

@tamiquanphotography_hockey​

​

#bchl​

Warriors blue liner Isaiah Norlin receives BCHL’s Top Defenceman award
And more Isaiah -

For the second time in three years, the West Kelowna Warriors had the best defenceman in the BCHL.

Isaiah Norlin was named recipient of the Campbell Blair Trophy today, which is awarded annually to the BCHL’s Top Defenceman.

Norlin, who recently turned 21, led the league in scoring from the blue line with 12 goals and 36 assists for 48 points in 51 games played.


AND team MVP

His three-year stay in West Kelowna was capped off Friday night when he was named the team's most valuable player - not bad for a kid who started as a sixth or seventh defenceman on a team stocked with some pretty talented blueliners.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Looks like Susyev's KHL contract runs through the 26-27 season.

 

[TK 421]

Was it Burns who dumped Otto?

Don't recall hearing who it was, Dvorsky got into it with Lukas Fischer behind the play though.
Edit- Dvorsky and Fischer was an entirely different time in the game, should have clarified lol.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I think he's saying he could always just play another year in Dubuque...

He needs a lot of time and next year it seems like he's going to the CHL which to me is the wrong choice (I would've rather him go to college for 2 years and then the AHL) but the Blues seem to think it's the right move and I trust their scouting.

No, he specifically said CHL, not USHL. And Pekarcik can’t play in the USHL anymore since he signed a pro contract.

I agree college would’ve been a good option but he played pro over in Europe so I don’t think that was an option. Now it’s definitely not an option since he signed a pro contract.

 

[TheOrganist]

No, he specifically said CHL, not USHL. And Pekarcik can’t play in the USHL anymore since he signed a pro contract.

I agree college would’ve been a good option but he played pro over in Europe so I don’t think that was an option. Now it’s definitely not an option since he signed a pro contract.

I meant the poster...the poster was asking about returning to the USHL but you are correct in that I forgot he signed rendering him ineligible. So yes, he'll be in the Q.

 

[Blueston]

I meant the poster...the poster was asking about returning to the USHL but you are correct in that I forgot he signed rendering him ineligible. So yes, he'll be in the Q.

i don't think it's 100% the q. import rules are complicated, but i believe there is potentially a path for him to get to his preferred ohl. Admittedly, i'm not super clear how that would work so he may end up in q.

 

[Robb_K]

They're trying to interview Jiricek right now but they're talking way too fast for him. He speaks quite well for a non-native speaker, but it's clearly difficult for him to figure out the questions.

He's had to speak English while playing and residing in Sweden, where most people he would speak with would speak it excellently, and he might well understand it better than coming from Americans. So, I'd have expected Dvorsky to speak English better than a Czech or Slovakian player who has only played in his own country

 

[Robb_K]

I generally agree but not sure my sense is that Army “tried his best” to move up. I base that off of these quotes in JR’s story:



They had their eyes on the guy they got and while it appears he inquired to move up to 12, I don’t think I can agree he tried his hardest to do so. It appears Briere suggested a price and Army said no. What we don’t know is what that cost was. My sense is that Army and the Blues scouts had Jiricek much higher on their board than us here. For all we know, the consideration to move up was so they could take Jiricek at 12 to make sure they got their guy.

The general sentiment that evening was that Army wasn’t willing to pay the price or the price was too high and that Army didn’t have the guts to pay the price to move up and get Buium. IMO, the price was probably fair given that sort of move but Army didn’t see it as worth it as they either valued Jiricek about equally to whoever else they may have been targeting at 12 OR they valued Jiricek so much he’s who they would’ve taken at 12 but they determined the cost wasn’t worth that guarantee as they figured there was still a good shot they’d get their guy at 16 (which they did).

We’ll never know the full truth but IMO, Army’s actions/non-actions were because they valued Jiricek much much higher than most of us here did. Hopefully they end up being right. Jiricek is a risk but he does have pretty high upside and absolutely fills a need.

I think that Army, in a vacuum, would have wanted Jiricik over Buium, IF not for his injured knee. But, I think that near and long-term risk makes Buium and the others taken ahead of 16 look a little better. So, Army inquired. However, none of the teams who held picks 12-15 wanted to move down below 14 or 15, because they considered a big dropoff in talent after that, except for Jiricik (whose injury history drops him the next lower tier in "value" - for them). It seems to me that the "premium" cost those teams wanted to receive from The Blues for moving down to a lesser tier for their first pick, was way too high for Army to agree to pay, given Jiricik's high upside potential, which could be a "windfall" to The Blues IF his knee holds up for a decent length career. So he wasn't willing to pay the exorbitant price to move up, and WAS willing to accept the risk that the injury might shorten Jiricik's NHL effectiveness or career length. I'm sure that Army had at least 3 players he was willing to draft between picks #12-16, but the mix of asset cost vs. risk needed to be weighed in each individual case. Clearly, none of the move-up scenarios that were possible, were acceptable to Army.

 

[rumrokh]

They're trying to interview Jiricek right now but they're talking way too fast for him. He speaks quite well for a non-native speaker, but it's clearly difficult for him to figure out the questions.

Weird, I thought he did a great job of addressing the weird question Vitale asked him with three completely separate parts. Even though his accent is strong and he struggles to find perfect words, he obviously understands pretty well. Seems like a smart kid.

 

[542365]

Weird, I thought he did a great job of addressing the weird question Vitale asked him with three completely separate parts. Even though his accent is strong and he struggles to find perfect words, he obviously understands pretty well. Seems like a smart kid.

He did great given the circumstances, but I thought he seemed pretty overwhelmed with the 4 and 5 part questions Vitale was throwing at him. My post was definitely a criticism of the production team and not Jiricek.

 

[rumrokh]

He did great given the circumstances, but I thought he seemed pretty overwhelmed with the 4 and 5 part questions Vitale was throwing at him. My post was definitely a criticism of the production team and not Jiricek.

Yea, yea, I didn't mean for it to come across that way. Vitale is such a doofus. But maybe they talked with him enough beforehand that they knew he was up for the task. Whatever. I like his attitude and game video. Seems like a natural hockey player with a level head and a sense of humor.

 

[Drubilly]

I was impressed with all of their interviews that I had a chance to hear. So much so that I’m starting to think the draftees’ maturity and perhaps emotional intelligence are prerequisites in the scouting staff’s ingredient list.

 

[Celtic Note]

I was impressed with all of their interviews that I had a chance to hear. So much so that I’m starting to think the draftees’ maturity and perhaps emotional intelligence are prerequisites in the scouting staff’s ingredient list.

Certainly positive qualities to have.