Prospect Info: Blues 2024-2025 Prospect Thread

[LGB]

This is a really good start in the KHL for a guy who just turned 19. Hopefully he can keep it up.

 

[TruBlueFan1970]

what are you guys opinion of the handling of Bolduc? personally, I don’t get it. You’re not gonna get much production from him playing with Sunny. when he moves up the lineupI thought he did pretty well but instead of demoting the player I think should be demoted in Buchnevich they always drop Bolduc. Hard to get any consistency from him when every mistake you make is a demotion or scratch.. or is it just the blues trying to win meaningless games? That will affect our draft position. Thanks guys love the discussions

I think the general consensus is that people would rather him not get bounced around the lineup and/or scratched so much like you say. It's difficult to get into any kind of rhythm when you're constantly in and out of the lineup or with 4th line caliber linemates. I'd like to see Bolduc with Thomas for more than a game or so, like pair them together for a month.

And right on cue, unless it’s not accurate, he gets recalled and is in the press box tonight in favor of Texier. I don’t like his handling this year either. Buch has been an atrocity this year and should get 3rd line minutes the rest of the season and see what Bolduc can do in the top 6. Army/Monty don’t seem to have a cohesive plan right now, and I’m a fan of both.

 

[Renard]

Alexandrov continues to rip up the AHL. 14 goals, 28 points and an absurd +20 in 25 games this year. He was such a disappointment in the NHL last season, but I'd like to see him get some NHL games down the stretch to see if he can hang. We have a glaring hole at 3C and the odds seem pretty good that we will be moving Faksa out in the next few weeks. What I've seen from Dvorsky in the AHL post-WJC hasn't convinced me that he needs NHL minutes this year, so at this point my preference would be to give Alexandrov a chance to prove that he's a better player than he was last year.

I'm not confident that he seizes that opportunity, but I'm also not 100% sure that he can't be an effective bottom 6 center in the NHL. I'd like to see him in one more run of NHL games before he leaves North America and these next 2 months very well could be the last chance to see that. I'd wager that he could make similar (or better) money in the KHL and his chances of cracking the Blues NHL roster next year seem slim if he can't do it this year.

Alexandrov appears to be intimidated by playing in the NHL. He seems to have ability.

 

[TruBlueFan1970]

Alexandrov appears to be intimidated by playing in the NHL. He seems to have ability.

I hope that once we trade Faksa, he gets another look. If he doesn’t, it will speak volumes as to what the Blues brass think of him. I’d like to see him and Bolduc over Texier and Joseph at this stage. Neither of the latter two have made much of an impression this season.

 

[BlueMed]

Lindstein will probably end up similar to Parayko, solid player but leaves you wanting a little bit more because you know the potential is there.

Our fanbase didn't feel insecure about Parayko until Pietrangelo left, by the way. In fact, he was the perfect #2. If Broberg can take that extra step and develop into a nice 1D, then Lindstein won't leave anyone wanting more.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

what are you guys opinion of the handling of Bolduc? personally, I don’t get it. You’re not gonna get much production from him playing with Sunny. when he moves up the lineupI thought he did pretty well but instead of demoting the player I think should be demoted in Buchnevich they always drop Bolduc. Hard to get any consistency from him when every mistake you make is a demotion or scratch.. or is it just the blues trying to win meaningless games? That will affect our draft position. Thanks guys love the discussions

I think Bolduc as a lot of things he can work on in his game, learning how to be an NHL player. It doesn't bother me if he isn't being optimized right now. I view this season for him a lot like Perron's first year. He's not starting every game. I suspect there is a lot of teaching from the pressbox and details in practice that he's working on that aren't obvious to us.

I want to see the Blues sell at the deadline, and then get a few of the young guys even bigger roles/minutes, including a couple call-ups. Bolduc would benefit from that, too. But its better for them to come up into an atmosphere of high effort and competition for a playoff spot (even though they predictably fell short this year). There is a big difference in my mind between being a team that fought for a spot the bulk of the season and missed, vs a team like Chicago that was never in the race...and the games could start feeling meaningless pretty early on.

 

[bleedblue1223]

KHL does a good job of tracking stats. Korotky is getting an increase in ice time and had 4 minutes of PP time today. He is also playing C.

His KHL contract runs through 5/31/27. It would really be a game-changer if he is a diamond in the 7th.

https://en.khl.ru/players/41566/

 

[LGB]

KHL does a good job of tracking stats. Korotky is getting an increase in ice time and had 4 minutes of PP time today. He is also playing C.

His KHL contract runs through 5/31/27. It would really be a game-changer if he is a diamond in the 7th.

https://en.khl.ru/players/41566/

I was inspired to watch as many clips as I could of him earlier today. Clips are clips, but I am definitely encouraged. Looks like a guy that could be an NHLer for sure.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I was inspired to watch as many clips as I could of him earlier today. Clips are clips, but I am definitely encouraged. Looks like a guy that could be an NHLer for sure.

Pretty much all the scouting reports at the draft like his game, but the concern is if his skating will transfer and be good enough for the NA game. If that develops, we might have something.

 

[StlBigFly]

what are you guys opinion of the handling of Bolduc? personally, I don’t get it. You’re not gonna get much production from him playing with Sunny. when he moves up the lineupI thought he did pretty well but instead of demoting the player I think should be demoted in Buchnevich they always drop Bolduc. Hard to get any consistency from him when every mistake you make is a demotion or scratch.. or is it just the blues trying to win meaningless games? That will affect our draft position. Thanks guys love the discussions

I think he’s undergoing conditioning. I don’t think it’s demotion as much as it is just pushing him further bit by bit. It’s a big hill to climb.

His icetime to start the year severely dropped as games went along. He was also recently sent to the ahl. Both indicate conditioning to me. It isn’t a ding on him I don’t feel, it’s just a man’s game. His brand is a bit physical and top 6 is positionally demanding, the guys you’re fighting for pucks are mostly established guys.

I think if it were purely disciplinary we would see him miss shifts at anytime he made a mistake but the overall trend I’ve always seen is that his icetime just ramps down as the game progresses.

I feel it’s probably normal. It’s nowhere near as severe as it was to start the season and that’s what you’d expect. For all I know this stuff is history and he’s going to be able to handle the role full time. You certainly have to think there is a huge conditioning barrier to competing at the highest level. It’s not reasonable I don’t think to expect 19-21 year olds to be able to handle it full time when the opposition is 27-31 and has been working out full time for a decade. Just isn’t how the body works. Lots of guys get injured during these years, lots of guys fail to build good habits. Probably best to climb the hill slowly, methodically.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I think he’s undergoing conditioning. I don’t think it’s demotion as much as it is just pushing him further bit by bit. It’s a big hill to climb.

His icetime to start the year severely dropped as games went along. He was also recently sent to the ahl. Both indicate conditioning to me. I believe he’s just going through the physical process that is necessary. It isn’t a ding on him I don’t feel, it’s just a man’s game. His brand is a bit physical and top 6 is positionally demanding.

I think if it were purely disciplinary we would see him miss shifts at anytime he made a mistake but the overall trend I’ve always seen is that his icetime just ramps down as the game progresses.

I feel it’s probably normal. It’s nowhere near as severe as it was to start the season and that’s what you’d expect. For all I know this stuff is history and he’s going to be able to handle the role full time. You certainly have to think there is a huge conditioning barrier to competing at the highest level. It’s not reasonable I don’t think to expect 19-21 year olds to be able to handle it full time when the opposition is 27-31 and has been working out full time for a decade. Just isn’t how the body works. Lots of guys get injured during these years, lots of guys fail to build good habits. Probably best to climb the hill slowly, methodically.

Both Bolduc and Dvorsky are going through similar obstacles. Both are experiencing the rude awakening of a higher level of hockey, moreso for Dvorsky, I think. Dvo has finally played against men for almost a full season now and is doing pretty well, but the conditioning is an issue.

Diet, conditioning, consistency rinse and repeat. The pro life.

 

[BlueMed]

KHL does a good job of tracking stats. Korotky is getting an increase in ice time and had 4 minutes of PP time today. He is also playing C.

His KHL contract runs through 5/31/27. It would really be a game-changer if he is a diamond in the 7th.

https://en.khl.ru/players/41566/

The fact that he's a 2024 draft pick playing in a league higher than the AHL currently is noteworthy to say the least.