Blues Prospects Thread 2019-2020

[MissouriMook]

This is good take. Our forward group is fairly young and other than Schenn we have multiple years of control over everyone of value.

D is what concerns me. Parayko, Dunn, and Borts are only ones with more than 1 year of control. I assume we extend a Petro, but we got nobody after Dunn on LHD. And we don’t have any prospects there who seem like they will slot in top 4. To complicate even more we can’t likely protect any D beyond Parayko, Dunn, and Petro. So even if we found stud LHD still an issue. JayBo helps bridge this but something to keep eye on. Thankfully we have a GM who has proven he will go out and fill holes like this.

I may be off base on this, but I feel like the organizational philosophy on this is that as long as you have Petro and Parayko anchoring the right side, it isn't a big deal not to have a Top 4 valued LD on the pairing, certainly not to the degree that they could anchor their own pairing. I suspect that they are content at the moment with running JBo and one of Dunn and Eddy on the left side in the Top 4 given what they have on the right side.

 

[Thallis]

Not that I’m saying you’re wrong, but I suspect the organization is going to give the goalie with a SC championship a little bit of a leash.

It depends on how difficult he makes contract negotiations and how Husso looks. Binnington saving our season shouldn't detract from what the front office thinks about Husso, and if Binner gets bridged, Husso being able to possibly step in gives leverage when the next contract comes up.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I hate to open the annual can of worms, but in ranking our prospects, what criteria are we using? Highest upside? NHL readiness? Likelihood of becoming an NHL'er? I have noticed everybody ranking Perunovich highest of our 3 top defense prospects. He certainly has the highest offensive ceiling, but could Mikkola's defensive shut down abilities bring him to the NHL sooner? Both Perunovich and Reinke need to work on their play in their own zone, but Reinke has a years experience in the Minor Pros. Does this give him an edge over Perunovich? Will Reinke's position at RD stall his progress because he will likely be behind Parayko and Pietrangelo for the next few years? Can Mikkola develop the puck handling skills to make him more than a bottom pairing shut down guy with no offense? Are stay-at-home defensemen truly redundant in today's NHL, or are they more likely to find a niche than a PMD who's offensive skills aren't outstanding enough to make up for their defensive shortcomings? I am just throwing this out there because I think some are rating the defensemen in particular only by their offensive skills.

I’ll go with likelihood to get called up mid season and lead the team to a Cup.

 

[Ranksu]

So many here has fold to Mikkola. Nice.

 

[DatDude44]

So many here has fold to Mikkola. Nice.

With our need on LD after this year. I’d be surprised if we did NOT give mikkola a very long look into training camp. But I doubt he’s the 7th D. I’d imagine army would prefer him to play 24+ mins a night in the AHL rather than sitting in the press box. But I’d imagine he’s the 1st LHD injury call up and then Bouwmeester replacement after this season

 

[Beauterham]

So many here has fold to Mikkola. Nice.

At this moment there are other prospects I value higher than him, but that doesn't mean we don't like him or give up on him or something like that. As someone mentioned above, Binner was chosen at #16 at last years prospect ranking and he still found a way to make a difference. I would be very happy if Mikkola turns out to be a really good player for us in the NHL. But untill then, there are a couple of players I rate higher than him. I will gladly be proved wrong.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

The good news is we still have our 1st round pick for the next two years, and I don’t really see us moving those picks right now. Next year we have all of our picks before the 6th round. In 2022 we don’t have our 2nd (thanks a lot, O’Reilly), but we still have everything else. That will go a long way to restocking the cupboard.

Toro will be joining the Rampage this season, Bokk, Tucker, and Alexandrov will join the year after that, and Perunovich and McGing probably will too. Fitzpatrick will likely be our starter in San Antonio, and Hofer will be on his way too.

We aren’t anywhere near as deep as we were a few years ago when we were in Chicago, but all in all it’s not bad for a team that essentially was down half of its roster spots two years ago. We have the space again now, and the minor league quality will start to follow. A few free agent prospects, maybe a few trades, and good drafting, and we’ll be just fine.

I disagree and agree.

Here are the final propsect polls from 2017 and 2016, respectively.

September 2017
#1-Vince Dunn (67%)
#2-Ivan Barbashev (46%)
#3-Jake Walman (79%)
#4-Klim Kostin (31%)
#5-Ville Husso (31%)
#6-Robert Thomas (39%)
#7-Tage Thompson (41%)
#8-Jordan Kyrou (62%)
#9-Jordan Schmaltz (86%)
#10-Zach Sanford (83%)
#11-Osskar Sundqvist (46%)
#12-Samuel Blais (27%)
#13-Adam Musil (31%)
#14-Niko Mikkola (54%)
#15-Alexei Toropchenko (65%)
#16-Nolan Stevens (41%)
#17-Petteri Lindbohm (48%)
#18-Evan Fitzpatrick (41%)
#19-Tanner Kaspick (76%)
#20-Austin Poganski (38%)
#21-Jordan Binnington (52%)
#22-Nikolaj Krag-Christensen (55%)
#23-Mackenzie MacEachern (35%)


August 2016

1) Walman (470) - Up 2
2) Schmaltz (464) - Up 2
3) Husso (458) - Down 1
4) Dunn (456) - Down 3
5) Thompson (438) - Up 1
6) Kyrou (382) - Up 2
7) Barbashev (379) - Down 2
8) Rattie (375) - Down 1
9) Lindbohm (351) - Even
10) Binnington (253) - Even
11) Sergeev (244) - Up 3
12) MacEachern (242) - Down 1
13) Musil (228) - Up 7
14) Bleackley (207) - Down 1
15) Fitzpatrick (201) - Up 1
16) Vannelli (199) - Down 4
17) Poganski (190) - Up 1
18) Blais (180) - Down 3
19) Mikkola (174) - Even
20) Copley (161) - Down 3
21) Helt (82) - Even
22) Gawdin (62) - Up 1
23) Stevens (46) - Up 1
24) Opilka (44) - Down 2
25) Doty (35) - NR

 

[ChicagoBlues]

In other words, we suck dirty homeless ass at ranking our prospects.

 

[Ranksu]

In other words, we suck dirty homeless ass at ranking our prospects.

What is wrong with you? Those rankings were spot on in those years.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

In other words, we suck dirty homeless ass at ranking our prospects.

Meh, I can’t say I’m surprised. Those lists are just fun to make, and give us something to talk about during the summer. I always like them because we all have cool discussions regarding the prospects the Blues have. I’ve been wrong more than I’ve been right when it comes to scouting, but that’s part of the fun.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Meh, I can’t say I’m surprised. Those lists are just fun to make, and give us something to talk about during the summer. I always like them because we all have cool discussions regarding the prospects the Blues have. I’ve been wrong more than I’ve been right when it comes to scouting, but that’s part of the fun.

Yeah, me too. As much as I like to complain about them, they are still fun.

 

[simon IC]

So many here has fold to Mikkola. Nice.

Not me Ranksu. I'm with you. I think Mikkola is our best D prospect. I think he would benefit from another year in SA though. No reason to rush him. He needs to be playing top minutes, not sitting in the press box. I think he might be our first call-up!

 

[Spektre]

In two years the Blues will have the Beasts from the East line.

Toropchenko Barbashev Kostin

It will be the Russian version of the Hanson brothers

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

In two years the Blues will have the Beasts from the East line.

Toropchenko Barbashev Kostin

It will be the Russian version of the Hanson brothers

Add in MacEachern, Sundqvist, Blais, Sanford, Poganski, Kostin, maybe Hrabik, and Toropchenko, and our bottom six is going to be built like a brick shit house for many years to come. They’re all big, they’ve all got some (or a lot) of bite to their game, and they can all skate well. The biggest thing is that their sticks are super long, so if they can’t squeeze a play off with their physicality, they can corral and cycle with their length.

That’s how we beat the small/flighty game. Army said at the draft that if you try to replicate the team that just won the cup, you’re always going to be a step behind. I respect the org for sticking to their guns and building very solid depth that has a good mix of size and skill. Like Barbashev, Blais, and Sunny, they can punish you physically and then bury you with a goal. I love it. Keep doing more of that.

That builds an incredible foundation upon which more skilled forwards like Bokk and Kyrou will be able to build their games. If we can maintain solid goaltending, and continue to replenish the defense, there’s no reason to think that we can’t be contenders for quite awhile here. Feels good.

 

[EastonBlues22]

I hate to open the annual can of worms, but in ranking our prospects, what criteria are we using? Highest upside? NHL readiness? Likelihood of becoming an NHL'er? I have noticed everybody ranking Perunovich highest of our 3 top defense prospects. He certainly has the highest offensive ceiling, but could Mikkola's defensive shut down abilities bring him to the NHL sooner? Both Perunovich and Reinke need to work on their play in their own zone, but Reinke has a years experience in the Minor Pros. Does this give him an edge over Perunovich? Will Reinke's position at RD stall his progress because he will likely be behind Parayko and Pietrangelo for the next few years? Can Mikkola develop the puck handling skills to make him more than a bottom pairing shut down guy with no offense? Are stay-at-home defensemen truly redundant in today's NHL, or are they more likely to find a niche than a PMD who's offensive skills aren't outstanding enough to make up for their defensive shortcomings? I am just throwing this out there because I think some are rating the defensemen in particular only by their offensive skills.

There is no set criteria. Part of the fun is discussing how each of those things might cause rankings to differ from one person to the next.

Traditionally on this forum, those who have shown something at higher leagues are going to be ranked higher by many than those who are still in lower leagues, so in that way proximity to the NHL tends to matter. Some others rate on pure tools upside. Some use a combination of upside/floor. Some take position into consideration. Others don't.

It's just a thought exercise to generate discussion. Decide what's most important to you and work from there.

 

[execwrite1]

Add in MacEachern, Sundqvist, Blais, Sanford, Poganski, Kostin, maybe Hrabik, and Toropchenko, and our bottom six is going to be built like a brick **** house for many years to come. They’re all big, they’ve all got some (or a lot) of bite to their game, and they can all skate well. The biggest thing is that their sticks are super long, so if they can’t squeeze a play off with their physicality, they can corral and cycle with their length.

That’s how we beat the small/flighty game. Army said at the draft that if you try to replicate the team that just won the cup, you’re always going to be a step behind. I respect the org for sticking to their guns and building very solid depth that has a good mix of size and skill. Like Barbashev, Blais, and Sunny, they can punish you physically and then bury you with a goal. I love it. Keep doing more of that.

That builds an incredible foundation upon which more skilled forwards like Bokk and Kyrou will be able to build their games. If we can maintain solid goaltending, and continue to replenish the defense, there’s no reason to think that we can’t be contenders for quite awhile here. Feels good.

Good way to look at the organizational depth. Over the next 3-4 years:

Bottom six - Barbashev, Sundqvist, Blais, MacEachern, Sanford, Stevens, Poganski, Foley, Toropchenko, Laferriere, McGing, Alexandrov, Washkurak
Top six - Tarasenko, Schwartz, O'Reilly, Thomas, Kyrou, Schenn, Kostin, Bokk, Fabbri

 

[tfriede2]

Good way to look at the organizational depth. Over the next 3-4 years:

Bottom six - Barbashev, Sundqvist, Blais, MacEachern, Sanford, Stevens, Poganski, Foley, Toropchenko, Laferriere, McGing, Alexandrov, Washkurak
Top six - Tarasenko, Schwartz, O'Reilly, Thomas, Kyrou, Schenn, Kostin, Bokk, Fabbri

I think Laferriere is more of a top 6 potential guy, but I don’t know his game well enough - the others you listed are 2-way players who can also be physical for bottom 6 players - not sure Laferierre fits that mold?

 

[ezcreepin]

I don't know about anyone else here, but I would like the Blues to get Hrabik on a deal. He seems responsible defensively, good offensive instincts, and would probably slot in well on this rampage team. With Foley uncertain, restocking our forward prospects is something I want us to do.

 

[Renard]

I don't know about anyone else here, but I would like the Blues to get Hrabik on a deal. He seems responsible defensively, good offensive instincts, and would probably slot in well on this rampage team. With Foley uncertain, restocking our forward prospects is something I want us to do.

I'd completely forgotten about Foley.

 

[Reality Czech]

I don't know about anyone else here, but I would like the Blues to get Hrabik on a deal. He seems responsible defensively, good offensive instincts, and would probably slot in well on this rampage team. With Foley uncertain, restocking our forward prospects is something I want us to do.

I agree. Not only for the reasons you listed but this team has been sorely lacking in Czechs since Sobotka was traded!

Regarding the bottom six, we've been so strong in that area for years and u feel like we've had a strong fourth line for a long time, going back to the Porter/Cracknell days. Wonder if it's intentional or we just got lucky with guess embracing their roles. Either way, sure is nice to have a solid bottom and top six now.

 

[Dbrownss]

My last comment on Thomas in this thread (sorry Bokk). But the entire point is the trajectory of this year and where he ended up during the latter part and the way he elevated his game (and his line) in the playoffs. Yes, as a teenager. Who cares how bad he was the first half of his rookie season? The incredible growth he showed is my entire point. I do think it showed him to be more likely to reach his ceiling after showing that. He established himself as an NHL player.

Contrast that with Tage Thompson’s first year. He had glimmers, ups and downs, but it sure didn’t feel like such a steep growth trajectory. He didn’t really do anything to reassure us that he’d reach his ceiling. It was “the jury is still out”. But Thomas has made a much different statement.

I'll move this to the general prospect thread.

The whole point in bringing up Thomas was that he didn't hit the ground running. It took time for him to acclimate to the NHL. That's fine, it's not a critisism I'm trying to push. I just found it dishonest disparage Kyrou for the same struggles. Kyrou excelled in the AHL once he acclimated to that league. From my own viewings and reading what scouting reports say, they are similar in offensive skill with Kyrou possibly having a slight edge.

Thompson had flashes but that was it, he was sent down and didnt really ser himself apart, Kyrou did. He because a legitimate point producer in the AHL.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I don't know about anyone else here, but I would like the Blues to get Hrabik on a deal. He seems responsible defensively, good offensive instincts, and would probably slot in well on this rampage team. With Foley uncertain, restocking our forward prospects is something I want us to do.

I didn’t get to see any of Prospects Camp but based on descriptions I’d be ok throwing a contract towards Hrabik. I suspect that even if the Blues do offer him a contract he likely goes back to the Dub for one last season before turning pro though.

And I really hope Foley can recover and have a career. I liked his game in college and he was a key piece to trading Stas to WPG but he must’ve gotten rocked bad from that concussion he suffered in the Frozen Four a little over a year ago.

 

[ezcreepin]

I didn’t get to see any of Prospects Camp but based on descriptions I’d be ok throwing a contract towards Hrabik. I suspect that even if the Blues do offer him a contract he likely goes back to the Dub for one last season before turning pro though.

And I really hope Foley can recover and have a career. I liked his game in college and he was a key piece to trading Stas to WPG but he must’ve gotten rocked bad from that concussion he suffered in the Frozen Four a little over a year ago.

He showed some real promise at the camp and everyone was quoted saying how responsible defensively he was. Plus he has offensive upside, and with prospects graduating and some being released, I think it's safe to take a gamble. These are the type of players that you have to keep replacing on a championship team, so that's why I'd personally be interested in him.

 

[STL fan in MN]

He showed some real promise at the camp and everyone was quoted saying how responsible defensively he was. Plus he has offensive upside, and with prospects graduating and some being released, I think it's safe to take a gamble. These are the type of players that you have to keep replacing on a championship team, so that's why I'd personally be interested in him.

I would like to hear more on what folks saw in 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 scrimmages that leads to the belief that he’s responsible defensively. I’m not calling BS but I will say that a 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 scrimmage likely isn’t the best place to evaluate D skills.

 

[ezcreepin]

I would like to hear more on what folks saw in 3 on 3 and 4 on 4 scrimmages that leads to the belief that he’s responsible defensively. I’m not calling BS but I will say that a 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 scrimmage likely isn’t the best place to evaluate D skills.

Mainly scouting reports and prospect profiles that were made for him prior to the draft. A few people quoted his defense, like you said, the scrimmages at these camps aren't full pace, so evaluating his skills is a bit harder. The Blues had a live scrimmage on facebook, so you can watch him a bit on there, but I'm mainly quoting people who directly scouted him in junior.