2017-2018 Blues Prospects Thread

[Dbrownss]

I saw a guy who absolutely struggled with the speed of the NHL. If he's still struggling next year....then worry

 

[stl76]

I just think it’s silly to even go there based on the observations they used to speculate what they did. It’s potentially damaging to a player’s reputation that could very well be 100% inaccurate and I’d think it’d border on HF’s libel rules as well.

All due respect, STL fan in IA, but I think you're overreacting a bit here. I have seen WAY worse conjecture posted on this site, very much doubt anything in this thread borders on HF's libel rules.

I am a huge Walman fan, but saw him get frustrated a couple times in the preseason and lose his cool. I really only mentioned it because it was a bit surprising to me. After fighting incidents w/ Dunn in the AHL and the clips of him harassing refs in junior, I honestly expected Dunn to be a bit of a hot head, not Walman.

Walman is still young and has a lot of growing and maturing to do both as a player and a person. That's totally normal. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong here, but I think it's also pretty normal for players who have a good camp and almost make an NHL team out of camp to struggle a bit when sent down. I don't think it's inappropriate to speculate as to a players mental state in such a situation. After all, it's not like his physical tools have somehow changed to explain a drop in play. I think there are 2 reasonable assumptions to be made in such a case: 1) the issue is most likely mental 2) the issue is most likely temporary.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Confidence is a fickle thing. Sometimes you have no idea how important it is until you suddenly find yourself without it, and once it's gone, it can be a real struggle to get back.

Walman's struggles and frustrations could be due to that, or to something else entirely. Either way, I'm sure not worried about it right now. It's his first full year in the AHL, which is a pretty big jump over college hockey. I wouldn't really expect anyone to make that transition seamlessly, and initial struggles at a higher level are the norm, not an outlier to be particularly concerned about.

 

[simon IC]

My sincere apoIogies. I used the term "mentally weak" in my post which was not only inappropriate but also insensitive. I was referring to a mindset, much like the way one refers to a goaltender's "mental game", or perhaps even the way the term has been used collectively, as in an entire teams mindset. I was trying to get at the intangible quality of being able to "bounce back" quickly. I was just speculating that perhaps Walman is the kind of player that can get in to a "funk" more easily than others. Even that is pure speculation. I was in no way questioning Jake Walman's mental health, nor suggesting a deficiency of character. It was just idle speculation that I probably should have kept to myself. My apologies again.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I probably overreacted as well.

Yeah, Walman could be a bit down because he just barely missed making the team. Or maybe he has a nagging injury we don’t know about that’s hampering him a bit or throwing off his game/confidence. Or maybe he’s not meshing well with the staff Vegas has in place there. Or maybe he isn’t getting great opportunity as it seems like most of the Blues prospects with the Wolves this season aren’t getting prime minutes.

Or maybe it’s a combo of a lot of those things. Hard to say at this point. But I agree that in the long term, it’ll likely be just a blip and he'll be just fine.

 

[PiggySmalls]

5 Point night for Thomas including the Hatty.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

5 Point night for Thomas including the Hatty.

Looks like he's starting to heat up.

 

[PiggySmalls]

Looks like he's starting to heat up.

Yeap 11 points in past 4 games.

Also Kyrou with a hat trick tonight.

 

[PiggySmalls]

That would be saying something if Blues have 2 Prospects representing team Canada in the Olympics.

 

[Blanick]

Those two (Kyrou and Thomas) are going to add such a new element to our team when they are ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Trim the fat and add them as well as guys like Thompson and Kostin. Our top 9 could be absolutely stacked in a few years.

 

[Mike Liut]

Those two (Kyrou and Thomas) are going to add such a new element to our team when they are ready to make the jump to the NHL.

Trim the fat and add them as well as guys like Thompson and Kostin. Our top 9 could be absolutely stacked in a few years.

We may be putting 4 scoring lines together at some point and forget the checking line.

 

[Mike Liut]

You all think Kyrou needs a year in the AHL next year?

 

[PiggySmalls]

You all think Kyrou needs a year in the AHL next year?

Too early to tell for me. The 2 Sarnia games I watch he looked like a different player in his own zone compared to last year. Played more of a 200 ft game. But you can tell he was always looking and trying to go the other way.

 

[TheCoach]

Looks like next year Thomas will be staying in St.Louis next year after what I just saw tonight WOW. wish I had a clip of his 4th goal

 

[The Note in MI]

Looks like next year Thomas will be staying in St.Louis next year after what I just saw tonight WOW. wish I had a clip of his 4th goal

That’s the plan! He’s going to be a good one for us. He just keeps on an upward trajectory.

 

[TheCoach]

here is the highlights from tonights game is anyone wants to see Thomas and his 4 goal
http://ontariohockeyleague.com/video/oct-2717-flnt-2-ldn-8

 

[joshyhockey26]

You all think Kyrou needs a year in the AHL next year?

For me yes but I’ve always been in the camp of having the prospects overripe. But man I’m so incredibly excited to see what Thomas and Kyrou can do on pro ice in games that have meaning.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

We may be putting 4 scoring lines together at some point and forget the checking line.

I was thinking this as well starting next year.

Fabbri-Stastny/TBA-Tarasenko
Schwartz-Thomas-Schenn
Steen-Sobotka/Berglund-Kostin
Sanford-Barbashev-Thompson
Sundqvist, Jaskin

Blais, Kyrou, Musil in SA to start

 

[ZigZagBluesFan]

I was just running through a hypothetical scenario for building next years lines and I can't believe how many legitimate prospects we have close to turning pro. I kept forgetting players.

I don't see how you can have this much depth without being unable to turn some of those parts into a #1 center. Or just sign Tavares with the cap flexibility so many young players gives you.

It's an exciting time to be a Blues fan. I hope Bill Armstrong doesn't take a GM job somewhere soon.

 

[Dbrownss]

I was just running through a hypothetical scenario for building next years lines and I can't believe how many legitimate prospects we have close to turning pro. I kept forgetting players.

I don't see how you can have this much depth without being unable to turn some of those parts into a #1 center. Or just sign Tavares with the cap flexibility so many young players gives you.

It's an exciting time to be a Blues fan. I hope Brad Shaw doesn't take a GM job somewhere soon.

Bill Armstrong is head of scouting, Brad Shaw was an assistant coach. He ran the defense, and he's in Columbus now.

 

[ZigZagBluesFan]

You're right, I meant Armstrong. I guess my heart is still healing from the loss of Shaw.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

And to think, I was worried we would end up drafting Poehling.

I liked Thomas going into the draft, but I never thought he had the ability to take over a game like he's shown so far. He might have a Kyrou level rise this year if he plays even half as good as he has.

 

[Frenzy31]

Thomas had 1g and 1a. Was the first star. He has gotten that a few times this year. He may well be the best prospect in the system.

Noel was the 2nd star with a goal. He has been very good this year. If he keeps playing as well as he has, he may be an invite to Canada’s WJC camp next summer.

Barbashev added another assist to his resume and Blais had a goal and the 3rd star of the game.

 

[Oberyn]

Another 3 points for Kyrou today. Puts him at 28 points in 13 games.

 

[Blanick]

Another 3 points for Kyrou today. Puts him at 28 points in 13 games.

Really hope he gets picked for the Olympics. He has nothing left to prove in the OHL. I really want to see how he does against tougher competition.