Prospect Info: 17-18 Blues Top Prospect #4

[LetsGoBooze]

Glad to see the overnight surge for Team Kyrou. We need to evangelize and smite the Kostinites.

Hahaha yaaasss.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I would also agree that it makes plenty of sense to vote Kostin over Thomas even though Thomas was taken in the draft sooner just a couple weeks ago.

1. Some of us may simply like Kostin better, even if the Blues rank Thomas higher.

2. The Blues may actually rank Kostin higher but simply took Thomas sooner as perhaps they felt Thomas was more likely to be taken and they were willing to gamble that Kostin would still be on the board later. We obviously will likely never know what all was going through their heads on draft day but I'd say this line of thought is at least plausible.

3. The risk of Kostin has lessened since draft day. It's only been 2 weeks but in that short amount of time, Kostin has gotten out of his KHL contract, signed an NHL contract and gotten his shoulder checked out by STL docs and there seems to be no concern with him being cleared for contact in Sept. If all of that risk had been lessened prior to the draft, it's plausible IMO to think he likely would've been drafted higher. In any event, it makes him a bit less risky of a prospect in my eyes.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

The horde of Kostinites wont back down my lorde, they keep preaching of a false prophet. Their predictions are quite frankly, Dizee'ing.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Apples and Oranges. In a year i wont be shocked if Kostin wins our #1 prospect spot, but as of today there is a reason Kostin just got chosen at #31, behind 30 other prospects, including Thomas at #20. I feel like Kostin has a ton to prove (injury and otherwise) and is getting too much love too soon thats all.

That being said i hope he does turn into a beast, he's just not my pick this early.

Um, no, these are not two vastly different situations. Unless you know the reasoning as to why the Blues picked Thomas first, then you can't just throw out the comparison like it means nothing.

I remember reading the reason the Blues drafted Schwartz ahead of Tarasenko back in 2010 was because they wanted both players, but they only had one first round pick at the time. The Blues got word that Ottawa wanted Schwartz a lot, so they selected him at 14 so they could better convince Ottawa to part with their first. In other words, draft position had nothing to do with perceived ability, but rather it allowed the Blues to maximize their gains. This same reasoning could be applied to this situation. Maybe the Blues knew that no other team wanted Kostin but knew that a team like New York really wanted Thomas. Or maybe the Blues wanted Thomas to force another team's hand in some other deal like with Pittsburgh. I'm not going to act like a I have a clue as to why the Blues drafted Thomas 20th, but what I'm trying to say is that I think using draft position as the sole argument against Kostin is overly simplistic. I mean it just tells me that people haven't the slightest clue about the players in question and just threw out "draft position" just because they saw it on t.v. one time. It just doesn't tell me anything about the person's thought process in evaluation.

Now I'm not saying that it is wrong to pick Thomas over Kostin here. Thomas doesn't have any major holes in his game. He's just a more solid player because of how well rounded he is. Couple that without Kostin's injury issues, and I believe you can make a pretty sound justification. I just don't believe that draft position should have anything to do with ranking a prospect. To rank a prospect, you should provide analysis on playstyle, translatability, physical tools, hockey IQ and instincts, etc. All of those reasons will have a direct impact on a player's future in hockey. Where they were selected in a draft will not.

Oh, and there is no "correct" answer here.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

It is Apple and Oranges cause comparing any prospect from this year to Tarasenko a 40-goal scoring NHL forward is straight ludicrous at this point.

Thanks, but no thanks, i'll pass on that Kool-aid.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

It is Apple and Oranges cause comparing any prospect from this year to Tarasenko a 40-goal scoring NHL forward is straight ludicrous at this point.

Thanks, but no thanks, i'll pass on that Kool-aid.

Well then you just completely missed the point of my argument. Either that, or you just didn't read.

Like I said, You can make a very valid rationale for voting for Thomas. But it's not some kool-aid drinking, hive-mind that votes for Kostin. I love these threads because you get a varying degree of opinions on players and their abilities. It's a great learning experience that makes people look back on what they originally thought. However, hearing stuff like, "well _____ was drafted ahead of _____, so he's the right choice" doesn't help anyone learn.

 

[Evocable Manager]

It's not ludicrous to compare prospects to NHL stars. NHL stars were once prospects themselves. There are a number of players drafted this year, last year and who will be drafted next year that will be comparable to NHL stars. For example, Charlie McAvoy is going to be one of the best defenseman in the league for a long time. Very Drew Doughty.

Rasmus Dahlin has the trajectory and to become the unquestioned best defenseman in the world. I haven't watched enough of him to get a sense of his play style but I often read/hear Nick Lidstrom. He's the expected #1 pick next year.

Kostin doesn't really play like Tarasenko, but if you're talking production, he may be the one guy in our system who could have a Tarasenko-esque peak.

 

[Edgar Carrow]

Kyrou was taken a whole year before Kostin, how the hell can anyone rate Kostin as a better prospect?

/s

I picked Kyrou BTW, but Kostin is right behind him.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Kyrou was taken a whole year before Kostin, how the hell can anyone rate Kostin as a better prospect?

/s

I picked Kyrou BTW, but Kostin is right behind him.

Why would Kyrou being drafted a year earlier/being 1 year older automatically make him the better prospect? I'm not following your logic.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

One thing I have to give Kostin, inhis quotes he thinks he has a chance to make the NHL team. Maybe it's a mix of youthful naïveté and enthusiasm, but I love seeing that confidence. He's mentioned the AHL, so I'm not worried he'll be devastated if he gets cut in camp. I really like to see the commitment.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Why would Kyrou being drafted a year earlier/being 1 year older automatically make him the better prospect? I'm not following your logic.

I 100% had the same question.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Kyrou was taken a whole year before Kostin, how the hell can anyone rate Kostin as a better prospect?

/s

I picked Kyrou BTW, but Kostin is right behind him.

But Tage Thompson was drafted a year before Kostin.

 

[bluesfan94]

Why would Kyrou being drafted a year earlier/being 1 year older automatically make him the better prospect? I'm not following your logic.

I think he's saying that Kyrou was picked "before" Kostin.

He was being glib.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

Why would Kyrou being drafted a year earlier/being 1 year older automatically make him the better prospect? I'm not following your logic.

It's to poke fun at the logic that Thomas is a better player than Kostin because of their respective draft positions.

 

[STL fan in MN]

It's to poke fun at the logic that Thomas is a superior player than Kostin because of their respective draft positions.

Gotcha.

I'll give myself one internet demerit for missing the humor there.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

Gotcha.

I'll give myself one internet demerit for missing the humor there.

That makes 2 of us. I think I'm spending too much time on this forum during a time when there's no hockey happening. Most of the posts I'm making and reading from other are over-thinking trivialities. Mots of us are just waiting for the season to start.

 

[Edgar Carrow]

2MM & STL Fan,

/s = The end of a sarcastic comment.

I was being stupid.

 

[542365]

Closing this bad boy tomorrow afternoon. Any of you stragglers get your votes in!

 

[sfvega]

Honestly, this is where the depth of our system comes in. We were hurting for a little bit, but now we really have some nice forwards and Husso has been a nice surprise, and well we've always had a steady stream of D prospects. To me, it comes down to Klim and Kyrou here. Klim has the high ceiling. But I really think Kyrou despite maybe not having the overall skill set of Kostin, he is not only closer to being NHL ready (not physically tho) today, but could just be the better hockey player overall long-term.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

To me, it comes down to Klim and Kyrou here. Klim has the high ceiling. But I really think Kyrou despite maybe not having the overall skill set of Kostin, he is not only closer to being NHL ready (not physically tho) today, but could just be the better hockey player overall long-term.

So combine the two players and U just described Thomas, high ceiling and all the attributes of Kyrou, GJ, now go change your vote

 

[HighNote]

Meant to vote for Kyrou not Thompson. Meh, whatever. Kyrou is 7 behind anyways.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

Meant to vote for Kyrou not Thompson. Meh, whatever. Kyrou is 7 behind anyways.

TBH both good choices, the Kostinites just overpowering.

 

[bluesfan94]

TBH both good choices, the Kostinites just overpowering.

What do you have against Kostin?

 

[LetsGoBooze]

What do you have against Kostin?

Nothing at all, it was i and another member (Dbrowns? I think) that were supporters going into the draft of wanting Thomas at 20 and Kostin at 27. We in turn were both thrilled with how we came out of the draft.

Im really just having fun with this whole opinionated process, and realize everyones criteria will vary. Hell Schmaltz has even mustered 5+ votes at this point and i dont even have him ranked in my next 5 prospects.

 

[Halak Ness Monster]

One thing I have to give Kostin, inhis quotes he thinks he has a chance to make the NHL team. Maybe it's a mix of youthful naïveté and enthusiasm, but I love seeing that confidence. He's mentioned the AHL, so I'm not worried he'll be devastated if he gets cut in camp. I really like to see the commitment.

It's very encouraging that he is willing to play in the AHL this year. It shows A) He wants to play in North America and B) He's willing to play in the minors and earn his stripes before playing in the NHL.

What concerns me is how long he'll be willing to play in the AHL before he gets frustrated with not being in the NHL.

Power forwards need time to develop. They need time to put on strength and really reach their potential.

Will Kostin be ok with playing 2 years in the AHL? I know many people here are saying he could be playing in St. Louis in game 1 this year but that is a huge stretch and I think it's somewhat of a stretch to think he'd be ready in 2018-2019. He played 8 games this past season and then had shoulder surgery.

Obviously he could be ready for 2018-2019. His frame is already filled out a good amount for an 18 year old and he could quickly take a huge step forward this coming year. He's not built like Tage Thompson, who was a string bean on draft day and clearly needed 3-4 years of development before seeing STL.

I just think it's always best to bring power forward prospects along slowly. They're very ineffective offensively until they fill out their frame. See Zach Sanford. Not a direct comparison to Kostin but an example of power forwards needing time. Sanford shows plenty of skill and smarts but he needs 15-20 more pounds before he'll really be effective.

I know Kostin had top 10 pick talent so he has skill to rely on in the mean time but even top 5 picks like Andrew Ladd and James Van Riemsdyk needed several years before they were producing like top 6 forwards.

I just hope Kostin is going to be fine with not playing 15+ minutes a night in STL for at least 2-3 years if that is what winds up happening.