Prospect Info: 17-18 Blues Top Prospect #7

[Klank Loves You]

it just depends on how you decide to vote. schmaltz may be a better NHL player than TT and JK but he wont ever be more than a bottom pairing guy because of pie and parayko, which in some peoples eys may make TT and JK more important prospects because they can have a bigger impact on our roster.

does that make any sense?

This is my reasoning. Personally, i enjoy adding the hype and team circumstances to my voting criteria. It makes looking at previous lists more fun. I dont think these lists have to be wrong or right, just a measurement of this board's opinion.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

No one else with any love for Sanford yet?

 

[TK 421]

It makes sense. You just don't like it.

We all seem to have different criteria for the picks we make in these polls. Some pick for NHL readiness, some go with upside etc. But to me I don't think looking at where a prospect may be blocked from a bigger role makes much sense either. A guy can be blocked but still be a better prospect so why use that as reasoning. Idk, I guess put me down as another who doesn't like it.

 

[STL fan in MN]

No, it doesn't make sense. It's like saying Parayko will never be more than a middle pairing D because of Petro. Schmaltz can have just as large of an impact on the team as any of these other guys. If he improves his play, he'll get rewarded with more playing time. If Schmaltz can play at a middle pairing quality, which I think is fairly reasonable, it ends up being a similar position to having Petro/Parayko/Shatt as the RHD core.

Also, a young, cheap, top 4 RHD has a ton of trade value, so if Schmaltz plays at a top 4 level, he becomes a great trade chip.

I would generally agree with this as I value prospects but if others want to take something like that into account, so be it.

Conversely, one could give Schmaltz a value boost since he's a RD and league-wide RDs are at a premium. If Schmaltz can show he can be a 2nd pairing RD, he would have very good trade value. It's just going to be hard for him to prove that with the Blues with Petro and Parayko likely to eat up most of the important RD minutes.

Schmaltz has been fairly consistent and steady with a slow, methodical progression in his development. He doesn't "wow" anyone but could very well lock down a 3rd pairing position this season and likely be a good contributor to the 2nd PP unit. He could then grow beyond that but ultimately, he may end up being worth ore to another team than he'll be worth to the Blues with the 2 big guns they have in front of him. But trade value has worth IMO so I factor that into my rankings. Schmaltz isn't a sexy pick and he's old hat but he's still a good prospect who I think is likely to stick with the Blues most if not all of this season.

 

[Dbrownss]

I would generally agree with this as I value prospects but if others want to take something like that into account, so be it.

Conversely, one could give Schmaltz a value boost since he's a RD and league-wide RDs are at a premium. If Schmaltz can show he can be a 2nd pairing RD, he would have very good trade value. It's just going to be hard for him to prove that with the Blues with Petro and Parayko likely to eat up most of the important RD minutes.

Schmaltz has been fairly consistent and steady with a slow, methodical progression in his development. He doesn't "wow" anyone but could very well lock down a 3rd pairing position this season and likely be a good contributor to the 2nd PP unit. He could then grow beyond that but ultimately, he may end up being worth ore to another team than he'll be worth to the Blues with the 2 big guns they have in front of him. But trade value has worth IMO so I factor that into my rankings. Schmaltz isn't a sexy pick and he's old hat but he's still a good prospect who I think is likely to stick with the Blues most if not all of this season.

I think the only logical factor i can see from being stuck behind P&P is that the lack of time would stall his development.

 

[KirkOut]

No one else with any love for Sanford yet?

What have you seen from him that would place him above TT, Kyrou, or Schmaltz?

 

[Dbrownss]

What have you seen from him that would place him above TT, Kyrou, or Schmaltz?

He's shown to be an NHL player. He's displayed some good skills, just needs to bulk up, which both the others have to do.

I can see the argument for him to be over Kyrou and TT.

 

[KirkOut]

He's shown to be an NHL player. He's displayed some good skills, just needs to bulk up, which both the others have to do.

I can see the argument for him to be over Kyrou and TT.

See the "he's been in the NHL" argument doesn't really work for me when we've already voted for 6 players who have never played an NHL game. It would be hard to convince me that Sanford has a higher potential than either of those

 

[Dbrownss]

See the "he's been in the NHL" argument doesn't really work for me when we've already voted for 6 players who have never played an NHL game. It would be hard to convince me that Sanford has a higher potential than either of those

Understandable. I cant speak for the others as voted for Dunn and thats it for non NHL'ers.

It could be viewed as having a safer floor then the other 2.

Id have Sanford and TT pretty close but Kyrou as a 3rd given i view him as more bust potential.

 

[Robb_K]

No one else with any love for Sanford yet?

Sanford has soft hands, a scoring touch and good offensive sense. But, he needs to add a lot of strength and then learn how to use that additional body weight, and also prove he's willing to go to the tough places and stand up to the physical game. Thompson needs to do the same, but I have more confidence that the latter will succeed in that effort. So, Sanford is slightly behind Thomas and Kyrou, who are better skaters and have better puck skills, and Thompson, who looks to have a better upside related to the physical game.

 

[Falco Lombardi]

Thompson and Schmaltz should both go ahead of Kyrou

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

Went with Tage again, I think his floor is higher than Kyrou.

 

[Blanick]

I am always so confused by these rankings. Are they suppose to be based on what we think the players ceiling will be or by how close they are to making an impact in the NHL?

Honestly I wish we would wait to do these ranking until after training camp when they actually have to compete against established NHL players. For most the these players they have no pro experience so what we basically go on is notes from prospect camp and stats from Jr leagues.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I am always so confused by these rankings. Are they suppose to be based on what we think the players ceiling will be or by how close they are to making an impact in the NHL?

Honestly I wish we would wait to do these ranking until after training camp when they actually have to compete against established NHL players. For most the these players they have no pro experience so what we basically go on is notes from prospect camp and stats from Jr leagues.

Folks value players however they want. Personally, I put them in order of a combo of what I believe their potential to be and how likely they are to reach it. If a guy is closer to the NHL, that helps show they should at least make it in some regard but that doesn't mean I necessarily will value that guy higher than a kid that has a longer path.

I agree that training camp would probably help a little but it would still involve projecting 23 yr olds against 18 yr olds. And college players can't even be in camp.

 

[tfriede2]

Thompson. Schmaltz and Kyrou/Sanford are next.

 

[EastonBlues22]

I voted for Thompson. I think he has the higher floor between him and Kyrou. Even though I think he's the more dynamic player, I can't say with any real conviction at this point that Kyrou has a higher ceiling. Both require a lot of projection if we're talking about absolute upside.

Right now I think they're pretty close. I wouldn't be surprised if a gap widened between them, one way or the other, when we see how Kyrou's game translates against AHL competition.

 

[EastonBlues22]

It appears that this poll is very close. I'm going to leave it up until late Monday evening at least so that the weekday crowd can get a say, maybe even longer if it's still within a vote or two.

 

[Ranksu]

I suggest we'll make a new poll just for only Thompson vs. Kyrou. Let see after that which one is #7 prospect.

 

[Stealth JD]

or just call it a tie for 7th, and move onto 9.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Wow, TT with a late overnight push!

I would think Morty would come in here and vote for TT given his support for him in the prospects thread.

 

[MissouriMook]

or just call it a tie for 7th, and move onto 9.

Given how close they have been throughout this particular poll, that seems like an exceptionally fair way to end it.

 

[medkit]

Went with Tage again, I think his floor is higher than Kyrou.

I voted for Thompson. I think he has the higher floor between him and Kyrou.

I don't vote for floor, so I am going Kyrou.

Speed and vision that you just can't teach, and improving at a faster rate.

 

[bluesfan94]

No one else with any love for Sanford yet?

He's next for me once Schmaltz goes.

 

[2 Minute Minor]

He's next for me once Schmaltz goes.

This will be a telling season for Sanford. Supposedly, he almost made the Capitals out of camp. But in his time with the Blues he looked over-matched physically too often.

If he is going to take 2-3 years to get strong enough to be a regular contributor, I think Sanford will get passed over by some of the younger prospects. But if he can beat out guys like Sundqvist, Bennett, Jaskin, Paajarvi now, there is a spot in the line-up for him to seize. He ought to be good enough to manage that if he has built on last year. But if he comes back at the same level/strength, I think he's going to bounce around a while as a tweener and then fizzle out.

I have some hope that he'll have a break-out year and play 60+ games. If that happens, I think either Jaskin or Sundqvist will be lost to waivers (or pass through them I suppose).

 

[stl76]

I suggest we'll make a new poll just for only Thompson vs. Kyrou. Let see after that which one is #7 prospect.

+1. Speaking as someone who voted for Schmaltz, I'd like the opportunity to vote for TT over Kyrou in a runoff.

or just call it a tie for 7th, and move onto 9.

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!!!

But seriously, it's the offseason...not like we have anything better to discuss haha