Prospect Info: Blues 2021-2022 Prospects Thread Part 2

[Chojin]

Woof. Less fun to watch during the years when the cupboard is bare.

 

[BlueOil]

sim breaks the goose egg

 

[BlueOil]

cranley in net after the 6th goal on ellis

 

[Chojin]

McGing hasn't been terrible.

 

[STL fan in MN]

McGing hasn't been terrible.

Agreed. At least twice I’ve noticed him display supreme effort and hustle.

 

[Chojin]

Agreed. At least twice I’ve noticed him display supreme effort and hustle.

Kessel on the other hand... man.

 

[TK 421]

Ugh, even on the PP they're having Bolduc play on his forehand on the left side. Dude is used to setting up for one timers from the right side. Ok I'll shut up now about it but damn.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Six goals on Ellis!!?? Bum deal.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Ugh, even on the PP they're having Bolduc play on his forehand on the left side. Dude is used to setting up for one timers from the right side. Ok I'll shut up now about it but damn.

It’s a fair assessment. I noticed two times where Bolduc went to where the LW would go for a breakout. He received it both times but then had no one to bump it to.

I can only assume they’re trying to make him a C as they have lots of winger prospects but it seems forced and unlikely to work after 3 years at LW.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

No point and a -4 for Bolduc in his first game as a center after 3 seasons as a LW, who would have thought?

 

[Celtic Note]

Bolduc isn't a center so they're not doing him any favors playing him in an unfamiliar position. Disappointing to me as someone who wanted to see him creating offense off the wing.

I hope we don’t ruin him doing this.

 

[TK 421]

I hope we don’t ruin him doing this.

My take is this.

Tim Taylor and apparently others in the Blues brass see him as a center long term and probably felt Traverse City was as good a place as any to get a look at him at that position. It's a low expectation environment where guys are all unfamiliar with one another anyway so they're probably just trying to get a read on how he looks executing the tasks a center typically has to perform. Face offs, back checking, how he handles playing in the middle of the ice etc. That's all well and good but like you pointed out you would hate to see his development set back by someone else's insistence that he play center.

Now if they let him move back to a much more familiar environment at wing for main camp I have no issue with this in Traverse. But if we see him at main camp at center it doesn't make any sense to me. He's played at wing up until now and achieved all his accolades that made the Blues select him in the 1st place as a winger. Not only that but he's not breaking into the league as a center anyway so why force this now?

Robert Thomas was a natural center when we drafted him but he spent his first two NHL seasons at RW. Odds are Bolduc starts at wing as well for his first couple NHL seasons at least. He's also a natural goal scorer and currently looks like a pro projectable winger, you start chucking a whole new set of responsibilities at a 19 year old being asked to play a new position and you run the very real risk of setting him back in development and possibly killing his confidence all together.

One scary thought popping into my head regarding this is, "Is this Bolduc at center thing related to ROR leaving in UFA?". Oof, double oof and I hope that proves to be completely unrelated.

 

[MissouriMook]

...

One scary thought popping into my head regarding this is, "Is this Bolduc at center thing related to ROR leaving in UFA?". Oof, double oof and I hope that proves to be completely unrelated.

We're inarguably better with ROR, but having Thomas-Schenn-Barbashev down the middle is way better than what we had for years before we traded for ROR and signed Bozak. No need to force him into a place where he doesn't fit, that is if he continues to struggle there.

 

[TK 421]

We're inarguably better with ROR, but having Thomas-Schenn-Barbashev down the middle is way better than what we had for years before we traded for ROR and signed Bozak. No need to force him into a place where he doesn't fit, that is if he continues to struggle there.

Yep and I have to remind myself this is just one game in Traverse, no reason to get worried at this stage. Sorry guys and girls, not trying to be alarmist about this, I was just really looking forward to seeing him at wing.

 

[Blueston]

Bolduc isn't a center so they're not doing him any favors playing him in an unfamiliar position. Disappointing to me as someone who wanted to see him creating offense off the wing.

I don't expect that he will stick at center, but seems like they want him there now to focus on certain areas of his game. I expect he will ultimately settle in at wing and be a very good one.

No point and a -4 for Bolduc in his first game as a center after 3 seasons as a LW, who would have thought?

The -4 was largely a reflection of Ellis playing awful in net.

 

[Blueston]

With the caveat that that It's 1 exhibition game and shouldn't read oto much into it (and I can't spell), some quick hits on game today:

I thought Laferrier and McGing looked good. McGing I thought showed something last season, but I had nearly written Laf off but he was noticeable. Cranley looked good. Tucker I thought was pretty solid. Washkurak flashed a bit.

Kessel was quite noticeable but more bad than good. Luce and Lyle looked like AHLers. Galloway should be glad he still has junior eligibility. Ellis was bad. Not that any goals were specifically cringeworthy, but he looked small and slow to react. Defenselively we struggled, but he didn't give himself best chance too often.

As to our top prospects, I know Bolduc was on the ice for several against, but he just oozes skill out there. As I said in another post, I figure they have him playing center more as a development tool than thinking he is actual center bc he looks to me like he could be a 1st line winger in time.

Neighbours, on the other hand, I don't know. His physical presence was noticeable but I would like to see more offensive instincts and puck skill out of him. I expect he will be NHLer, but how good? I'm getting Dallas Drake vibes.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

With the caveat that that It's 1 exhibition game and shouldn't read oto much into it (and I can't spell), some quick hits on game today:

I thought Laferrier and McGing looked good. McGing I thought showed something last season, but I had nearly written Laf off but he was noticeable. Cranley looked good. Tucker I thought was pretty solid. Washkurak flashed a bit.

Kessel was quite noticeable but more bad than good. Luce and Lyle looked like AHLers. Galloway should be glad he still has junior eligibility. Ellis was bad. Not that any goals were specifically cringeworthy, but he looked small and slow to react. Defenselively we struggled, but he didn't give himself best chance too often.

As to our top prospects, I know Bolduc was on the ice for several against, but he just oozes skill out there. As I said in another post, I figure they have him playing center more as a development tool than thinking he is actual center bc he looks to me like he could be a 1st line winger in time.

Neighbours, on the other hand, I don't know. His physical presence was noticeable but I would like to see more offensive instincts and puck skill out of him. I expect he will be NHLer, but how good? I'm getting Dallas Drake vibes.

Galloway was disappointing. He looks awkward. He’s a big boy, but he needs to learn how to better control his large body.

 

[Frenzy31]

There are a couple of things to note here. In the past 3 drafts, Columbus has picked 7 times in the top 45. 6 First rounders, 1 2nd. Just the difference in quality in picks.

The blues have made 3 picks.

That is a huge difference. Especially when considering we have not picked anyone in the 2nd round in 3 drafts.

 

[Davimir Tarablad]

I don't expect that he will stick at center, but seems like they want him there now to focus on certain areas of his game. I expect he will ultimately settle in at wing and be a very good one.

Could also be a factor of not having a lot of centers on the tourney roster to begin with. I'll get concerned with them playing Bolduc at center if it continues into training camp

 

[Brian39]

One scary thought popping into my head regarding this is, "Is this Bolduc at center thing related to ROR leaving in UFA?". Oof, double oof and I hope that proves to be completely unrelated.

That has been the thought in the back of my head for a while now. However, I don't think they are related. Bolduc is probably going to be ready to play 3rd line duties in 2023/24, but almost certainly not ready to be an NHL 3C by then. Additionally, if ROR walks then we need a defensive 3C. That is very much not him. There is just too much gap time between ROR's potential departure and the amount of time Bolduc could theoretically be ready to contribute as a defensively sound NHL center.

 

[Brian39]

We're inarguably better with ROR, but having Thomas-Schenn-Barbashev down the middle is way better than what we had for years before we traded for ROR and signed Bozak. No need to force him into a place where he doesn't fit, that is if he continues to struggle there.

I'll be shocked if we are able or willing to pay the price it will take to keep Barby. This might be his one and only chance to earn a big money deal. He needs to maximize every penny and someone will pay him the market value for a 2C/3C tweener if he can hit 20+ goals and/or 50+ points again. I think he falls short of 20 goals, but I think he'll hit 50 points.

He's going to get paid like an offensive middle 6 center and we will very much need a defensive middle 6 center if ROR walks. If ROR walks, then I think we will need to acquire our 3C via trade or UFA.

 

[tfriede2]

I'll be shocked if we are able or willing to pay the price it will take to keep Barby. This might be his one and only chance to earn a big money deal. He needs to maximize every penny and someone will pay him the market value for a 2C/3C tweener if he can hit 20+ goals and/or 50+ points again. I think he falls short of 20 goals, but I think he'll hit 50 points.

He's going to get paid like an offensive middle 6 center and we will very much need a defensive middle 6 center if ROR walks. If ROR walks, then I think we will need to acquire our 3C via trade or UFA.

Sunny will make his way back!

 

[Blueston]

I'll be shocked if we are able or willing to pay the price it will take to keep Barby. This might be his one and only chance to earn a big money deal. He needs to maximize every penny and someone will pay him the market value for a 2C/3C tweener if he can hit 20+ goals and/or 50+ points again. I think he falls short of 20 goals, but I think he'll hit 50 points.

He's going to get paid like an offensive middle 6 center and we will very much need a defensive middle 6 center if ROR walks. If ROR walks, then I think we will need to acquire our 3C via trade or UFA.

I like Barbie as middle 6 winger. I don’t think he is as good at center. Let someone else overpay him.

 

[BlueOil]

prospect game 2 vs. baby leafs

sim with an early goal, back to back games with the first goal for him

 

[STL fan in MN]

Neighbours with a good deflection on the PP to make it 2-0.

4 penalties for the Blues in the 1st but they killed them all off and even had the better opportunities while being shorthanded.