Blues Prospects Thread 2018-2019

[542365]

I was looking at prospect stats earlier today and I thought other people might find them interesting too. Mostly just the big names from the past few years. :

Dominik Bokk: 3 goals, 7 assists in 20 games played in the SweHL

Scott Perunovich: 2 goals, 14 assists in 14 games for Minnesota-Duluth

Hugh McGing: 6 goals, 6 assists in 12 games for Western Michigan

Mathias Laferriere: 12 goals, 22 assists in 27 games for Cape Breton

Tyler Tucker: 7 goals(only 3 all of last year), 16 assists in 25 games for Barrie. Had 23 points in 59 games last year, already matched that mark this year.

Klim Kostin: 3 goals, 4 assists in 21 games for San Antonio

Alexei Toropchenko: 6 goals, 7 assists in 24 games for Guelph. Statistically a disappointing season so far, but I don't know his minutes/role/puck luck.

David Noel: 3 goals and 1 assist in only 6 games for Val d'Or.

Trenton Bourque: 1 goal, 3 assists in 24 games for Owen Sound. That goal was his only regular season goal in his parts of five OHL seasons.

Jordan Kyrou: 2 goals, 3 assists in 11 games with San Antonio

Evan Fitzpatrick: .922 save percentage and 2.17 GAA for Tulsa of the ECHL

Nolan Stevens: A goal and 4 assists in 20 games for San Antonio

On a side note even though he's no longer a Blues prospect, Dwyer Tschantz is somehow playing professional hockey in Maine of the ECHL. He was the worst prospect I've ever seen at the Blues prospect camp. He was simply awful in every drill and scrimmage. He looked like a beer leaguer who won a contest to practice with the Blues prospects.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

I'd say it's safe to say our prospect pool has been highly overrated. Much like our current NHL squad. I have a sick feeling that in 10 years we will not have an NHL team anymore and they will be relocated to a different city and end up winning a cup there. A la Baltimore Ravens to Cleveland Browns.

 

[bleedblue1223]

I'd say it's safe to say our prospect pool has been highly overrated. Much like our current NHL squad. I have a sick feeling that in 10 years we will not have an NHL team anymore and they will be relocated to a different city and end up winning a cup there. A la Baltimore Ravens to Cleveland Browns.

It hasn't been overrated. The previous time it was highly rated, we had the run with Hitch. Sure, there wasn't a Cup, but those were successful years. The current system that has been ranked highly hasn't had the opportunity to actually develop.

 

[ScratchCatFever]

It hasn't been overrated. The previous time it was highly rated, we had the run with Hitch. Sure, there wasn't a Cup, but those were successful years. The current system that has been ranked highly hasn't had the opportunity to actually develop.

So what confidence do we have to believe this new batch of kids will be developed properly? Is Bannister going to be the guy in SA after this season?
Who's the big teams coach going forward? And how long will management wait to determine if he's the right guy for the job? My optimism going in to this season was higher than pretty much any other of my 28 years of watching this team.

Most people would agree that to begin the year we were looking at a 3-5 year window, depending on who you ask. This year is gone and next year is now beyond an uncertainty as well, with some of the pieces that were a part of keeping that window open likely headed out before this season is up. Theoretically our window just went from 5 to 3 in essentially two months.

Sorry, I know I'm getting a bit off topic for the thread, been out of town for work the last 2 weeks and have just caught up on the games I've missed on my DVR.

 

[bleedblue1223]

So what confidence do we have to believe this new batch of kids will be developed properly? Is Bannister going to be the guy in SA after this season?
Who's the big teams coach going forward? And how long will management wait to determine if he's the right guy for the job? My optimism going in to this season was higher than pretty much any other of my 28 years of watching this team.

Most people would agree that to begin the year we were looking at a 3-5 year window, depending on who you ask. This year is gone and next year is now beyond an uncertainty as well, with some of the pieces that were a part of keeping that window open likely headed out before this season is up. Theoretically our window just went from 5 to 3 in essentially two months.

Sorry, I know I'm getting a bit off topic for the thread, been out of town for work the last 2 weeks and have just caught up on the games I've missed on my DVR.

There's just a lot more to winning a Cup than developing your prospects. Thomas, Kyrou, and others could develop into starts like Pietrangelo and Tarasenko did, but if the GM doesn't do his job and add it it, then it's still going to fail. Every Cup winner is built on prospects being developed, but then bringing in the right vets in the right spots.

 

[542365]

I'd say it's safe to say our prospect pool has been highly overrated. Much like our current NHL squad. I have a sick feeling that in 10 years we will not have an NHL team anymore and they will be relocated to a different city and end up winning a cup there. A la Baltimore Ravens to Cleveland Browns.

I don't think it's safe to say that at all. We have no idea what Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Dominik Bokk, Scott Perunovich, Klim Kostin etc. will become yet. That will be safe to say if in two years these guys are busts or underperforming, but they've all had relatively good seasons. Thomas is on pace for a 30 point season as a 19 year old rookie in the NHL. That's pretty solid. Kyrou is not producing like we'd hope, but he did make such an impression in camp that he forced his way onto the team, which was a pleasant surprise. The only player's production I'm disappointed with so far is Klim Kostin as I thought he was poised for a big year and that doesn't seem likely anymore. Everyone else is right where they're pretty much expected to be.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Our system is a little thinner than it has been in years past, especially at the junior level. That’s simply by virtue of us graduating most of our A-level prospects to the pros. They’re all rookies, they’re all young, they’re all figuring it out. We also haven’t seen game 1 from Foley after two consecutive concussions this summer. That hurts a bit.

But Bokk is really the only meaningful forward prospect we have right now outside of the pro level. Perunovich, Tucker, and Andersson are all, imo, exceeding expectations on the defensive side, but there’s still question marks with each of them. Joel Hofer has been very good so far: he has seen more shots per game than any other goalie in the CHL, and is keeping his head above water with a + .900 sv% (last time I checked, things may have changed slightly). But is he a starter? Mmmmm remains to be seen.

In the pros, Fitzpatrick has been encouraging, but he’s playing for a very good Tulsa squad so that helps a bit. Husso has been inexplicable, and Binnington has rage issues. San Antonio is turning things around and has been a lot better the last few weeks, but they’re doing so by slowing the game way down to accommodate the fact that they can’t play the way that Bannister wants them to play. It’s good to see that Bannister can coach both ways, but it’s a statement on who we’ve been drafting that they can’t play a puck pursuit game.

The good news: this year’s draft is the deepest in recent memory for goalies. Hunter Jones, Mads Sogaard, and Ethan Anders are all playing very very well, not to mention the Euros (who I know less about, but remember the name Jesper Myrenberg). There should also be decent depth to this one for skaters, with a very respectable top-10 if that’s where we’re picking.

 

[bleedblue1223]

San Antonio is turning things around and has been a lot better the last few weeks, but they’re doing so by slowing the game way down to accommodate the fact that they can’t play the way that Bannister wants them to play. It’s good to see that Bannister can coach both ways, but it’s a statement on who we’ve been drafting that they can’t play a puck pursuit game.

You still have to remember that a bulk of the roster are not Blues draft picks or some of the more highly regarded prospects. Some are, but defensively it's really just Walman and Mikkola as notable picks. Forwards have a few more, but the only big ones are Kyrou, Kostin, and a handful of games from Blais and Sanford. Stevens if you are being generous.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

You still have to remember that a bulk of the roster are not Blues draft picks or some of the more highly regarded prospects. Some are, but defensively it's really just Walman and Mikkola as notable picks. Forwards have a few more, but the only big ones are Kyrou, Kostin, and a handful of games from Blais and Sanford. Stevens if you are being generous.

Poganski has been much-improved since coming back up from Tulsa. The slow game suits him.

There still hasn’t been anybody who could get as much out of Musil as Berube did, unfortunately.

But yeah, you’re mostly right.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Our system is a little thinner than it has been in years past, especially at the junior level. That’s simply by virtue of us graduating most of our A-level prospects to the pros. They’re all rookies, they’re all young, they’re all figuring it out. We also haven’t seen game 1 from Foley after two consecutive concussions this summer. That hurts a bit.

But Bokk is really the only meaningful forward prospect we have right now outside of the pro level. Perunovich, Tucker, and Andersson are all, imo, exceeding expectations on the defensive side, but there’s still question marks with each of them. Joel Hofer has been very good so far: he has seen more shots per game than any other goalie in the CHL, and is keeping his head above water with a + .900 sv% (last time I checked, things may have changed slightly). But is he a starter? Mmmmm remains to be seen.

In the pros, Fitzpatrick has been encouraging, but he’s playing for a very good Tulsa squad so that helps a bit. Husso has been inexplicable, and Binnington has rage issues. San Antonio is turning things around and has been a lot better the last few weeks, but they’re doing so by slowing the game way down to accommodate the fact that they can’t play the way that Bannister wants them to play. It’s good to see that Bannister can coach both ways, but it’s a statement on who we’ve been drafting that they can’t play a puck pursuit game.

The good news: this year’s draft is the deepest in recent memory for goalies. Hunter Jones, Mads Sogaard, and Ethan Anders are all playing very very well, not to mention the Euros (who I know less about, but remember the name Jesper Myrenberg). There should also be decent depth to this one for skaters, with a very respectable top-10 if that’s where we’re picking.

I wish Jake Allen had rage issues.

 

[542365]

I wish Jake Allen had rage issues.

Yeah goalies that go mental are entertaining and fierce competitors. I don’t have a problem with a goalie smashing his stick or screaming at the ref after a shit goal. Hasn’t hurt Rask, didn’t hurt Hextall or Roy either. Now swinging your stick at an opponent like a lumberjack might be a bit much, but he clearly cares.

 

[Renard]

Where did you hear about the scouting report? For me the entire transaction was inscrutable. It was just one more detail in a baffling season so far for this club.

It was reported in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on October 10, 2018.

 

[stl76]

Bouwmeester and Gunnarsson were both coming off surgeries, and in the case of Bouwmeester, he had been in decline the last two seasons. It seemed that we had no left-handed defensemen in the organization ready for NHL duty if either Bouwmeester or Gunnarsson failed.

The Blues supposedly received a favorable report on Jerabek from J. J. Daigneault from his observation during Jerabek's time with Montreal. So we acquired him.

I have no idea how he has been doing in San Antonio. The Rampage has a poor record, and it might be hard to tell how Jerabek is doing by looking at his individual stats.

That’s interesting that Daigneault recommended Jerabek, I hadn’t realized that. He has definitely earned the benefit of the doubt after him pushing to draft Blais.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

That’s interesting that Daigneault recommended Jerabek, I hadn’t realized that. He has definitely earned the benefit of the doubt after him pushing to draft Blais.

I wonder if he's the one who pushed to draft Mathias Laferriere, because that pick is looking better than expected, much like Blais.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

That’s interesting that Daigneault recommended Jerabek, I hadn’t realized that. He has definitely earned the benefit of the doubt after him pushing to draft Blais.

That was a different guy. Daigneault just joined our org this year

 

[Stealth JD]

That’s interesting that Daigneault recommended Jerabek, I hadn’t realized that. He has definitely earned the benefit of the doubt after him pushing to draft Blais.

I wonder if he's the one who pushed to draft Mathias Laferriere, because that pick is looking better than expected, much like Blais.

Michel Picard found Blais.
Rutherford: Samuel Blais is blazing new trail for Blues

 

[Beauterham]

I wonder if he's the one who pushed to draft Mathias Laferriere, because that pick is looking better than expected, much like Blais.

Actually, it seems like every 2018 draftee is doing well. Not that that says a lot at this moment in their development, but it's nice to see that all of the 2018 prospects show potential.

 

[stl76]

That was a different guy. Daigneault just joined our org this year

Michel Picard found Blais.
Rutherford: Samuel Blais is blazing new trail for Blues

My mistake, thank you gentlemen for the correction!

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

The Blues are likely to go into the WJC-U20s with a grand total of ONE participant: Klim Kostin. No prospects were (or will be) invited for the American, Canadian, Swedish, or Finnish rosters.

I find that alarming, but I suppose it’s what happens when Thomas is with the big club, and you’ve traded away the rest of your first rounders over the last 3 years. Either way, it’s a bummer.

 

[simon IC]

Daigneault should have been fired for being so off base in that evaluation of Jerabek. JJ is not an NHL calibre player. Complete waste of a draft pick.

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

The Blues are likely to go into the WJC-U20s with a grand total of ONE participant: Klim Kostin. No prospects were (or will be) invited for the American, Canadian, Swedish, or Finnish rosters.

I find that alarming, but I suppose it’s what happens when Thomas is with the big club, and you’ve traded away the rest of your first rounders over the last 3 years. Either way, it’s a bummer.

What about Bokk?

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

What about Bokk?

Unless I’ve missed something, Germany was relegated (several years ago, IIRC) to the D1-A division. So he’ll be in *a* tournament, but not *the* tournament.

 

[Renard]

Daigneault should have been fired for being so off base in that evaluation of Jerabek. JJ is not an NHL calibre player. Complete waste of a draft pick.

We have only seen Jerabek for one game. He wasn't impressive, but he played that game without having practiced with the team, as I recall.

I don't know if Jerabek is an NHL caliber player or not, but he has some good European credentials, and some NHL ice time with Montreal and Washington.

Is your opinion based on Jerabek's time with San Antonio?

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

Unless I’ve missed something, Germany was relegated (several years ago, IIRC) to the D1-A division. So he’ll be in *a* tournament, but not *the* tournament.

Oohhh, shows how much I pay attention lol

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Oohhh, shows how much I pay attention lol

Oh, dawg, nobody can keep trap of all this stuff all the time haha.