Blues Prospects Thread 2018-2019

[Stealth JD]

I've only seen the WJC games and and the YouTube clips of Kyrou's...but he strikes me as a guy capitalizing against kids who he clearly outclasses. The time and space are going to be at a premium against the grown-ups and his game seems a little easier to disrupt than Thomas' or even Kostin's. Essentially, I'm saying I'm totally fine with using Kyrou as a chip to shore up other areas.

 

[Dbrownss]

I've only seen the WJC games and and the YouTube clips of Kyrou's...but he strikes me as a guy capitalizing against kids who he clearly outclasses. The time and space are going to be at a premium against the grown-ups and his game seems a little easier to disrupt than Thomas' or even Kostin's. Essentially, I'm saying I'm totally fine with using Kyrou as a chip to shore up other areas.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

Kyrou won’t have less time and space than Thomas or Kostin, given that he is one of the best skaters in the world according to Scott Wheeler and Craig Button. That’s literally the problem Kostin has due to his poor foot speed.

There are no question marks when it comes to Kyrou’s ability to play offense at the NHL level for me - at least to the point that one would be able to discern without actually seeing him do it. The question with Kyrou should be HOW effective will he be, not if he will be. That will depend on his ability to finish more than anything else. Will he be a 10 goal or 25 goal player? I just can’t see him busting given his skillset. He has the tools and the toolbox - when’s the last time a player like that busted?

 

[Dbrownss]

Kyrou won’t have less time and space than Thomas or Kostin, given that he is one of the best skaters in the world according to Scott Wheeler and Craig Button. That’s literally the problem Kostin has due to his poor foot speed.

There are no question marks when it comes to Kyrou’s ability to play offense at the NHL level for me - at least to the point that one would be able to discern without actually seeing him do it. The question with Kyrou should be HOW effective will he be, not if he will be. That will depend on his ability to finish more than anything else. Will he be a 10 goal or 25 goal player? I just can’t see him busting given his skillset. He has the tools and the toolbox - when’s the last time a player like that busted?

For me worse case is Anthenaseu.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

For me worse case is Anthenaseu.

That’s a good comparable, although I would put Kyrou’s vision, passing, stickwork, and overall skating as better.

 

[Stealth JD]

Kyrou won’t have less time and space than Thomas or Kostin, given that he is one of the best skaters in the world according to Scott Wheeler and Craig Button. That’s literally the problem Kostin has due to his poor foot speed.

Thomas' vision and IQ are going to allow him to beat defenders. Kostin's size and physicality are going to help him to beat defenders. Kyrou has speed, but I'm not convinced the IQ to be anything more than a depth guy who offers some supplemental scoring. I just don't see him as a top-6 guy in this league for any team, let alone one of the most stacked clubs at the forward ranks. I have no problems being wrong...my wife would say I should be used to it by now...but I just don't get the sense from Kyrou that he's going to live up to the hype I'm seeing from this board.

If the Blues could somehow trade Kyrou today for a 2019 1st round pick, I'd take that in a second if it was from a team who'd give you a pick that would likely end up between 10-24, because he could very well end up in a Jordan Schmaltz situation here, where his value dwindles while he's blocked.

 

[David Dennison]

Kyrou won’t have less time and space than Thomas or Kostin, given that he is one of the best skaters in the world according to Scott Wheeler and Craig Button. That’s literally the problem Kostin has due to his poor foot speed.

There are no question marks when it comes to Kyrou’s ability to play offense at the NHL level for me - at least to the point that one would be able to discern without actually seeing him do it. The question with Kyrou should be HOW effective will he be, not if he will be. That will depend on his ability to finish more than anything else. Will he be a 10 goal or 25 goal player? I just can’t see him busting given his skillset. He has the tools and the toolbox - when’s the last time a player like that busted?

Kostin is 6'3", 210 lbs. and has no problem creating space with his size/speed, 'foot speed' isnt my biggest concern with him.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

Kostin is 6'3", 210 lbs. and has no problem creating space with his size/speed, 'foot speed' isnt my biggest concern with him.

In the AHL, Kostin’s problem has been getting crowded and swarmed once he has the puck, and his IQ has put him at a positional disadvantage when he doesn’t know where to be on the ice. All of this could just be KHL v. AHL, but when comparing Kostin and Kyrou’s NHL potential, I’d have more concerns about Kostin than Kyrou - however that doesn’t mean I have huge concerns about Kostin.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

Thomas' vision and IQ are going to allow him to beat defenders. Kostin's size and physicality are going to help him to beat defenders. Kyrou has speed, but I'm not convinced the IQ to be anything more than a depth guy who offers some supplemental scoring. I just don't see him as a top-6 guy in this league for any team, let alone one of the most stacked clubs at the forward ranks. I have no problems being wrong...my wife would say I should be used to it by now...but I just don't get the sense from Kyrou that he's going to live up to the hype I'm seeing from this board.

If the Blues could somehow trade Kyrou today for a 2019 1st round pick, I'd take that in a second if it was from a team who'd give you a pick that would likely end up between 10-24, because he could very well end up in a Jordan Schmaltz situation here, where his value dwindles while he's blocked.

Let’s just agree to disagree then.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I don’t see Kyrou’s hockey sense as elite or in the same tier as Thomas’ but conversely, I don’t see him as having “depth guy” hockey sense either. I see his hockey sense as being “good”, a little above average.

I’ve warmed up to Kyrou over the past year. I think he still has a good amount of work to do with his game away from the puck, especially in terms of D coverage but the skills are undeniable. I think he’s a pretty safe bet to become a 2nd line RW with a little more seasoning.

 

[David Dennison]

In the AHL, Kostin’s problem has been getting crowded and swarmed once he has the puck, and his IQ has put him at a positional disadvantage when he doesn’t know where to be on the ice. All of this could just be KHL v. AHL, but when comparing Kostin and Kyrou’s NHL potential, I’d have more concerns about Kostin than Kyrou - however that doesn’t mean I have huge concerns about Kostin.

That is a fair assessment, but I do think that a lot of fans are basing too much of their opinion of Kostin on his first year in NA, especially considering 18 year olds almost never play in the AHL.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

That is a fair assessment, but I do think that a lot of fans are basing too much of their opinion of Kostin on his first year in NA, especially considering 18 year olds almost never play in the AHL.

I’m far from a Kostin hater - I really thought we could have started the season with him due to our lack of RHS, need for help on the power play via driving the net, and complete lack of RW depth. If our team had those same holes as last year, I’d probably be just as adamant. It’s not a knock on Kostin to put him below Kyrou - Kyrou is just that good.

Edit: I would encourage posters to view our Kyrou thread for a bunch of analysis (complete with gifs!) that I did of Kyrou and Barzal last year. It was fun making it, and I think it’s the kind of stuff that’s fun to look at in the off-season.

 

[Blanick]

I think Kyrou's hockey IQ is being severely underrated here. I admit to being one of Kyrou's biggest fans on this board. I liked the pick when it was made in 2016, fell in love with the player after viewing him in prospect camp. Continued to watch him throughout junior and national tournaments all the way to this year's prospect camp and the kid does nothing but impress.

I have said it before but I think he could be our Johnny Gaudreau. A guy who is overlooked due to size and draft position (non 1st rounder) but who every year just continues to improve. I have no reason to believe he is going to stop now.

When comparing him to let's say Kostin his shot doesn't measure up but is good enough to keep goalies honest. His skating is elite, not just top end speed but edgework as well. He seems to find himself in the right spots offensively and he uses his teammates well. All things I can't say about Kostin at this point. He is a driver of offense while I see Kostin as more of a trigger man.

I fully except that I am a big reason the Kyrou hype is a little out of control but for me he is comfortably above Kostin at this point.

 

[Dbrownss]

I think Kyrou's hockey IQ is being severely underrated here. I admit to being one of Kyrou's biggest fans on this board. I liked the pick when it was made in 2016, fell in love with the player after viewing him in prospect camp. Continued to watch him throughout junior and national tournaments all the way to this year's prospect camp and the kid does nothing but impress.

I have said it before but I think he could be our Johnny Gaudreau. A guy who is overlooked due to size and draft position (non 1st rounder) but who every year just continues to improve. I have no reason to believe he is going to stop now.

When comparing him to let's say Kostin his shot doesn't measure up but is good enough to keep goalies honest. His skating is elite, not just top end speed but edgework as well. He seems to find himself in the right spots offensively and he uses his teammates well. All things I can't say about Kostin at this point. He is a driver of offense while I see Kostin as more of a trigger man.

I fully except that I am a big reason the Kyrou hype is a little out of control but for me he is comfortably above Kostin at this point.

It's not just a handful of posters high on him. Scouts are high on him and so is Blues managment. The negative opinions I'm reading are just Bullshit. He's not a perfect complete prospect by any means but I'm just seeing people taking leaps

 

[Dbrownss]

That is a fair assessment, but I do think that a lot of fans are basing too much of their opinion of Kostin on his first year in NA, especially considering 18 year olds almost never play in the AHL.

A guy I play golf with is from San Antonio, I was floored by his opinion on Kostin. His reviews were less then glowing. I did go to bat for Kostin and remind him of the circumstances. I got a shrug....

 

[Blanick]

It's not just a handful of posters high on him. Scouts are high on him and so is Blues managment. The negative opinions I'm reading are just Bull****. He's not a perfect complete prospect by any means but I'm just seeing people taking leaps

Oh I agree completely. I was just starting that my own personal opinions in prospect thread and prospect camp threads have helped build onto the hype.

 

[Dbrownss]

Oh I agree completely. I was just starting that my own personal opinions in prospect thread and prospect camp threads have helped build onto the hype.

Some may go over the top with mentioning his ceiling but who cares. I haven't seen a legit scouting report list him as "could" be a depth guy

 

[Blanick]

Some may go over the top with mentioning his ceiling but who cares. I haven't seen a legit scouting report list him as "could" be a depth guy

I still maintain that Kyrou has the biggest boom/bust potential of all of our prospects. He is going to be top6 or nothing. The reason I have so much confidence in him is two fold.
One. Personal viewings, I seen him at both prospect and main camps and have always come away very impressed.
Two. He keeps improving. His first year in junior was ok. Second year almost PPG. Third year almost 100 points. Fourth year, MVP. Plus he was an impact player for Team Canada at the World Juniors. So I have no reason to believe that he won't continue to improve at the pro levels.

 

[Dbrownss]

I still maintain that Kyrou has the biggest boom/bust potential of all of our prospects. He is going to be top6 or nothing. The reason I have so much confidence in him is two fold.
One. Personal viewings, I seen him at both prospect and main camps and have always come away very impressed.
Two. He keeps improving. His first year in junior was ok. Second year almost PPG. Third year almost 100 points. Fourth year, MVP. Plus he was an impact player for Team Canada at the World Juniors. So I have no reason to believe that he won't continue to improve at the pro levels.

His bust level will be up to him. He is physically gifted enough to be a Grabner if all else fails, though I'd still maintain Anthenaseu as NHL floor barring complete bust.


I've watched his last 2yrs of juniors and international games

 

[Ranksu]

We'll see at camp and pre-season games does Kyrou have NHL potential or not.

 

[Stealth JD]

Let’s just agree to disagree then.

Fair enough.

Just admit your trolling. Watching a couple games and highlights.......jfc...

Apologies for having a differing opinion. I’ve probably seen 4 full games and every clip on the Athletic, this board, YouTube and Twitter. He got talent. He’s also got flaws.
It’s tough seeing as much as I’d like in S. Florida, but I’m not trolling. Im genuinely not expecting Kyrou to contribute this season. Next year I expect him to have his NHL debut and struggle. This is NOT some blue-chip prospect, as is he is being touted but **** me for daring to question the board’s favorite golden boy.

 

[The Note in MI]

Fair enough.


Apologies for having a differing opinion. I’ve probably seen 4 full games and every clip on the Athletic, this board, YouTube and Twitter. He got talent. He’s also got flaws.
It’s tough seeing as much as I’d like in S. Florida, but I’m not trolling. Im genuinely not expecting Kyrou to contribute this season. Next year I expect him to have his NHL debut and struggle. This is NOT some blue-chip prospect, as is he is being touted but **** me for daring to question the board’s favorite golden boy.

That’d be Thomas. Or for some Mikkola ha

 

[Dbrownss]

Fair enough.


Apologies for having a differing opinion. I’ve probably seen 4 full games and every clip on the Athletic, this board, YouTube and Twitter. He got talent. He’s also got flaws.
It’s tough seeing as much as I’d like in S. Florida, but I’m not trolling. Im genuinely not expecting Kyrou to contribute this season. Next year I expect him to have his NHL debut and struggle. This is NOT some blue-chip prospect, as is he is being touted but **** me for daring to question the board’s favorite golden boy.

Your opinion is your own, but it's not backed by an published scouting report. I've seen people use a few of his junior dekes against him as if thats all he can do. Guess who else does that....Thomas. half the crap I've seen him do is junior level stuff that would get his head taken off in the NHL...yet since he has uber defense no one pays attention to it.

Yes I'm being harsh about this but your opinion is way out of left field with not much in depth explanation. Your the only person I've seen question Kyrou's IQ and say it's depth quality after admitting not much viewing. Highlights dont count for determining vision as your only seeing seconds leading to an event. I didn't get to see nearly as much of Kyrou this season as I did last season. From reports I've read....he didnt exactly get a ton of help and alot of his feeds weren't cashed in on.

 

[Stealth JD]

Your opinion is your own, but it's not backed by an published scouting report. I've seen people use a few of his junior dekes against him as if thats all he can do. Guess who else does that....Thomas. half the crap I've seen him do is junior level stuff that would get his head taken off in the NHL...yet since he has uber defense no one pays attention to it.

Yes I'm being harsh about this but your opinion is way out of left field with not much in depth explanation. Your the only person I've seen question Kyrou's IQ and say it's depth quality after admitting not much viewing. Highlights dont count for determining vision as your only seeing seconds leading to an event. I didn't get to see nearly as much of Kyrou this season as I did last season. From reports I've read....he didnt exactly get a ton of help and alot of his feeds weren't cashed in on.

My concern with Kyrou is his ability to play against grown men. He, by all accounts, was physically overmatched in last year's training camp. Thomas, though he got Tom Wilson'ed, I don't have the same concern with being out-muscled or negated in puck-battles. He's so damn smart, and his vision is off the chart. Kyrou's success in junior doesn't appear as transferable, to me anyway, as Thomas' does. I don't care what the scouting reports say...I still have concerns about Kyrou. That' doesn't mean I'm trolling, or making up stuff. I'm genuinely not hyped for Kyrou. Sorry to be a buzzkill.

 

[Dbrownss]

My concern with Kyrou is his ability to play against grown men. He, by all accounts, was physically overmatched in last year's training camp. Thomas, though he got Tom Wilson'ed, I don't have the same concern with being out-muscled or negated in puck-battles. He's so damn smart, and his vision is off the chart. Kyrou's success in junior doesn't appear as transferable, to me anyway, as Thomas' does. I don't care what the scouting reports say...I still have concerns about Kyrou. That' doesn't mean I'm trolling, or making up stuff. I'm genuinely not hyped for Kyrou. Sorry to be a buzzkill.

You dont care what professionals have to say?

Kyrou's skating alone is going to negate most checks and given where the NHL is headed, Kyrou's physical attributes will he even more pronounced. Developing the strength will come, it not like he's 5'8 160.