Blues Prospects Thread 2019-2020

[Beauterham]

Looking for some info on a few guys who made their debut last season...

...

What kind of players are they and what kind of NHL projection do they have if any?

Austin Poganski - right wing power forward - 4th line forward
Niko Mikkola - leftside defensive defender - middle pair/bottom pair D.
Jake Walman - leftside offensive defenseman - bottom pair D.*

*I don't expect Walman to become a regular with the Blues due to a logjam on the left side with Perunovich and Mikkola probably ahead of him in the peckingorder. If he wants to reach his potential, he needs to be traded. He's waiver eligible BTW.

 

[Blueston]

Looking for some info on a few guys who made their debut last season...

Austin Poganski
Niko Mikkola
Jake Walman

What kind of players are they and what kind of NHL projection do they have if any?

Thanks!

Fringe grinding NHL winger who can fill in on 4th line
3rd pairing D with great size and wheels but little puck skills
Fringe NHL D with great wheels and shot but questionable defensive awareness

 

[Ranksu]

The 2020 Blues nearly win the President’s trophy with Tarasenko missing most of the year. This Pietrangelo guy must be the greatest player who ever lived.

St Louis Blues best player of all-time. Nothing less.

 

[Mike Liut]

St Louis Blues best player of all-time. Nothing less.

Pronger laughs

 

[Mike Liut]

This would actually be a good poll. Best Blues player of all time

Hull
Pronger
Petro
MacInnis
Shanahan
Federko

 

[Blueston]

This would actually be a good poll. Best Blues player of all time

Hull
Pronger
Petro
MacInnis
Shanahan
Federko

Petro doesn't belong on that list. He ain't in their class.

 

[simon IC]

Petro doesn't belong on that list. He ain't in their class.

Okay. This post puts a lot of other ones into perspective.

 

[Ranksu]

 

[Blueston]

Okay. This post puts a lot of other ones into perspective.

Please. The other 5 are HOFers. You really think Petro is?

 

[Ranksu]

Please. The other 5 are HOFers. You really think Petro is?

He's going to be HOF when he retire.

 

[Blueston]

He's going to be HOF when he retire.

Not at this pace. Never won any hardware. Never been considered 1 of top 2 or 3 D in league. He is darn good player- one of top 10D in league over past several years- but without hardware and without big counting numbers going to be super tough for him to make HOF.

 

[simon IC]

Please. The other 5 are HOFers. You really think Petro is?

Yes, I think he will be.

 

[Blueston]

Yes, I think he will be.

Based on what? He is 30 and has more good years behind him than ahead of him. What is highest he ever finished in Norris voting? Never been top 3. Never first team All Star. No other awards. He is heckuva player, but going to be real uphill climb for him to make it.

 

[Mike Liut]

Based on what? He is 30 and has more good years behind him than ahead of him. What is highest he ever finished in Norris voting? Never been top 3. Never first team All Star. No other awards. He is heckuva player, but going to be real uphill climb for him to make it.

hard to argue with that

 

[Thallis]

Not at this pace. Never won any hardware. Never been considered 1 of top 2 or 3 D in league. He is darn good player- one of top 10D in league over past several years- but without hardware and without big counting numbers going to be super tough for him to make HOF.

It's hard to talk about "pace" when you're talking about awards most guys even in the HOF win once if at all. It's not hard to see Pietrangelo is winning a Norris in the next 3 years, and if he does, he basically becomes a lock.

 

[Blueston]

It's hard to talk about "pace" when you're talking about awards most guys even in the HOF win once if at all. It's not hard to see Pietrangelo is winning a Norris in the next 3 years, and if he does, he basically becomes a lock.

Considering Carlyle is only non-active Norris winner not in the Hall, a Norris would certainly make Petro far more likely to get in. But considering he has never finished in top 3 and is on wrong side of 30, banking on him winning a Norris seems far from sure thing.

 

[Thallis]

Considering Carlyle is only non-active Norris winner not in the Hall, a Norris would certainly make Petro far more likely to get in. But considering he has never finished in top 3 and is on wrong side of 30, banking on him winning a Norris seems far from sure thing.

The difference between top 3, 4, or 5 is basically nothing. That difference can easily be made up in exposure for voters, and the Blues have never been a particularly sexy team. Him being the talk of the offseason and following it up with his regular play in Vegas could easily make that difference. Him being 30 also makes no difference, since his brand of hockey is the style that ages extremely well and shouldn't really even start declining for another 5 years. Lots of defensemen win Norrises in their 30s: Giordano, Burns, Chara, Lidstrom, and Niedermayer all won the Norris for the first time after they were 30, and MacInnis, Kieth, Coffey, Chelios, and Borque all won Norrises in their 30s, acting like it's a mountain for Pietrangelo to climb is foolish. Even if he didn't win one, personal hardware isn't a requirement for defensemen to get in as we just saw Sergei Zubov get inducted with a single second team all star as his only personal "hardware." He could easily hit the same totals of 1000+ games and 700 points considering his current resume.

 

[joe galiba]

Hedman, Josi, Carlson, Karlsson (if he gets over his injuries), Jones, Makar, Doughty, Hughes just off the top of my head of d-men who are about his age or younger that will get more Norris talk year in, year out
if he slows as he ages, or has some injuries his counting numbers might not be there
right now he looks like borderline for the hall and I wouldn't bet my own money either way

 

[Mike Liut]

He’s not a HOF player. HOVG. Hall of very good

 

[stl76]

Even the f***ing prospect thread is being polluted with people sniping at each other over this Pietrangelo crap? FFS this place is becoming so toxic.

 

[Mike Liut]

Even the f***ing prospect thread is being polluted with people sniping at each other over this Pietrangelo crap? FFS this place is becoming so toxic.

It seems civil to me. We were just debating if he’s a HOF or not. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Nobody knows for sure.

 

[Bluesnatic27]

It seems civil to me. We were just debating if he’s a HOF or not. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. Nobody knows for sure.

But it has nothing to do with St. Louis Blues prospects.

Why the discussion is here is beyond belief.

 

[Mike Liut]

But it has nothing to do with St. Louis Blues prospects.

Why the discussion is here is beyond belief.

One thing leads to another and yada yada yada

 

[simon IC]

Even the f***ing prospect thread is being polluted with people sniping at each other over this Pietrangelo crap? FFS this place is becoming so toxic.

Mea culpa. You are completely right. Let's keep this about the prospects.

 

[joe galiba]

i miss hockey, it is supposed to be hockey season now
the nhl should say the heck with it and start up now
and the ahl too, so we have something to talk about