Blues Prospects Thread 2019-2020

[Quaz]

Keean Washkurak - is this guy going to be a player? Compared to Yanni Gourde

 

[Frenzy31]

He reminds me of Tyson Nash or Danton. I like his play a lot.

 

[Quaz]

He reminds me of Tyson Nash or Danton. I like his play a lot.

I've heard good things about him. I thought the screen shot was funny. Hopefully the Blues have a guy like him or Alexandrov surprise with a jump in development. He and Neighbors will add some future sandpaper to the team.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I've heard good things about him. I thought the screen shot was funny. Hopefully the Blues have a guy like him or Alexandrov surprise with a jump in development. He and Neighbors will add some future sandpaper to the team.

Well...Blais, Sundqvist and Barbashev made a surprise jump in their development.

Why can’t Alexandrov and others make that jump?

It’s got to be pretty exciting and inspiring for them.

 

[stl76]

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.

I'm probably overreacting. Just seems like the whole Pietro saga has (understandably) taken over our forum lately and at times if has gotten negative and petty between some posters. I have been actively trying to avoid some of those discussions...so when I opened the Prospects thread hoping to read about our recent picks or a development with an existing prospect, and instead there were people going back and forth about Pietro and the HOF, it just bugged me.

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

No worries Simon, I don't blame you or anyone wanting to talk about Pietro.

In the spirit of keeping it about the prospects, I enjoyed this recent write up about Washkurak:

A Look at the Most Unique Blues Prospect

I'm hopeful we can turn another late pick like Blais into a contributing NHL player. His game is right up the Blues' alley and seems to fit a larger stylistic pattern the org is moving in.

 

[stl76]

Unrelated question: anyone have any updates on how Kostin has looked in the KHL?

 

[Zizzle]

Unrelated question: anyone have any updates on how Kostin has looked in the KHL?

Looks like 2 assists in 9 games!

 

[Blueston]

Looks like 2 assists in 9 games!

At what point does his lack of production at every stop become worrisome? Like if he was going to be a top 6 player you would think 4 years out he would be further along.

 

[Linkens Mastery]

At what point does his lack of production at every stop become worrisome? Like if he was going to be a top 6 player you would think 4 years out he would be further along.

Still fairly young tho. He'll be fine. Starting out in the AHL as an 18 year old is absolutely crazy.

 

[Blueston]

Still fairly young tho. He'll be fine. Starting out in the AHL as an 18 year old is absolutely crazy.

He is 21 now and still can’t produce. He was mediocre in AHL and silent in KHL. How can we expect him to be better in NHL?

 

[execwrite1]

I keep forgetting they are playing hockey now in Oh Canada.

Colton Ellis is fifth in save pct (2.25), tied for first in wins (4) and shutouts (1)

 

[execwrite1]

I'm probably overreacting. Just seems like the whole Pietro saga has (understandably) taken over our forum lately and at times if has gotten negative and petty between some posters. I have been actively trying to avoid some of those discussions...so when I opened the Prospects thread hoping to read about our recent picks or a development with an existing prospect, and instead there were people going back and forth about Pietro and the HOF, it just bugged me.


No worries Simon, I don't blame you or anyone wanting to talk about Pietro.

In the spirit of keeping it about the prospects, I enjoyed this recent write up about Washkurak:

A Look at the Most Unique Blues Prospect

I'm hopeful we can turn another late pick like Blais into a contributing NHL player. His game is right up the Blues' alley and seems to fit a larger stylistic pattern the org is moving in.

Good read - thanks for posting

Here's another article on Washkurak

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

I keep forgetting they are playing hockey now in Oh Canada.

Colton Ellis is fifth in save pct (2.25), tied for first in wins (4) and shutouts (1)

Im mad we still haven’t signed him yet

 

[SneakerPimp82]

He is 21 now and still can’t produce. He was mediocre in AHL and silent in KHL. How can we expect him to be better in NHL?

I'd push back against the mediocre in the AHL comment, especially last season where he was among the team leaders in points per game. For comparison, Kostin had 30 points in 48 games, points leaders Pouliot and Vecchione had 39 in 58 and 36 in 61 respectively. Obviously both of those guys are 5-6 years older and are established AHL vets. That said, do we know how much icetime he's getting at Omsk? Do we know who his linemates are? What's his usage? He's basically been loaned to a brand new league and team, with a brand new cast of teammates, and a brand new system and style of play. Not to mention he's a young player on a very good team of veterans with an established pecking order. I doubt that he's getting prime minutes, especially as an outsider coming in.

 

[Mike Liut]

Kostin comparison = Lucic

 

[Stealth JD]

Kostin comparison = Lucic

Gross.
I'd take a Josh Anderson, though...minus the contract.

 

[SneakerPimp82]

Kostin comparison = Lucic

Lucic was really productive for 6-7 seasons, I'll take that. Minus the contract and the steep decline though.

 

[Prosaic]

Kostin comparison = Lucic

In what universe?

Lucic played 77 games in his D+2 season and by the end of his D+4 year had a 40 point season and 60 point season.

Kostin is not on that type of trajectory at all. He’s in his D+4 year and likely won’t even play full time.

 

[Novacain]

Kostin's upside for a long time is 3rd liner, but he's pretty far away from said upside at the moment. He both doesn't score enough and takes too many penalties to be worth that position.

 

[Blueston]

Kostin's upside for a long time is 3rd liner, but he's pretty far away from said upside at the moment. He both doesn't score enough and takes too many penalties to be worth that position.

I hope I'm wrong, but I honestly think he'll be lucky to approach Jaskin's peak.

 

[ezcreepin]

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.

I guess your question then would be is Petro better than the other best defenseman in the league, along with all of the other young, talented defenseman who are high octane point producers? Because to be honest, I could see a guy like Makar getting a Norris before Petro gets one, even though I like Petro as an all around d-man more. It's really a popularity contest at this point; no one cares about defending nearly as much as they used to. If you score 70 points as a d-man, you're likely to just win it because of that. I don't like the trophy for those reasons, but I could see Petro making the hall at some point.

 

[ezcreepin]

He is 21 now and still can’t produce. He was mediocre in AHL and silent in KHL. How can we expect him to be better in NHL?

His development in the AHL is pretty much would I would have expected from him at an early age coming over to the US to play hockey with guys he can't speak to. He scored decently for a guy his age, regressed a bit because people adjusted to him, and then his D+3 season he was scoring at nearly a 50 pt pace in a full AHL season. If I'm the Blues, I'm super pumped that he, as a power forward, as able to accomplish this with how bad San Antonio was for awhile. Sure, he make take some time to become a full time NHL-er, but sometimes that's how it is. As far as his play in the KHL, let's not forget that some players from the NHL are probably oversees, creating some logjams for a young guy like Kostin. I have no worries for him currently, just as long as he's playing hockey.

 

[Renard]

Looks like 2 assists in 9 games!

But how much ice time is he getting? Two assists doesn't sound like much, but if he isn't getting ice time, he isn't going to score much.

 

[The Note]

But how much ice time is he getting? Two assists doesn't sound like much, but if he isn't getting ice time, he isn't going to score much.

Based off the KHL site he is averaging 9:46 a game thus far.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

The Blues have not been shy about parting with former 1st rounders when they’re not projecting to make it. So far, I can’t think of any times that was regrettable. Schmaltz, Tage Thompson, Bokk (still early there).

Maybe Kostin doesn’t hold much trade value, but I don’t get the sense the team is running out of patience with him. I’ve personally thought his lack of hockey sense and ability to integrate with his teammates in a line is going to be what holds him from becoming a useful NHL player. If he grows his hockey sense with maturity overall, I could see a guy like Maroon being a comparable.