The blues prospects will be entering a very tough division, typically the hardest division in the Ahl. There are some heavy hitters with providence, Hershey, wilkes barre, hartford, and Lehigh valley. Some big market teams. We have missed the playoffs all 4 years with Florida, im pretty sure we wont make it this year either, even though we have had some very talented teams. Coaching I believe was the problem. We are a very passionate fan base and I hope St. Louis believes in winning at the Ahl level. Do they typically find sign some veteran Ahl talent to help with the younger prospects?
Confirmed with Link: Blues Sign 5 Year Deal with Springfield
- Thread starter JoshFromMO
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Chet Manly
Registered User
Damn. I was hoping maybe Kansas city would be in the running. Not sure if they even have a rink to lend, but a man can dream.
Bobby Orrtuzzo
Ya know
Yes, the Blues typically do.
Currently there are guys like Jordan Nolan, Nathan Walker, Derrick Pouliot, Jake Dotchin, and a few more. Last year Chris Thorburn spent the majority of the year down there too. So the Blues aren’t afraid to sign AHL depth.
Yes, as outlined above. There are examples like that going back every season.
‘But in my opinion the Blues are at an ebb in the strength of the prospect pool. It happens when you are prioritizing the NHL team’s window. There are still some excellent prospects, but not with enough depth to really make the best AHL lineup we’ve seen. I think they’ll be competitive and there will be several future NHLers to watch, but that the roster will probably have holes in it which limit the league ranking result. Granted I have limited viewings of the team and am going mainly by results and my opinion of the roster’s potential.
As others have mentioned, we just aren’t in a place right now where our farm system is overflowing with talent. We’ve sent out a lot of assets to build the NHL team into a Cup contender (specifically Schenn, O’Rielly, and Faulk). That has left relatively few Grade-A or B prospects developing at the AHL level, aside from Kostin, who is continuing to find his way. Kyrou graduated this year and most likely won’t be back in the AHL again.
But regardless of that, our main priority with the AHL is development. Guys like Poganski, Stevens, and Mikkola are all going to be bottom-lineup options in the NHL if they ever make it, but we need them playing a lot, and in all situations to give them the best chance of graduating. And unless McGing goes pro this year, our forward corps at the prospect level probably won’t change that much, potentially with the exception of Ho-Sang.
There has been relatively little carryover year-to-year with the veterans on our roster, with the exception of guys like Jordan Nolan and Chris Butler, who were/have been our sort of designated player-coaches and captains. So we’ll see who comes up to Mass with us, or if we just try to start from scratch. I personally hope we hang onto Walker and Pouliot, if nothing else.
We aren’t trying /not/ to win, it just isn’t the first priority, per se. If we develop our prospects well, and our vet signings pan out (they haven’t always), we’ll win games, and that’s good for everybody. But we probably aren’t going to sit our prospects for the vets, even if that gives us a better chance of winning. Ideally we’re accomplishing both goals at the same time, and our lack of doing so recently has more to do with being bounced around the league and trying to find a stable AHL partnership than anything else.
mk80
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We have always brought in a nice compliment of AHL veterans to balance out the young prospects. However I would say the Blues like most NHL teams these days care more for the development of prospects than winning.
Beauterham
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- Aug 19, 2018
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Toropchenko will need to go a looooong way before he's NHL-ready. At this moment he's hardly even AHL-ready. But who knows what a couple more seasons in the AHL will get him too.
As far as I know Alexandrov will probably play AHL next year. He's born in September 2000 and I believe that makes him eligible, correct me if I'm wrong please. Washkurak on the other hand was born in 2001, and even though both players were picked in their first draftyear (neither is an overager) only Alexandrov will likely go to the AHL with Washkurak staying another year with the Steelheads.
So, Blues prospects that will probably be on Springfields roster (but aren't in the AHL right now): Tyler Tucker (LHD), Matthias Laferriere (C/RW), Nikita Alexandrov (C), Joel Hofer (G).
I don't expect the Blues to start in the AHL with 2 rookie goalies so I expect Colten Ellis (G) (2000 born) to start in Tulsa.
Scott Perunovich (LHD) will also likely be in the AHL. Maybe Hugh McGing too (LW), but I don't know at what date he goes UFA (drafted as an overager), so he might stay another year in the NCAA.
CaliforniaBlues310
Registered User
I know Toropchenko still is a couple years away, but there was a good amount of hype for him on here before the season started, so that’s why I mentioned him.
Alexandrov, I’m assuming can since he’s Russian, yeah? I’m not quite sure if the Jr’s rule is just for NA kids or both.
I'm excited to follow and root for San Antonio for the rest of the year!
Hofer is ready for the jump, but I bet Ellis goes back to juniors for another year. He was out a long time with injury this year, and he’d be better served getting back on track in the Q rather than Tulsa, imo. No reason to rush him.
execwrite1
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- Mar 30, 2018
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Assuming Husso graduates would expect they sign a vet to play with Hofer. Too bad Evan Fitzpatrick is exiled to goalie limbo.
