Prospect Info: Robert Thomas (20th overall in 2017)

[rumrokh]

That would be a huge mistake. The kid is ready for a top 9 spot

I don't think it's going to happen, but it's possible and I fear that possibility.

Not to the point at which I'm on the Unload Berglund Train with a lot of others, but it's there.

 

[BleedBlue14]

I don't think it's going to happen, but it's possible and I fear that possibility.

Not to the point at which I'm on the Unload Berglund Train with a lot of others, but it's there.

I have a feeling that we have an alternate of two lineups dependent on Schenn

Schwartz - Stas - Tank
Fabbri - Schenn - Steen
Sob - Barb - Berglund
xxxx - Brodz - xxxx

with the mixes of x's being Sundqvist/PRV/ Sanford whomever.

If Schenn Doesn't work out as a C I have a feeling they'll run something around

17 - 26 - 91
20 - 71/21 - Schenn
15 - Barb 21/71

I mean there is still room for Barby in that top 9 and I really don't think after having him called up this year it's a good idea to send him down. I don't mind giving him a short stint in the AHL at the beginning to get him more time to get a jump start but that just feels to me like a confidence killer for him.

 

[STL BLUES]

Yeah, either way, I think it shows positive things about his character. I guess I'd be curious of how many do similar things. and hang out to watch until their teammates from juniors are drafted or their NHL team is finished.

It does happen. While at the 2015 draft I ran into 2014 Wings draft pick Tyler Bertuzzi. He told me he was there for the draft pick of a former Guelph Storm teammate. He had nothing but praise for Fabb's.

 

[BangarangxRufio]

Something i noticed from watching his highlights that I really hope translates to the NHL is is O-zone entry. He has a way of using his great hands and skating to push through the blueline. Something that drives me nuts is the tendencies to get to the line and the second pressure is felt dump the puck. I hope his ability to drive into the o-zone will help create better opportunities for our wingers!

 

[phxblue]

I just watched a "behind the scenes of the draft" with Thomas. He seems like a great kid. Could be a great guy to have in the locker room one day. I could see him becoming a professional. Seems very mature for a teenager.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

https://www.nhl.com/blues/video/thomas-enjoys-first-prospect-camp/t-277437432/c-52358503

 

[BigHitter67]

I had Thomas ranked 4th among OHL'ers available this year.

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2017/05/my-final-top-50-ohl-players-for-2017_16.html

He was also ranked 4th in my final media/scout poll.

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2017/06/final-mediascout-poll-for-2017-nhl-draft.html

and you even predicted top 20! good call bro

 

[Son of Petter]

Love this pick for you guys, he screams Bo Horvat clone to me! Does anyone know where to find his info before 2014-15? Oddly Elite Prospects only has info for the last couple years.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=201681

Thx!

 

[DatDude44]

Love this pick for you guys, he screams Bo Horvat clone to me! Does anyone know where to find his info before 2014-15? Oddly Elite Prospects only has info for the last couple years.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=201681

Thx!

I personally see a lot more giroux than Horvat in his game but i'd be happy with either haha.

Horvat to me is more of a guy that uses his mix of speed and size(220LB's) to beat guys to the net, whereas when i see thomas, he uses his speed, crafty hands and vision to make plays. I really see a lot of claude giroux in thomas's game.

 

[The Note in MI]

Watched the Windsor vs London Playoff series and first two games vs. Eerie (against raddysh, debrincat and strome) and Thomas was fantastic. Steady eddy. Smooth with the puck. Finds teammates on seam passes that I didn't even notice from the above view. Great on defense and along the boards. Deployed as a defensive center most of the time (as cliff Pu, maxJones and piccinich got ozone deployment). Really good on the point in the PK. kept their entire PP2 afloat by feeding Kuokkannen all day.

He's gonna be a great one for us. His possession with the puck and passing was easily the best on the pretty well stacked Knights team. He will only be relied upon more this year to be a minute cruncher and produce. With PP1 time and more ozone deployment there's no reason not to expect an even greater season offensively from him even though London likely will be a touch worse this season.

I'm excited about this kid. He's so well rounded.

 

[Stealth JD]

Kid has Doug Weight upside. Very excited about him...moreso than ANY other draftee. In fact, he is the only forward for whom i see top-line upside. (Yes, i'm aware of Kostin, Thompson & Kyrou...all whom look like 2nd/3rd liners to me)

 

[BlueDream]

Kid has Doug Weight upside. Very excited about him...moreso than ANY other draftee. In fact, he is the only forward for whom i see top-line upside. (Yes, i'm aware of Kostin, Thompson & Kyrou...all whom look like 2nd/3rd liners to me)

Damn, he has upside of a player who has topped 80, 90, 100 points.

Highly doubtful.

 

[simon IC]

Damn, he has upside of a player who has topped 80, 90, 100 points.

Highly doubtful.

Not to put words in his mouth, but I think Stealth meant any current prospect, not any draftee in Blues history. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) I also agree that Kostin, Kyrou and TT top out as 2nd liners. (Which is not a bad thing!).

 

[PiggySmalls]

JR tweeted about some saw Thomas as the best all around player in Traverse City. I can see why, hope he has a strong camp. It has been a while since I saw a prospect with the playmaking ability he showed in the tournament.

 

[Stealth JD]

Damn, he has upside of a player who has topped 80, 90, 100 points.

Highly doubtful.

low-end, play-making, top-line center. Different eras. You don't hit 100 pts these days unless you're a franchise player.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Damn, he has upside of a player who has topped 80, 90, 100 points.

Highly doubtful.

I think he meant stylistically

 

[The Note in MI]

I see him as a potential 1C a la stastny with a bit better puck handling and vision. He won't be a generational talent that's for sure but I have hopes he'll be a 60-70 pt center. Seems like a pipe dream, but of all our center prospects he's the best shot IMO.

 

[Dbrownss]

low-end, play-making, top-line center. Different eras. You don't hit 100 pts these days unless you're a franchise player.

I dont think your off either. He checks all the boxes. The one critisim I didnt understand were the ones that were down on his skating. He looks fantastic. Maybe not elite but he was dynamic and could get around just fine. Very similar to Fabbri and no one has ever criticised him. This is draft reports not posters btw

 

[The Note in MI]

I think his skating is average.

I also think he looks like a lesser skater because he's very calm with the puck. He doesn't travel at McDavid pace while maintaining his playmaking. He skates controlled and uses puck handling to maintain possession and look for his opening. He's slippery when he wants to be.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

I think his skating is average.

I also think he looks like a lesser skater because he's very calm with the puck. He doesn't travel at McDavid pace while maintaining his playmaking. He skates controlled and uses puck handling to maintain possession and look for his opening. He's slippery when he wants to be.

It's easy to think Eichel is a bad skater because of the same thing, their form is perfect so it doesn't look like they're going all out hardly ever. Doesn't make them bad skaters. And skating means several things too, there's top-end speed, and there's quickness: the ability to get up to top speed on a dime and get separation. I see a whole lot of the latter in Thomas, in the same way I see it in Schwartz. They both can make their own separation via their skating. Maybe Thomas isn't going to get a ton of breakaways, but he'll always be able to make space for himself to make the right play, and to me that's more important, especially from a playmaking center.

Skating is the least of Thomas' worries: to me it's whether or not he can stand the physicality of the NHL. It's like Parayko when he got here, he was too nice to people at times. I watch Thomas' game and I don't see someone who's willing to go after the puck really really hard. If he can add that puck hound mentality to his game, there's really not any concern for me as far as the technical ability of his game.

 

[Renard]

I think his skating is average.

I also think he looks like a lesser skater because he's very calm with the puck. He doesn't travel at McDavid pace while maintaining his playmaking. He skates controlled and uses puck handling to maintain possession and look for his opening. He's slippery when he wants to be.

Why is it that we never know these things for sure? In football, they clock players in the 40 yard dash and its there for all the fans to know.

Why can't they put a clock on a guy skating from goal line to goal line?

 

[STL fan in MN]

Why is it that we never know these things for sure? In football, they clock players in the 40 yard dash and its there for all the fans to know.

Why can't they put a clock on a guy skating from goal line to goal line?

They could do that but IMO it would only tell a small fraction of the tale of how good of a skater a guy is. Besides top end speed, what is perhaps even more important is acceleration - how long it takes a guy to get to that top end speed. Pivots, jump, edge work, balance, acceleration, momentum shifts and lateral ability are all very important in terms of how good someone is at skating so thus why simply measuring how fast someone can go from Point A to Point B only tells a small % of the story.

 

[Reality Czech]

They could do that but IMO it would only tell a small fraction of the tale of how good of a skater a guy is. Besides top end speed, what is perhaps even more important is acceleration - how long it takes a guy to get to that top end speed. Pivots, jump, edge work, balance, acceleration, momentum shifts and lateral ability are all very important in terms of how good someone is at skating so thus why simply measuring how fast someone can go from Point A to Point B only tells a small % of the story.

Summed it up perfectly. There is a lot more to it than end to end speed. Wasn't it mentioned a few years ago that Polak was the fastest, or one of the fastest, skaters on the team? That didn't get him so far, except impressing the boys during the team skills competition.

 

[Evocable Manager]

Summed it up perfectly. There is a lot more to it than end to end speed. Wasn't it mentioned a few years ago that Polak was the fastest, or one of the fastest, skaters on the team? That didn't get him so far, except impressing the boys during the team skills competition.

Polak is one of the slowest guys in the league and always has been.

 

[Renard]

They could do that but IMO it would only tell a small fraction of the tale of how good of a skater a guy is. Besides top end speed, what is perhaps even more important is acceleration - how long it takes a guy to get to that top end speed. Pivots, jump, edge work, balance, acceleration, momentum shifts and lateral ability are all very important in terms of how good someone is at skating so thus why simply measuring how fast someone can go from Point A to Point B only tells a small % of the story.

Its the same in football. How often does a guy get to run a straight 100 yards, or 50 straight yards with the football? He will have to stop, start, cutback, etc.
I guess that's why the football world goes with the time in the 40 yard dash as the important indicator. Its a better indicator of moving from a stop to top speed.


I know that red line to red line timing doesn't tell the whole story, but for years I have read about how a big slow skater is really deceptively fast because of his long, slow strides. Well, let's test out that theory.