Prospect Info: St. Louis Blues Prospect Ranking #3

[Multimoodia]

My concern with Jaskin's speed has not changed. Backes was able to attend and benefit from a power skating course or two because his stride was choppy and a bit uneven but was fixable. Jaskin's is just awkward and I think would require an overhaul before he would gain any real advantage. That will likely take more than a single off season, but I suppose we'll see this season how he's doing.

 

[Multimoodia]

Now let me tell you why Beach is the man.
Dude's name is I Beach. The Blues can all every other player in the league as well as every official a female dog and when confronted about it they can simply say they were speaking with Cody.

Powerful right there.
He may also have a lot of intangibles too. Not sure.

 

[Mike Liut]

My next 3

Jaskin
Barbashev
Rattie

 

[JustOneB4IDie]

My next three are:

Barbashev is my choice at 3.

Rattie at 4: Still needs to get stronger, Nice Jump scoring wise to the AHL. whether that translates to the NHL remains to be seen.

Jaskin at 5: His skating... No doubt about it, is holding Jaskin back, and will continue to hold him back until Jaskin makes significant improvement.

 

[Multimoodia]

My next one is Phil McRae. I think that year or two in Euope helped him elevate his game to the next stage.

 

[medkit]

I kind of expect Rattie to never manage to make it as an NHL top 6 player. I can't articulate why, and maybe its just innate Blues pessimism.

I don't expect him to be a top-6 wing on this team. Schwartz, Tarasenko, Oshie, Steen will be holding that down for years. Maybe Backes too. Then you have guys like Barbashev/Fabbri/Berglund/Lehtera/Lindstrom that could potentially take a winger slot if there are issues.

I'm not sure where that leaves him because he won't be a 4th liner. At least Jaskin can fit in more slots. That makes him more valuable to me even if it's arguable who the BPA long term is.

 

[542365]

I don't expect him to be a top-6 wing on this team. Schwartz, Tarasenko, Oshie, Steen will be holding that down for years. Maybe Backes too. Then you have guys like Barbashev/Fabbri/Berglund/Lehtera/Lindstrom that could potentially take a winger slot if there are issues.

I'm not sure where that leaves him because he won't be a 4th liner. At least Jaskin can fit in more slots. That makes him more valuable to me even if it's arguable who the BPA long term is.

If he's good enough, they'll find a spot for him. They can always trade guys to make space. It would be advantageous to the Blues if he could displace one of those guys as he will be making much less for the near future.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Surprised Barbashev isn't getting a bit more chatter. Quite a few people (myself included) liked him more than Nick Schmaltz before the draft, and I think there's a decent number of people here who would have ranked Schmaltz above both Jaskin and Rattie for this slot if we had drafted him instead.

Simple lack of exposure, perhaps?

 

[ChicagoBlues]

What else do we have to do in the off-season?

(Posting comments only biases the poll if people read the thread before voting. Maybe they don't?)

I'm just being kind of pedantic. I have no excuse. I'm just conditioned to analyze research and look for bias. Its hard to see it and not point it out. I'll try harder next time.

I'm the same way, which is why I complained about it. But you helped me to get past it and just have fun with it. Twenty years of utilizing and applying the scientific method will do that to people.

By the way, I love the Zoolander reference.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

To me, this is where it gets interesting. I went with Jaskin because I think his issues are fixable, and view him as a safe bet to be at least a useful supplementary part, while still having potential to be much more than that. I'll concede his clock is already ticking though.

 

[542365]

Surprised Barbashev isn't getting a bit more chatter. Quite a few people (myself included) liked him more than Nick Schmaltz before the draft, and I think there's a decent number of people here who would have ranked Schmaltz above both Jaskin and Rattie for this slot if we had drafted him instead.

Simple lack of exposure, perhaps?

I can't speak for everyone, but I was hesitant to vote for Barbashev because I've seen so much more of Jaskin and Rattie than I have of Barbashev. It felt like shiny new toy syndrome, but I went with Barbashev anyway because what I've seen and how scouts talk about him has me very excited. He just seems like an absolutely perfect fit and I think he has as much skill as anyone in our prospect pool outside of Fabbri.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Barbashev isn't the goal scorer that Rattie is, but I think he's a better playmaker. He's also a better skater, more physical, and he's better at creating his own space with the puck (as opposed to Rattie who is better at slipping into space without the puck). He plays the whole rink, goes to the dirty areas, and has good instincts without the puck.

Almost as much offensive upside as Rattie, with a more well-rounded skill set and game that mitigates much of his bust risk, puts him just behind Fabbri for me.

 

[Lord Helix]

Barbashev
Rattie
Jaskin
Schmaltz

 

[Jzk]

I went with the guy who just put up 30 in the AHL. Jaskin would of been around there if he wasn't up and down but now it's all about his effort fixing his skating.

 

[izzy]

From what I've heard these last few days I want to choose Lindbohm, aha.

Jaskin is my pick though.

 

[Frenzy31]

I went off the board a bit and picked Schmaltz. I don't think there are as many question marks about his game.

For Rattie it is strength. Jaskin - skating. Barbashev - there is a reason he fell - does his offense translate into the NHL (I have no idea).

Schmaltz I think is safer then Jaskin and Rattie and his ceiling is just as high as those two.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Kind of nice having more than 5-10 people to talk about again.... This pick is definitely Jaskin for me. Not sure about the next one yet... I'm just not convinced Rattie can make an impact at the next level and may just be a perennial AHL all star. I take him as a step or two slow, a bit small in his play, and a bit passive for the next level. It can be improved upon, but many a player gets hung on these attributes at the AHL level. I think it may take some injuries in the Blues lineup for him to get a good look to see what he has. Hitch may have trouble slotting him in where he can make a difference just due to his coaching style.

I really hesitate to give picks a higher rank than folks at the pro level, but Barbashev is a special talent with pro size. Nice to have something that impressive to talk about in the 4 and 5 range of your top prospects.

I guess after prospect camp that Lindbohm is going to have to get a lot more love in the rankings than he has in the past despite his draft position. Hard pressed to keep him out of the top of your defensive prospects when he was arguably the best defender there. Schmaltz had one heck of a year improving in college and impressed as well.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Barbashev isn't the goal scorer that Rattie is, but I think he's a better playmaker. He's also a better skater, more physical, and he's better at creating his own space with the puck (as opposed to Rattie who is better at slipping into space without the puck). He plays the whole rink, goes to the dirty areas, and has good instincts without the puck.

Almost as much offensive upside as Rattie, with a more well-rounded skill set and game that mitigates much of his bust risk, puts him just behind Fabbri for me.

I have that group of 3 pretty close, with Jaskin and Rattie being closer, so they get the edge for me. It really is nice to have a real top 5 again.

 

[Meatball]

Can anyone confirm if Jaskin has been working on his skating this off-season? I've read a few others bringing up the idea that he should take the same power skating course that Backes took.

I agree. I hope he does bring his skating up to par and becomes a net front presence for us. In a few games that I saw him play for us, he's displayed that natural nose for the net.

 

[Celtic Note]

The reason Barbashev is behind Jaskin and Rattie for me is because I believe their high level of hockey sense in the offensive zone makes up for any physical traits where Barbashev has the advantage. But I do think Barbashev has the lowest bust potential.

 

[bluesman11]

Barbashev

 

[542365]

Can anyone confirm if Jaskin has been working on his skating this off-season? I've read a few others bringing up the idea that he should take the same power skating course that Backes took.

I agree. I hope he does bring his skating up to par and becomes a net front presence for us. In a few games that I saw him play for us, he's displayed that natural nose for the net.

I can't say I've read anything, but he most certainly has been working on his skating. It's the biggest thing holding him back from being an impact NHLer. The coaches undoubtedly told him that if he wants an NHL roster spot in the fall, he better work hard on his skating in the summer. If he comes in and his skating is no better, the Blues are either going to find him a power skating coach that they trust, or question his work ethic. Maybe both. I'd be willing to bet that Rattie has put on even more mass over the summer and Jaskin has improved his skating at least a bit. It may not be dramatic, but it should be better if he's been working on it all summer.

 

[LGB51]

Barbashev for me, at lot of scouting reports had him at almost NHL ready at the draft. Gotta think he cracks the roster in his year 20 season, but may be as early as next season.

 

[medkit]

I think choosing Barbashev vs. Rattie is where this gets tough. My first instinct (like most of you I imagine) is to say I'd rather have Rattie. But the more you read and watch Barbashev the better he looks. He can really do it all. I think if I could only have one I'd want Ivan.

 

[GrandPapillon*]

SMH


Ok, the guy that just scored 30 goals as a first year AHL player is our 5th best prospect. LMAO. But he's too small? Didn't stop Fabbri from being voted a better prospect. But his game may not translate? Not being able to skate (Jaskin) would be a much more damning flaw in translating pro abilities. But he isn't that safe of a prospect? Right and Barbashev who was just drafted and hasn't passed any of the tests after being drafted that Rattie did is just so much a better bet at this point. Ever hear of Tomas Kana?

This is an example of Blues fans outthinking themselves into stupidity. A guy that pipes in 30 goals or more at every stop along the way would be a top 3 prospect in any system.

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