Prospect Info: St. Louis Blues Top-20 Prospects: #10

[Bluesnatic27]

1) Jordan Kyrou - 83.3% (Run-off Vote)
2) Scott Perunovich - 76.9%
3) Klim Kostin - 57.9%
4) Niko Mikkola - 42.9%
5) Jake Neighbours - 61.1%
6) Nikita Alexandrov - 48.6%
7) Joel Hofer - 69.4%
8) Tyler Tucker - 31.6%
9) Alexei Toropchenko - 27.6%

Toropchenko takes the number 9 spot by a margin of one vote. Big body, speed, and likes to throw his weight around. He might not be a top-end player, but he has talent that a bottom-6 could use in the future. Although, to be fair, that could be said for any forward picked from here on out except for one or two more.

Time to round out the top-10!

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[Bluesnatic27]

I'm still going with Reinke.

 

[Robb_K]

I'm still going with Reinke.

I think Reinke is too small, and too light, to make it in The NHL, while he is not fast enough, and quick enough a skater, and not good enough as a producer of offence to make up for those physical deficiencies. This is a tough decision at this point. There's no one left that I think will make much of a career in The NHL. Poganski, Washkurak, Walman, are all marginal bench players and possible 4th Liners or 3rd shifter on a weak team. Fitzpatrick and Ellis are iffy Goaltenders, who haven't shown consistent significant progress (and goalies are always tough to predict 2 years ahead because of the mental factor. I don't know much at all about Peterson and Loof, other than their draft blurb, which didn't indicate solid NHL career potential, only some possibility. I guess I'll go with Laferriere, but it's like throwing darts blindfolded.

 

[simon IC]

I went with Peterson again. I agree with Robb, in that from here it comes down to long-shot possibilities or 4th line ceilings. Peterson is younger and more recently drafted than the rest, so he has a bit more time to develop.

 

[Beauterham]

Also went with Peterson again...

Notes on the players that are left:

• Reinke: was hoping he'd challenge Bortuzzo for a spot on our 3rd pairing at the start of last season, but seemed to have regressed. Fell back in the same stupid defensive mistakes he made (and thought to have been solved) in his first few months with the Rampage.
• Laferriere: was good in preseason and showed potential but had a really bad first half the last season and was even benched due to 'character issues' at a certain point. Picked things up in the second part of the season when the Screaming Eagles put him on Yegor Sokolov's line though.
• Ellis/Zherenko/Fitzpatrick: Unless Fitz' has a glorious comeback, I'm not positive on his future with the Blues. I'd put Ellis in the same category as Zherenko: can still be something, but impossible to predict.
• Washkurak: Busy little bee and probably the hardest worker we have. I really like his character, but don't know if he has the skills to be a future bottom 6 player for us. Hope to see enough progression out of him when the OHL starts again to warrant him a contract. IF the OHL allows a physical game though... that's basicly his bread and butter.
• Walman/Poganski/Stevens: fringe NHL-players. might pick up a game here or there due to injuries but don't think they'll ever be permanent fixtures.
• Dickinson: very intrigued by this guy. Was drafted as a talented player that lacked size. Well, apparantly he did exacty what he had to do and in October already gained 24 pounds since last season halted, so that number will probably be even higher when the OHL starts again. Really looking forward to see how big of a change this makes to his game. Can be a hugh riser when we make the same lists next year.
• Anderson: Is he even still playing? Are we sure this isn't a fixtional player?
• McGing: intrigued to see how he does at the Thunderbirds. He's only 5,9" though. Think he projects to be more of a left winger, although he mostly played center with Western Michigan. Could project to be anything from a decent bottom 6 forward to AHL-lifer.
• Kaspick, Polei: AHL-plugs.
• Michel: ECHL-plug.
• Beck/Kessel/Cranley: biggest unknowns to me. All I know about Kessel is that he's currently playing on the first defensive pairing at UMass while Beck is currently playing on the third pairing with Clarkson.

For me, it's going to be: Peterson > Laferriere > Washkurak > Ellis > McGing.

 

[simon IC]

Also went with Peterson again...

Notes on the players that are left:

• Reinke: was hoping he'd challenge Bortuzzo for a spot on our 3rd pairing at the start of last season, but seemed to have regressed. Fell back in the same stupid defensive mistakes he made (and thought to have been solved) in his first few months with the Rampage.
• Laferriere: was good in preseason and showed potential but had a really bad first half the last season and was even benched due to 'character issues' at a certain point. Picked things up in the second part of the season when the Screaming Eagles put him on Yegor Sokolov's line though.
• Ellis/Zherenko/Fitzpatrick: Unless Fitz' has a glorious comeback, I'm not positive on his future with the Blues. I'd put Ellis in the same category as Zherenko: can still be something, but impossible to predict.
• Washkurak: Busy little bee and probably the hardest worker we have. I really like his character, but don't know if he has the skills to be a future bottom 6 player for us. Hope to see enough progression out of him when the OHL starts again to warrant him a contract. IF the OHL allows a physical game though... that's basicly his bread and butter.
• Walman/Poganski/Stevens: fringe NHL-players. might pick up a game here or there due to injuries but don't think they'll ever be permanent fixtures.
• Dickinson: very intrigued by this guy. Was drafted as a talented player that lacked size. Well, apparantly he did exacty what he had to do and in October already gained 24 pounds since last season halted, so that number will probably be even higher when the OHL starts again. Really looking forward to see how big of a change this makes to his game. Can be a hugh riser when we make the same lists next year.
• Anderson: Is he even still playing? Are we sure this isn't a fixtional player?
• McGing: intrigued to see how he does at the Thunderbirds. He's only 5,9" though. Think he projects to be more of a left winger, although he mostly played center with Western Michigan. Could project to be anything from a decent bottom 6 forward to AHL-lifer.
• Kaspick, Polei: AHL-plugs.
• Michel: ECHL-plug.
• Beck/Kessel/Cranley: biggest unknowns to me. All I know about Kessel is that he's currently playing on the first defensive pairing at UMass while Beck is currently playing on the third pairing with Clarkson.

For me, it's going to be: Peterson > Laferriere > Washkurak > Ellis > McGing.

Excellent evaluations! I really appreciate your input. I agree with you on pretty much all of them, with the slight exception of Reinke. I never thought he had a chance of challenging Bortuzzo. I think Washkurak might be able to carve out a career as a role player, kind of like a poor man's Steve Ott. My next choice will be Washkurak.

 

[BlueKnight]

I went with Peterson again.

 

[Ranksu]

Poganski he's NHL ready. 4th liner, MacMac 2.0 with better offensive tools.

Really interesting he has fall this far.

But it's good to be right when training camp starts.

 

[Stealth JD]

It's comical that Toropchenko beat McGing or Peterson for a spot in the top-10. Guy has no toolbox and limited tools. But he's big and skates hard. His upside is 4th liner, and Poganski, Washkurak, Kaspick, Stevens, etc. all have a greater chance of reaching that (limited) ceiling than a guy who has no hands. I'm 99% sure this is a real picture of Toropchenko: