Prospect Info: St. Louis Blues Top-20 Prospects: #7

[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%

Alexandrov has taken the #6 spot. Much like Neighbours and Kostin, he's got the talent to be a contributing NHL player in a bottom-6 spot. Although not the sexiest place for a prospect, the Blues have found great success from players like Barbeshev and Sundqvist being contributors within the bottom-6. I have hopes for Alexandrov and await to see where he goes this year (if there is a "this year").

Onto #7! Pretty safe to say that it's between Hofer and Tucker for me at this spot. I'm leaning Hofer, but with Tucker's rise year-after-year, it's hard to ignore.

Click to read more...

 

[Stealth JD]

Voted Peterson. Hofer needs to prove it as a pro before I'm all aboard the hype train.

 

[BlueKnight]

I guess I'll vote for Hofer

 

[JoshFromMO]

So has Walman stagnated pretty bad? I thought he was pretty highly touted just a few years ago

 

[tfriede2]

So has Walman stagnated pretty bad? I thought he was pretty highly touted just a few years ago

Well, “just a few years ago” is a long time for prospects. He did stagnate in the AHL, but made some progress last year. Long shot to ever be an NHL regular, but he’s not completely written off just yet.

 

[Blueston]

Well, “just a few years ago” is a long time for prospects. He did stagnate in the AHL, but made some progress last year. Long shot to ever be an NHL regular, but he’s not completely written off just yet.

He has one-way contract for 2021-22 so club has apparently not given up on him.

 

[JoshFromMO]

Well, “just a few years ago” is a long time for prospects. He did stagnate in the AHL, but made some progress last year. Long shot to ever be an NHL regular, but he’s not completely written off just yet.

Well they haven't tried to exile him to the Cheddar just yet so that's good for him. I'm glad to hear he improved last year. All I can remember about him is his bomb of a shot and an interview where he said he's focusing more on the defensive side of his game.

 

[simon IC]

From here on in there is a lot of guessing. I am going with Tucker. I like the kind of player he is.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

He has one-way contract for 2021-22 so club has apparently not given up on him.

If the teams are allowed an extended taxi squad, I wonder if he might be a guy that hangs around and practices with the Blues some of the time. I wonder whether waivers will function the same as usual. I can’t imagine him being claimed off waivers, but it bears watching especially if he ends up getting some NHL time.

 

[Ted Hoffman]

Walman was, and still is, a longshot to be an NHL regular unless we're talking on a bottom-tier team. He needed to bring the offensive side of the game along to have a real shot, and he hasn't even if this past season (his 3rd in the AHL) he put up career highs. He'll get a couple call-ups, log a handful of games, but he doesn't really have a defined role on a blueline.

He's not a PP specialist
He's not a defensive specialist
He's not a 2-way guy
He's not a physical, in-your-face guy
He's not a playmaker
He's not a complementary piece

He's a guy you throw in for a game or two because you need someone and he's adequate enough that you don't have to worry about him being a liability for 10-11 minutes, but not someone that you say "he's solid enough, we can consistently throw him out for 10-11 minutes a night, and maybe he can log some more and provide a little _______." Why he got a 1-way deal for '21-22, I don't know. It was an unnecessary move, and I can easily see him end up as a Group VI UFA.

Anyway, to the topic at hand: Hofer. If you don't vote him here, I start coming up with reasons why you put others ahead of him as well.

 

[Ranksu]

Poganski again

 

[Beauterham]

Went with Hofer again...

Don't hassle the Hoff... ehm... Hof.