Top Shelf Prospects: 2018 St. Louis Blues

[LastWordArmy]

A look at the top 10 St. Louis Blues prospects plus one sleeper including rankings and scouting reports

TSP: Top St. Louis Blues Prospects - Last Word on Hockey

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[TheBluePenguin]

Our List

1) Robert Thomas (92.1%)
2) Jordan Kyrou (87.4%)
3) Ville Husso (56.4%)
4) Klim Kostin (52.0%)
5) Dominik Bokk (73.4%)
6) Jordan Schmaltz (36.8%)
7) Jake Walman (49.0%)
8) Samuel Blais (32.3%)
9) Niko Mikkola (48.0%)
10) Erik Foley (51.9%)

Their list

1) Robert Thomas
2) Jordan Kyrou
3) Ville Husso
4) Klim Kostin
5) Dominik Bokk
6) Jake Walman
7) Samuel Blais
8) Scott Perunovich
9) Jordan Schmaltz
10)Evan Fitzpatrick

Sleeper-Niko Mikkola

 

[Ranksu]

About Mikkola:

He can make a good first pass out of the defensive zone and start the transition game. However, he is not one to join the rush or take offensive chances. Mikkola is not that creative in the offensive zone.

About Bolded one: That isn't case. Mikkola is willing to take a charge and make plays at o-zone, he is quite aggressive to go for cycle game, but his previous teams at Liiga didn't favor that kind of play from dmens, but certainly you can see he has some offensive tools. He fits Blues system where dmens can take charge and go for cycle.

 

[LastWordArmy]

About Mikkola:



About Bolded one: That isn't case. Mikkola is willing to take a charge and make plays at o-zone, he is quite aggressive to go for cycle game, but his previous teams at Liiga didn't favor that kind of play from dmens, but certainly you can see he has some offensive tools. He fits Blues system where dmens can take charge and go for cycle.

I just haven't seen him do it very often. If he shows that more in San Antonio we will be sure to note it

 

[wannabebluesplayer]

Missing Erik Foley off their list is interesting as many insiders and analysts think he's going to be sneaky good. It remains to be see, but I'd be pretty excited if he became as solid middle 6 power forward.

 

[Ranksu]

I just haven't seen him do it very often. If he shows that more in San Antonio we will be sure to note it

Most of his starts had begin at d-zone and he isn't used at all powerplay so him playing at o-zone is pretty Limited which shows his point produce. Still he has been player who has record highest TOI/GP per season at his team(s) where he has played without any powerplay time, only 5on5 and PK.
There lies truth about his offensive skills that he doesn't play powerplay, like crafty passes or good shot doesn't belong to his repertoire, like you have already noted.
But his cycle game and taking charge at rushes belongs his skill set which haven't normally be noted. I agree its not often thing for him, but if he's given chance or given more o-zone starts at 5on5 Mikkola will pursue it.

Ofc you have to take all my words with a grain of salt, 'cus I'm biased as hell about finnish players.

But about everything else you writed of Mikkola is pitch perfect notes of him, but that cycle or taking rushes note striked in my eyes too much so I've to write it. Its more of nitpicking then saying its his biggest unseen skill set, but...

Overally I'm thrilled to see where he goes when he comes to NA, can he transit his game smaller rink soon or will it take 1-year. I believe he can do it sooner then later. But Mikkola's attitude is great, he has one vision and wants to aim high so his vision is to NHL and not playing A.

And Its really interesting to see how people rank him after see him play at camp and pre-season games.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Missing Erik Foley off their list is interesting as many insiders and analysts think he's going to be sneaky good. It remains to be see, but I'd be pretty excited if he became as solid middle 6 power forward.

He would have been 11th and was named in our system review section

 

[BleedBlueForever]

About Mikkola:



About Bolded one: That isn't case. Mikkola is willing to take a charge and make plays at o-zone, he is quite aggressive to go for cycle game, but his previous teams at Liiga didn't favor that kind of play from dmens, but certainly you can see he has some offensive tools. He fits Blues system where dmens can take charge and go for cycle.

I have only seen Mikkola in prospect/training camp and agree with the cycle game. He was a part of it every time he was down in the offensive zone. Seemed very active and never too risky. Granted prospect camp it was 3v3 or 4v4 but I remember it from training camp as well.

 

[Ranksu]

I have only seen Mikkola in prospect/training camp and agree with the cycle game. He was a part of it every time he was down in the offensive zone. Seemed very active and never too risky. Granted prospect camp it was 3v3 or 4v4 but I remember it from training camp as well.

Aah, My view point is Only from Liiga games.

 

[Robb_K]

He would have been 11th and was named in our system review section

Clearly they gave raw talent and high perceived upside potential more credit than we did (examples Perunovich (offensive possibilities) and Fitzpatrick (big factor for how he's been playing lately), over perceived bust potential, and closeness to "NHL readiness" (Blais, Schmaltz).

Otherwise we were very, very close. To me, Schmaltz's nearness should be given more emphasis than Perunovich's potential offensive potential, due to his higher "bust potential" of small size and chance that he won't ever play NHL- adequate defence. Fitzpatrick, being a goalie who has had an up-and-down past, puts him in a questionable category, as Foley is. So, exchanging one for the other is totally reasonable on the fringe of The Blues' Top 10 list.

Both lists are very well thought out. But, I would be a little more careful about betting so high on Perunovich.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Clearly they gave raw talent and high perceived upside potential more credit than we did (examples Perunovich (offensive possibilities) and Fitzpatrick (big factor for how he's been playing lately), over perceived bust potential, and closeness to "NHL readiness" (Blais, Schmaltz).

Otherwise we were very, very close. To me, Schmaltz's nearness should be given more emphasis than Perunovich's potential offensive potential, due to his higher "bust potential" of small size and chance that he won't ever play NHL- adequate defence. Fitzpatrick, being a goalie who has had an up-and-down past, puts him in a questionable category, as Foley is. So, exchanging one for the other is totally reasonable on the fringe of The Blues' Top 10 list.

Both lists are very well thought out. But, I would be a little more careful about betting so high on Perunovich.

Yes. It is always a matter of factoring NHL readiness and ceiling. How much one puts on each factor is up to the writer. To give an example, one might choose between a kid who is surely going to be an NHLer this year but tops out as a third/fourth liner vs another kid who is a big risk but has high skill and might be 2-3 years away but could play on the top line. How one orders those two is always a question

 

[Splatter]

NHL farm system rankings: Best, worst prospect pipelines for 2018-19, from 1 to 31

Sporting News ranked the farm systems and top ten in each. Blues are 5 of 31. Almost same top ten (same 1-5 and almost same 6-10 too) as over here, but in a different order and no Mikkola.

1. Robert Thomas	C	Hamilton (OHL)	1st/2017
2. Klim Kostin	RW	San Antonio (AHL)	1st/2017
3. Jordan Kyrou	RW	San Antonio (AHL)	2nd/2016
4. Dominik Bokk	LW	Vaxjo (SHL)	1st/2018
5. Ville Husso	G	San Antonio (AHL)	4th/2014
6. Jordan Schmaltz	RHD	St. Louis (NHL)	1st/2012
7. Jake Walman	LHD	San Antonio (AHL)	3rd/2014
8. Erik Foley	LW	San Antonio (AHL)	Trade (WPG)
9. Sammy Blais	C	San Antonio (AHL)	6th/2014
10. Evan Fitzpatrick	G	San Antonio (AHL)	3rd/2016

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Clearly they gave raw talent and high perceived upside potential more credit than we did (examples Perunovich (offensive possibilities) and Fitzpatrick (big factor for how he's been playing lately), over perceived bust potential, and closeness to "NHL readiness" (Blais, Schmaltz).

Otherwise we were very, very close. To me, Schmaltz's nearness should be given more emphasis than Perunovich's potential offensive potential, due to his higher "bust potential" of small size and chance that he won't ever play NHL- adequate defence. Fitzpatrick, being a goalie who has had an up-and-down past, puts him in a questionable category, as Foley is. So, exchanging one for the other is totally reasonable on the fringe of The Blues' Top 10 list.

Both lists are very well thought out. But, I would be a little more careful about betting so high on Perunovich.

I don't see how he can be a prospect. That is a major boom or bust considering he isn't even a defensive whiz in college. How many smallish centers put up 150 points that never even got a sniff at the NHL?

 

[Robb_K]

I don't see how he can be a prospect. That is a major boom or bust considering he isn't even a defensive whiz in college. How many smallish centers put up 150 points that never even got a sniff at the NHL?

He's a prospect because the game has changed over the past several years to a more offensive, puck possession game, emphasising puck possession in the opponent's zone, quick forward movement of the puck out of the f=defensive zone once the puck is retrieved, and possession is assured, and fast transition with quick outlet passes, or using good puck control and quick and fast skating to skate the puck out and getting it through the neutral zone. The most valuable defencemen now, will be those who have the aforementioned skills and attributes, and, at least perform adequately on backchecking (using speed to the puck, quick hands, good stickwork and puck skills and body positioning to retrieve possession and fight for the puck (mobility and puckhandling skills making up for lack of size and overly physical play).

Small defencemen CAN be extremely effective IF they have several (if not MOST) of those skills and attributes, AND can learn positioning and how their team's overall team defence works. Perunovich is a complete unknown at his age and state of development. He is NOT very skilled at playing defence now, so his floor is lower than it might be. At this point, it's way too early to tell whether he will be an excellent 2-way NHL defenceman, a 1-way offensive D-man (like Green), a sheltered 3rd pairing D-man at ES and PP specialist, or a career European Leaguer or AHLer.

THAT's why I place him OUTSIDE The Blues' Top 10 prospects right now. That doesn't mean that I rule out completely his chances of becoming an all star defenceman in The NHL at his peak. It just means that so much has to happen right for him for that to occur, that I'd rather put my money on Schmaltz, with his lower ultimate upside potential, because I've already seen him play many adequate shifts on The NHL level.