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Top 10 Prospects: St. Louis Blues |
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St. Louis owns one elite prospect, two very good ones, and then the crop drops after that. They have some skill, grit and a lot of character in the pipeline, with a lot of their kids being seen as "projects". While St. Louis is still fairly young, they have some time to let the kids grow.
1. Vladimir Tarasenko, Right Wing
SKA, KHL
16th Overall, 2010
6’0, 205 lbs
After lighting up the KHL, the Blues were able to bring him over to North America. Tarasenko boasts a bevy of offensive tools from his slick hands, elite shot and high end work ethic to an explosive skating stride. He uses his strength well to take the puck to the net with a slight power game, but can rip the puck from far out as well. He's even shown an ability to PK when asked to do so.
Upside: Elite Power Winger
NHL Comparable: Alexander Radulov
2. Ty Rattie, Right Wing
Portland WInterhawks, WHL
32nd Overall, 2011
6’0, 175 lbs
A playmaker by trade, Rattie flashes slick puck skills and can dish off from the outside. He shows good offensive instincts and vision to create plays to his linemates. He has a real hard accurate shot that he's shown an ability to score with from good distances, and has a good work ethic on the ice. Despite this, he's a little gangly and needs to get quicker.
Upside: First Line Offensive Forward
NHL Comparable: Devin Setoguchi
3. Jaden Schwartz, Center
Colorado College, WCHA (NCAA)
14th Overall, 2010
5’10, 185 lbs
Another playmaker, Schwartz also flashes highlight reel hands and thinks the game five steps ahead of the competition. He makes plays nobody else can see, and can back off defenses with a slight flick of his wrist. He's not fast, but shows agility and the ability to creep through defenses.
Upside: Top Line Playmaking Forward
NHL Comparable: Scott Gomez, when he was good
4. Jordan Schmaltz, Defense
Green Bay Gamblers, USHL
25th Overall, 2012
6’2, 170 lbs
Schmaltz does things really well and others really bad. He moves the puck with great precision that just flat onto the stick of his teammate, breaking the play out. He's shown an ability to QB a PP and control the puck from the back end, although he forces plays at times. He'll need to work on his skating, and mature into his decision making as his defense is quite poor.
Upside: #3 Offensive Defender
NHL Comparable: Keith Yandle
5. Dmitrij Jaskin, Right Wing,
HC Slavia Praha, Czech,
41st overall, 2011
6’3, 198 lbs
A physical player, Jaskin uses his developed body to bang bodies and take the puck to the net with authority. He's shown an ability to find open ice and rip home goals as a scoring player, despite numbers that dropped this year. His skating needs some work as he has a sluggish first few strides.
Upside: Second Line Power Forward
NHL Comparable:
6. Jake Allen, Goaltender,
Peoria Rivermen, AHL,
34th overall, 2008
6’2, 192
A very technically sound goalie, Allen squares up shooters and pushes into pucks well. He's got strong legs to make himself mobile side-to-side, and has shown some increasing athleticism in making saves.
Upside: Average 40-50 Game Starter
NHL Comparable: Niklas Backstrom-lite
7. Joel Edmundson, Defense
Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL
46th Overall, 2011, 18 years old
6’5, 200 lbs
A physically aggressive and punishing defender, he utilizes smart positioning and a long stick to break up plays. He consistently makes a good outlet pass and has shown a big shot from the point as well. He's a "character kid" who is growing and adding to his massive frame.
Upside: 4-5 Physical Defensive Defender
NHL Comparable: Ryan O'Byrne
8. Philip McCrae, Center
Peoria Rivermen, AHL
32nd Overall, 2008
6'3, 200 lbs
For a big man, McCrae surprises you with his skill. He flashes good puck skills to go with his slight power game. He's shown an ability to play a two-way game with good hockey sense.
Upside: Third Line Two-Way Forward
NHL Comparable:
9. Yannick Veilleux, Left Wing
Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL
102nd Overall, 2011
6’2, 190 lbs
Scoring almost 30 goals in the Q, Yannick has shown some skill to go with his big body and physical prowess. Aggressive on the ice, Yannick takes his role seriously, opening up space and landing any check presented. He's got a tremendous shot that he fills the net with, and is a real force down low.
Upside: Third Line Power Contributor
NHL Comparable:
10. Cody Beach, Right Wing
Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL
134th Overall, 2010
6’6, 190 lbs
He's big. And physical. (This is a recording). He's shown good work ethic and cycles the puck real well down low, grinding it out and wearing down opponents. He's a tremendous fighter, and crushes anybody who gets in his train tracks.
Upside: Bottom Six Grinding Tough Guy
NHL Comparable: