Future 'Notes

2008-09 Euro Prospect Review, Part Two

2009-04-14T21:26:00.006-05:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 10, November 21, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

In our last report, we took a look at some European prospects that could be considered the high end of the Blues' system across the pond -- Lars Eller, Simon Hjalmarsson, and Kristoffer Berglund.

Tonight, we'll focus on the three remaining prospects playing in Europe -- slick center Jori Lehtera with Tappara Tampere of the SM-Liiga, or Finnish Elite League; goaltender Hannu "Ears" Toivonen, playing in the same city as Lehtera with Ilves Tampere; and goaltender Reto Berra, plying his trade with HC Davos of the Swiss Nationalliga-A.

Jori Lehtera, C, shoots L, 6'2, 191, born Dec. 23, 1987 in Helsinki, Finland.

The Blues' fourth selection (65th overall) in 2008, Lehtera is an older prospect just a few weeks shy of his 21st birthday, but is more physically and mentally mature than the average prospect in the system.

A very skilled playmaker, Lehtera is a player who will almost always look to pass before taking the shot. His career numbers in the SM-Liiga bear that out: 107 games played through November 18th, 22 goals, 47 assists. Lehtera has the knack of being able to find his wingers from anywhere on the ice, and is most effective when he has the puck and can control the pace of the game.

The downside to Lehtera is that, at age 21, what you see is what you get for the most part. He will probably not ever develop a real goal-scorer's touch, but he can still make a good living setting up the scorers. Naturally, he will have to be placed on a line with at least one first-rate finisher in order to be most effective at utilizing his abilities; a checking-line role won't take full advantage of his playmaking abilities, although Lehtera is an adequate defensive presence. He is also not a physical player, despite having decent size, and will need to get stronger in order to fight through checks and big hits.

Last year was a breakout season for Lehtera, who finished with 13-29-42 totals in 54 games for Tappara ("battle axe" in Finnish). The Helsinki native also finished with a solid plus-7 mark, and only 22 minutes in penalty time. Tappara failed to make the SM-Liiga playoffs last season, however, and appear to be headed for a similar fate this year with an 8-14-3 record and 13th place in the 14-team league with almost half the regular season (runkosarja) played.

Lehtera is currently leading Tappara in scoring with 3-12-15 numbers in 25 games, but he has been held off the scoresheet in his last five games, and has not scored a goal since Oct. 30 vs. Lukko. This will be only his second full season in the SM-Liiga, so calling this year a sophomore slump is probably accurate.

Tappara has Lehtera under contract through the 2009-10 season, and the Blues do not appear to be in any hurry at this point to buy out his last year and bring him across the pond. That may change, however, if the Blues' forwards continue to lose man-games to injury.

Hannu Toivonen, G, catches R, 6'2, 200, born May 18, 1984 in Kalvola, Finland.

To say that the 2007-08 season was a disaster for "Ears" would be an understatement.

Toivonen appeared in 23 games for the Blues last season, managing only a 6-10-5 record in 1202 minutes played. 69 goals against on 566 shots equaled a 3.44 GAA and an 87.8% save percentage. Things weren't a whole lot better during a mid-season assignment to Peoria, where Toivonen was 6-4-0 in 11 games, with 33 goals against on 283 shots for a 3.17 GAA and an 88.3% save percentage.

Confidence has always been an issue with Toivonen, going back to his days with the Boston Bruins' organization. After two seasons in the AHL with Providence in 2003-04 and 2004-05, Toivonen was 44-34-7 with nine shutouts, a 2.15 GAA and a 92.7% save percentage. He spent the entire 2005-06 season in Boston, and was 9-5-4 in 20 games played with one shutout, a 2.63 GAA and a 91.4% save percentage, and seemed to be on the brink of establishing himself as one of the league's up-and-coming young goalies.

The 2006-07 season changed all that. Toivonen struggled with Boston, going 3-9-1 with a 4.23 GAA and 87.5% save percentage in spot duty, and even a 13-13-1 stint in Providence with a 2.37 GAA and 90.9% save percentage didn't restore his confidence sufficiently to keep the Bruins from swapping him to the Blues for reluctant Swede Carl Söderberg.

Toivonen's dismal performance in the St. Louis and Peoria nets last year has prompted him to return home to Finland, where he's currently the number one goalie for Ilves Tampere. His numbers this year are better -- an 8-12-2 record while appearing in all 23 games Ilves has played to date, 60 goals against on 599 shots for a 2.70 GAA and 89.9% save percentage, and one shutout -- but Finland is probably the best place for Toivonen right now considering the logjam the Blues have below the NHL level in goal. The Blues will give Toivonen as much time as he needs to get his confidence back, and if that happens and he is able to return to North America and get back on the path he was on in 2005-06, it's a plus for the organization.

Reto Berra, G, catches L, 6'4, 189, born Jan. 3, 1987 in Bulach, Switzerland.

Berra has been an enigma for the organization since being drafted 106th overall in 2006. He has been reasonably impressive in each of the three Development Camps he has attended in St. Louis, and he has excellent size and skills for the goaltending position, but every year he is returned to Switzerland to play a mere handful of games in a league that's not exactly one of the best or most competitive in Europe.

Since the 2006-07 season, Berra has played a total of 23 games in the Swiss top league, and has been the backup to a 40-year-old veteran with one club, and to a youngster in his age group for another. This season with HC Davos, Berra has appeared in only five games, sporting a 2-3-0 record, a 2.89 GAA, and an 89.7% save percentage.

Berra's talent is being wasted in Switzerland, but there doesn't seem to be any room for him on either of the North American affiliates, and he probably hasn't played enough, or been seen enough, to be attractive as trade bait. Berra may end up being a textbook example of a player in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll take a look at where the minor-league affiliates are at the quarter pole of the season. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Super Scandinavians Stuff the System for St. Louis

2009-04-14T20:36:00.014-05:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 9, November 16, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

Over the last few years, Sweden and Finland have become a popular stop on the itineraries of the Blues' scouting staff. Since drafting the departed (and unlamented) Christian Backman in the first round of the 1998 Entry Draft, the Blues have drafted eleven players from Sweden, five Finns, and one each from Norway and Denmark. Two of these players (current Blue Patrik Berglund and Dane Lars Eller) were first-rounders, two more (Simon Hjalmarsson and the reluctant Carl Söderberg) were second-round selections, and three more (2008 pick Jori Lehtera, 2006 pick Jonas Junland, and 2001 pick Tuomas "Who?" Nissinen) were taken in round three.

Of course, the fact that both chief scout Jarmo Kekalainen and chief Euro scout Ville Siren are Finns may have something to do with the abundance of Vikings taken by the Blues in recent years... but it's interesting to note that Kekalainen and Siren have drafted only two of their countrymen (Juhamatti Aaltonen and Lehtera) since coming to the Blues in 2003. Also interesting to note is that none of the Scandinavians drafted by the Blues before 2006 are under contract to the organization at present.

Tonight, we'll focus on the three prospects playing in Sweden -- Eller with Frölunda of the Elitserien, or Swedish Elite League; Berglund with Luleå HC, also of the Elitserien; and Hjalmarsson with Borås HC of the Allsvenskan, or the Swedish equivalent to the American League.

A big "thank you" must go to a regular commenter on the Game Day Threads at the Game Time website and all-around good guy, Marcus Pettersson, for his observations "on the ground" of the prospects currently toiling in the land of Gustavus Adolphus and Volvos.

Lars Eller, C/LW, shoots L, 6'1, 198, born May 8, 1989 in Rodovre, Denmark.

The Blues' first selection (13th overall) in 2007, Eller is considered one of the top prospects in the Blues' system at the moment. A versatile player who is equally proficient at center or left wing, Eller is under contract to the Blues, but is honoring the remainder of his contract with Frölunda, one of the top organizations in Sweden.

Scouting reports on Eller make note of his excellent skating ability, both in terms of breakaway speed and overall mobility. Also of note is Eller's puckhandling ability, his quick release, and creativity on offense. These attributes have served him well in Sweden, allowing him to pile up 29 goals and 77 points in 84 games at the J20 Superelit (Swedish major junior) level, but his success at the junior level has not fully translated to the Elite League level as yet.

In 17 games for Frölunda this year, Eller has three goals and six points, with an even plus/minus and 4 PIM. Respectable for a 19-year-old, but consider that Eller started the year like a house afire, with four points in his first four games, and has only a goal and an assist in 13 games since. Per our source in Sweden, Eller's ice time per game is decreasing, and "(m)any Frölunda fans feel that Eller's development has stagnated some, that he's not making the strides everyone's expecting. Hopefully he has more to give as the season goes on, but right now, he's not NHL material."

It's not just Eller that's slumping, however; it's the entire team. Frölunda, one of the wealthiest and best-staffed clubs in Sweden, is just 7-8-5 in 20 games, good for only ninth place in the 12-team Elitserien.

Kristofer Berglund, D, shoots L, 5'10, 180, born Aug. 12, 1988 in Umea, Sweden.

Selected in the fifth round (125th overall) by the Blues in last summer's Entry Draft, Berglund has been a star in the IF Björklöven system since age 15. Now skating for Luleå HC of the Elitserien, Berglund is a first-rate skater with speed and mobility, as well as a smart player with excellent hockey sense and on-ice vision.

No relation to fellow Blues' draftee Patrik, this Berglund is an offense-minded blueliner with a good shot, excellent stickhandling skills, and an ability to make the first pass out of the defensive zone. He racked up seven goals and 40 points in 68 career games with Björklöven's J20 squad, and posted 4-21-25 totals with the Allsvenskan club last season. This year, in his Elitserien debut, Berglund is a very respectable 2-5-7 (one SHG,) with 8 PIM and a plus-4 mark as a 19-year-old playing with veterans ten years older than he is (including teammates and former Blues Jaroslav Obsut and Lubos Bartecko).

Per our source in Sweden, Berglund is "considered one of the biggest defensive talents in the country, definitely top 10 among defenders aged 20 and below," and he is popular with the Luleå fans as well as Swedish National Team coach (and former NHLer) Bengt-Åke Gustavsson. Gustavsson, our source notes, "likes (Berglund" a lot, and has invited him to several of the National Team's games."

Like Eller's club (Frölunda), Luleå HC is struggling a bit with an 8-8-4 record in 20 games, good for seventh overall in the Elitserien. Based on his performances to date, Berglund can be expected to help make that record better.

Simon Hjalmarsson (Jahl-mur-son), RW, shoots L, 5'11, 161, born Feb. 1, 1989 in Varnamo, Sweden.

For the Blues, the 2007 NHL Entry Draft may well end up going down in history as their best ever, at least at the top. Their three first-round picks in that draft included Eller, Ian Cole, and current NHLer David Perron, and in the second round they chose Michigan star Aaron Palushaj 44th overall after taking Simon Hjalmarsson with the 39th selection.

Hjalmarsson, according to our source in Sweden, "has officially emerged as a scoring threat in senior hockey. He's not a dominant player by any means, but he's very fast, hard working, and always looks to get the offense going." His team, Borås HC, started the Allsvenskan season with seven straight losses, but is 3-3-3 since then, and Hjalmarsson leads the way in scoring for the club with 6-8-14 totals and a plus-2 mark in 17 games. He has also won five of eight faceoffs taken (63%), and his six goals include a power-play marker, a shorthanded goal, and a game-winner.

When with Borås HC, Hjalmarsson is lined up most often with Islanders' 2008 draft pick David Ullström, and Atlanta draftee Nicklas Lasu (since assigned to Frölunda's J20 squad), and that Kid Line is considered the team's top line. Hjalmarsson has been out of Borås' lineup recently, skating for the Swedish Junior National Team, and he is expected to play a key role at the U-20 World Juniors next month.

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll go back to Europe for a look at the Blues' prospects in Finland and Switzerland. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

New And Improved Rivermen Off To A Good Start in 2008-09

2009-04-13T21:24:00.011-05:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 8, November 1, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

October was a pretty good month for Davis Payne and the Peoria Rivermen.

With nine games under their belt, and having survived the organizational goalie-go-'round along with the parent club, the Rivermen are a solid 5-3-1-0 for 11 points and the sixth spot in the Western Conference, and fourth place in the West Division behind the Rockford IceHogs (CHI) at 7-1-0-0, Chicago Wolves (ATL) at 5-2-1-1, and Iowa IceHogLogoRipoffs (ANA) at 6-4-0.

The Rivs started October with a pair of tough losses to Iowa in a home-and-home series, but closed out the month on a three-game win streak, capping it off with a 4-2 win over the Quad City Flames on Halloween. Czech import Marek Schwarz went the distance in net for Peoria, stopping 27 of 29 shots against for his first win of the year, improving his AHL record to 1-2-0, and his GAA and save percentage to 4.05 (from 5.13 before Friday night) and 86.0% (from 82.5%).

Payne's club has 31 goals for, and 27 against, in the nine games played to date, and the power play has been a driving force behind the offense. In 67 chances so far, the Rivermen have 14 goals, which ties them with Rockford for the highest raw goals-for total on the power play. 14 of 67 equals a 20.9% success rate on the power play, good for a sixth-place tie in the league with division rival Milwaukee. In five home games, the Rivermen are scoring at a 25.7% clip with the man advantage (9 of 35), good for sixth place, while away from the friendly confines of Carver Arena, the boys are 5-for-32 for a 15.6% success rate (11th in the AHL).

All in all, not too shabby for a team that's seen a lot of turnover since last season, in the front office and on the ice.

"I think that we've accomplished what we wanted to and addressed the weaknesses of our club from last year," noted Payne. "We didn't feel like the (team) mobility was as good as it needed to be in this league, especially with the way the game is played now. We feel like we've got pretty good mobility on the back end, with the ability to distribute the puck."

"As far as our group up front," Payne continued, "we wanted to have guys that could play the game in all different styles. We feel we're a little bit bigger up front, and we can play a grinding game if necessary, but (we) also have the right ability to finish off plays and we feel we've got a good grit element to our game."

"The concern has been some inconsistent play by some guys early, but that's why we're here (in the AHL)."

Several players have, fortunately, been anything but inconsistent in the early going. 24-year-old Steve Regier, an AHL veteran signed from the Islanders this summer as a free agent, has been "Mr. October" for the Rivermen, with 7-4-11 totals (3 PPG, 2 GWG) in nine games. The 6'4, 195-pound Regier is tied for second in the AHL in goals scored, trailing only Hershey's Alexander Giroux, who has nine.

"He's doing a lot of things well," Payne said. "His first couple of games, it didn't really feel like he was up to speed. But he got past that, and you talk about his last six, seven games, he's been very consistent in all the right areas. He's very conscientious defensively and positionally, he has good speed, good skills, and the ability to make plays. We've been really pleased with him all around; he's provided us with a lot.

Throw in contributions from Julian Talbot (5-4-9, 14 PIM, 4 PPG in nine games), emerging young star Nikolay Lemtyugov (2-7-9, plus-1, 2 PPG), and Dallas import Chris Conner (4-3-7, 2 PIM, 3 PPG in eight games), as well as steady veterans Trent Whitfield (2-5-7) and Cam Paddock (3 G), and the Rivermen are getting offense from every line so far.

On the blueline, the mobility and puck distribution Payne spoke of has been prominently featured, especially since the assignment of rookie Jonas Junland (who is said to be held in very high regard by Blues' management) and the return of Jeff Woywitka to central Illinois.

Since being sent to Peoria last week, after missing almost six weeks with a broken bone in his right foot, Woywitka has been nothing short of dominant in a Rivermen sweater. In just three games, Woywitka has five assists, is a plus-2, and has been logging big minutes as the de facto number one defenseman in Payne's lineup.

"Obviously, with Jeff Woywitka, he's a guy with great feet (skating ability) and he can really dominate at this level with his feet," said Payne. "He hasn't played much, and his game conditioning may be not there yet, but when he's up and going, he's a premier guy at this level with his ability to skate and defend, move the puck, shoot the puck... he gives us a lot of options back there."

The goaltending has been top-notch for the Rivermen as well in the month of October. Schwarz had a rocky start, but showed there's still a place for him in the organization by preserving a shutout for fellow prospect Ben Bishop while in St. Louis, and by being reassigned to Peoria with the intention of being top dog there for the time being.
Unheralded Chris Holt came over from the Rangers' organization in midsummer, and got the call from Alaska when the Blues' goaltending stable got bit by the injury bug. His work in a pinch in Peoria (2 GP, 2-0-0, 2.00 GAA, 91.5% save percentage) earned him an NHL contract from the Blues just the other day.

"For a guy that played half a period here in training camp, and played one game in training camp up in Alaska, he's come in here and given us exactly what we needed," Payne commented. "He's solid, he makes big saves when needed; all the saves you expect your guy to make, he was there for us. Doesn't give up a lot of rebounds; he made a couple of miscues on some pucks, but really, he gave up four goals (in a weekend series with Lake Erie), and one went in off of us, off of a faceoff, and that's a pretty good performance against a pretty good offensive group."

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," after the road trip, we'll take a look back at the early season for the European prospects. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Solid Citizens In Balance Of Blues' College Prospects

2008-11-24T20:50:00.006-06:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 7, October 31, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

In the last edition of "Tomorrow's Blues," we caught up with the more high-profile members of the Blues' stable of college prospects. Tonight, we'll take a look at the guys who don't stand out from the crowd quite as much.

There is an entire forward line, plus one, in tonight's crop, plus a converted forward now playing defense. All of the forwards have what the scouts like to call "NHL size," and at least two of them are possible power forwards in the making.

Matthew McCollem (LW, shoots L, 6'1, 205; Blues' 6th pick, 154th overall, in 2006): Something of a dark horse among Blues' prospects, McCollem is a potential home-grown Keith Tkachuk... he has the size, he has the Boston background, and he has the nose for the net.

A former captain and scoring leader at one of the most prestigious prep programs in the Boston area (Belmont Hill), McCollem's career at Harvard did not get off to a great start last year (0 G, 3 A, minus-7 in his first 18 games). Once February rolled around, however, McCollem heated up as fast as the weather outside cooled down.

"He got off to a slow start [last year]," Crimson coach and former NHLer Ted Donato said in the US College Hockey Online.com Harvard season preview, "but in the last third or half of the season he was superb. He’s got the physical tools that make him very difficult to stop when he’s on his game."

"Superb" just about covers it when describing McCollem's first spring as a collegian. In his last 13 games, the Somerville, MA native racked up five goals and 11 points, a plus-8 mark, and six minutes in penalty time, leading Harvard to the NCAA East Regional Final before falling to Princeton, one game shy of a Frozen Four appearance.

For the 2007-08 season, McCollem's totals were a very respectable 5-9-14 in 31 games, with a plus-1 and 28 minutes in the sin bin. The Crimson are counting heavily on McCollem to be one of their leaders on offense when they kick off the 2008-09 season on Oct. 31 vs. Lee Stempniak's alma mater, Dartmouth.

Andrew Sackrison (C/W, shoots L, 6'1, 200; Blues' 5th pick, 124th overall, in 2006): The Blues have found a pretty rich vein of talent at Minnesota State - Mankato in recent years, bringing draftee David Backes and free agent Steve Wagner out of school early and into the organization in recent years. The club hopes to continue this tradition with St. Louis Park, MN native Andrew Sackrison.

Another potential power forward for the Blues, Sackrison has bulked up from his draft weight of 178 pounds, and his no-frills game of finishing his checks and working hard on the penalty kill translates well to the NHL style.

McKeens Hockey Prospects website notes that Sackrison is a player that doesn't hesitate to drive to the front of the net, and his excellent balance and strength make him tough to move once he gets there. McKeens also notes that Sackrison is not an elite scorer or playmaker, but is a better-than-average passer with good on-ice vision, and that he "pursues the puck adequately where his fine top gear is commanding in the open ice."

As a freshman at MSU last year, Sackrison rang up six goals and 20 points in 36 games. In the USCHO.com Minnesota State 2008-09 preview, Mavericks coach Troy Jutting calls Sackrison, along with juniors Kael Mouillerat and Geoff Irwin, a player that is "ready to step up from the 20-point plateau and into that 30-point range. And, if you can get five, six kids in that range, I think you can be successful."

This year, Sackrison has been playing on a line with Irwin and Jason Wiley, and Sackrison assisted on goals by both Wiley and Irwin as the Mavericks split a series with North Dakota last weekend.

Trevor Nill (C, shoots R, 6'2, 185; Blues' 7th pick, 190th overall, in 2007) and Ryan Turek (D, shoots R, 6'0, 185; Blues' 4th pick, 94th overall, in 2006): Both Turek, a junior, and Nill, an incoming freshman, skate for Rick Conley's Michigan State Spartans, and each has a single assist in early-season play. Turek was a member of the 2006-07 national championship team, but did not appear in the final game and only played in one game on Scottrade Center ice during the Frozen Four that year.

Turek was a swingman in junior hockey, playing both defense and center with Omaha of the USHL in his draft year, but has since been converted into a full-time defenseman at Michigan State. McKeens Hockey Prospects website notes that the switch to defense "suit(s) his game better. (Turek) displays good range, as he utilizes his strong stride well to jump and join the offensive attack as well as to cover up a lot of ice while defending." McKeens also notes that the Northville, MI native is "fairly strong with a big frame that he uses well to be tough in front of his crease, neutralize his man along the wall, and to stand up his man at the blueline."

Never an elite scorer even in junior, Turek's next collegiate goal will be his first. He has, however, managed 8 career assists in 71 games to date, and has recovered from a minus-9 mark as a freshman to be a valuable member of the Spartan blueline.

Nill, son of Red Wings' executive and former Blue Jim Nill, developed in and was drafted out of the Detroit Compuware junior program before heading west for a season with the Penticton Panthers of the British Columbia Junior League last year, where he was 5-6-11 with 16 PIM in 53 games.

McKeens notes that Nill was "not expected to provide a lot of offense in the early going (at MSU this year), however (he) provides welcome size down the middle and plays a mature game on the defensive side of the puck." His defensive skills include an ability to tie up his man when taking faceoffs, and a regular shift on the penalty kill.

Nill "probably should get a bit more out of his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame than he currently does," McKeens also notes, and "seems to lack the elite vision with the puck that would allow him to be able to distribute the puck better."

Travis Erstad (C, shoots R, 6'4, 205; Blues' 8th pick, 100th overall, in 2007): Originally scheduled to attend UW-Madison this season, Erstad decided at the 11th hour to return home to Stevens Point and opted to enroll at the hometown branch of the UW system instead. The decision to forego a Division I career to play in Division III doesn't bode well for Erstad's pro future, as only a handful of players have ever been drafted out of a Division III school, and no notable current NHL players have attended one.

UW-SP has played one game so far this season, a 10-0 rout of Northland College. Erstad started the game for the pointers, but managed only one assist out of the 14 awarded on the Pointer goals. Last year with Lincoln of the USHL, Erstad racked up 9-10-19 totals and 104 PIM in 52 games.

At 6'4, 205, Erstad has the size and the skill set to make an impact no matter what level he plays, but there's some question about the heart, and the willingness to pay the price for a high-level career

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll review the first month of the AHL season with Peoria, and have a few words with Rivermen bench boss Davis Payne. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Palushaj, Cole Lead Blues' College Prospect Crop

2008-11-23T22:19:00.011-06:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 6, October 25, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

The Blues have a long history of drafting players from the NCAA ranks. Back in the 80's, the usual reasoning was because the team had four years to make a decision on the player, and meanwhile they were developing on someone else's dime. Players like Nelson Emerson, Curtis Joseph, Rod Brind'Amour and Jamal Mayers all joined the Blues' organization after being drafted (or, in Joseph's case, signed as a free agent) out of college programs.

More recently, the Blues have been drafting college players not because they get four free years of development out of the deal, but because the talent level of the colleges has improved drastically. Players like Erik Johnson, Lee Stempniak, David Backes, Steve Wagner, T.J. Oshie, Chris Porter and Ben Bishop have all come to the Blues after college careers... and most of those players turned pro before graduation.

The Blues have a strong crop of prospects in college for the 2008-09 season. In this space, we've already introduced you to Boston University's David Warsofsky and Clarkson goalie Paul Karpowich, both taken by the Blues in last summer's Entry Draft. Tonight, we'll catch up with some of the Blues' previous picks who are developing their game in some of the nation's top programs.

Aaron Palushaj (RW, shoots R, 5'11, 187; Blues' 5th pick, 44th overall, in 2007): Probably the Blues' top prospect in college, Palushaj is the leading scorer for Red Berenson's Michigan Wolverines this year with five goals (including two game-winners) and nine points in five games.

An exceptional all-around player, Palushaj has quick hands and an accurate shot, and is an first-rate passer and set-up man. His 34 assists last season for the Wolverines ranked him first on the team, and second in the nation. Palushaj added ten goals to those helpers, and his 44 total points ranked him third in the nation among freshmen. Those lofty accomplishments, however, couldn't get the Wolverines a championship, nor any significant individual honors for Palushaj, who managed only an honorable mention to the CCHA All-Rookie team.

Last year, Palushaj played second fiddle to seniors Kevin Porter and Chad Kolarik, as well as fellow freshman Max Pacioretty. As a result, Palushaj didn't get the attention of the opposition's top checkers and was able to fly under the radar. This year, Palushaj's no secret to the opposition any more, and he's proving that last year's point totals weren't a result of facing second-unit checking lines.

Ian Cole (D, shoots L, 6'1, 211; Blues' 2nd pick, 18th overall, in 2007): A big, strong, mobile and mistake-free defenseman, Cole was drafted higher at 18th overall than any other Notre Dame player in history. An excellent skater, Cole has a powerful stride that facilitates rapid acceleration, and his recovery speed when getting back on defense is outstanding as well.

As a freshman last year with the Fighting Irish, Cole put up 8-12-20 totals in 43 games, his highest scoring totals in a single season since his midget days with Detroit Victory Honda. His modest scoring totals while with the US National Team Development Program have led to Cole's offensive game being somewhat under-rated, but last year's point totals -- as well as his 1-3-4 totals in just three games this year -- indicate that this aspect of his game is developing nicely. He makes a nice first pass out of the zone, and possesses solid offensive instincts that let him know when to join the rush and when to hold back.

Cole's physical presence was what led the Blues to rank him as highly as they did, and he continues to play a rock-solid physical game at the next level. Strong as an ox, Cole also has the endurance to log big minutes, and can either muscle an opponent off the puck with ease or lay them out with a board-rattling check.

Nearly a generation ago (has it really been that long), the Blues had a big, physical defenseman who had a solid offensive game, was a rock on defense, and was a leader on and off the ice. Scott Stevens wasn't drafted or developed by the Blues, and only wore the 'Note for one season in his Hall of Fame career. While it's still too early to start mentioning Cole in the same breath with Stevens, the Blues and their fans have good reasons to hope that they can grow their own Stevens almost twenty years after losing the original.

Cade Fairchild (D, shoots L, 5'10, 186; Blues' 7th pick, 96th overall, in 2007): Not big or physical, Fairchild's game is all about offense. He stepped in as the QB of the Minnesota power play last year, and helped the Golden Gophers to a 13.0% conversion rate (25/193) with the man advantage.

Fairchild can generate offense in the transition game with tape-to-tape breakout passes, and is able to make quick, no-look feeds even while on the move. These skills helped Fairchild to a 2-13-15 scoring line last year, but his minus-4 mark points to his issues in the defensive end.

The McKeens Hockey Prospects website describes Fairchild as "a defensive liability that allows his man to get a step on him and go in clean to the net with scary regularity," and notes that his "lack of strength is most evident around his net, as he's easily out-muscled for position." To his credit, Fairchild has worked on those defensive shortcomings, and is currently a plus-2 for the Gophers. McKeens sums up Fairchild's potential by noting that he has "ability with the puck that you cannot teach, but he will need to bulk up and improve defensively to take the next step."

Jay Barriball (LW, shoots L, 5'9, 155; acquired in trade from San Jose, Feb. 27, 2007): Despite his lack of size, Barriball has a great big skill set, and is able to operate in traffic even at 5'9, 155. The Prior Lake, Minnesota native is now in his third year with the Golden Gophers, and is off to a decent start with one goal (a game-winner vs. St. Cloud State on Oct. 18) in two games.

Entering this season, Barriball has 26 goals and 64 points in two seasons at the NCAA Division 1 level, and has had a couple of reasonably impressive showings at the Blues' Development Camp in 2007 and this year. Barriball is a decent skater with great puckhandling ability, and battles hard with and without the puck. He is also defensively aware, uses his speed to come back and help out in his own end, and his pucks skills allow him to create turnovers on defense.

His size will always be a strike against him, but as long as there's a place for skill in the NHL, Barriball will have a shot.

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll take a look at the rest of the Blues' college prospects, and see where all the prospects are after the first month of play. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Blues' Defense Depth Not Trickling Down to Rivermen ... Yet

2008-11-23T18:23:00.008-06:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 5, October 24, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

The Blues are currently ranked the number one developmental organization in the NHL by the staff of the Hockey's Future website, in large part on the strength of their defense prospects. Three of the six players chosen by the Blues in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft over the last three seasons have been defensemen, and in those drafts the Blues have chosen a total of seven defensemen with picks in the top 100 each year.

Of course, a huge chunk of the Blues' future on defense is currently on the shelf, with first-rounders Erik Johnson (golf cart knee) and Alex Pietrangelo (cheap shot from Ryan Hollweg) on the injured list, and 2006 second-rounder Jonas Junland just about to return from a pre-season injury.

The loss of these players' services has resulted in players remaining in St. Louis this year -- Roman Pola'k, Steve Wagner, Jeff Woywitka and veteran Mike Weaver -- who would likely have otherwise been assigned to Peoria. Woywitka has since been sent down, and will play tonight for the Rivermen, but his presence in St. Louis has been a contributing factor to Peoria GM and Blues' Pro Scouting Director Kevin McDonald having to scrounge up defensemen on AHL contracts and pro tryouts in order to fill gaps in the lineup.

None of the three Blues-contracted defensemen currently in Peoria have scored a goal yet, and none have more than a single assist. All, however, bring something a little different to the table in terms of their experience and their style of play.

The youngest of this trio is rookie T.J. Fast, a former second-round pick of the L.A. Kings in 2005. Acquired by the Blues this summer in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2009 Entry Draft, the 6'2, 190-pound Fast is what his name implies, described by the McKeens Hockey Prospects website as "an agile and compact skater." The Calgary native left the University of Denver midway through his sophomore season in 2006-07 and landed with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL, where he blossomed into an offensive force at that level with 20 goals and 76 points in 97 career games.

Fast has been a healthy scratch for Peoria in several games thus far, largely due to some issues in the defensive end of the rink. McKeens correspondent Max Geise described him earlier this month as "a train-wreck defensively that runs around and chases after the puck while getting trapped up-ice and out of position routinely." Fast has a lot of skill, however, and will be given every chance to make the transition from the major junior game to the AHL.

Second-year man Alexander Hellström had a promising rookie season last year with Peoria, where the big (6'2, 207) Swede managed more goals (3) as a North American rookie than he scored in three seasons with IF Björklöven of the Allsvenskan from 2204-05 to 2006-07. Injuries limited Hellström's season to just 35 games, however, so the big southpaw is looking to stay healthy and continue his progress this year.

McKeens describes Hellström as a "stay-at-home defenseman with a blossoming game in his own end." Strong as an ox, Hellström establishes himself in front of his net and is effective at keeping that area clear for his goalie. He's also a pretty good penalty killer, makes a good first pass, and is a very good shot blocker. All in all, as McKeens notes, Hellström is "a much more polished defender (this year) compared to last year."

The last of the Blues-contracted players in Peoria is veteran Andy Wozniewski. Signed as a free agent by the Blues this summer, the 28-year-old journeyman provides NHL-caliber depth for emergencies, and solid veteran leadership on Peoria's blueline. Wozniewski has great size at 6'5, 225 pounds, but he has yet to learn how to use that size effectively enough to keep a job in the NHL, and has also been plagued by injuries in his pro career.

Of course, the last line of defense is the goaltender, and the Blues' organization is pretty deep in that area as well. The two men who will stand between the pipes for the Rivermen this year are a study in contrasts.

Third-year pro Marek Schwarz has been consistently inconsistent during his time in Peoria. His record in three seasons is just above .500 at 33-28-2, and his goals-against average has been around the 2.77 mark in both of the previous seasons, though it currently stands at 5.17 thanks to a less-than-stellar outing against the Iowa Chops in the season opener on Oct. 10.

Schwarz is as athletic as they come in goal, and is in and out of the splits, and up and down in the butterfly, with lightning speed. The major issue with Schwarz has been a tendency to over-commit and be caught moving the wrong way; he is usually able to recover and make the save, but is then vulnerable to the rebound he leaves in doing so. There has been some concern about his mental toughness as well, but to his credit, Schwarz has enlisted the services of a sports psychologist in an attempt to address those issues.

Chosen 17th overall by the Blues in 2004, Schwarz is only the third goalie ever chosen by the Blues in the first round, and the first since John Davidson in 1973. The Blues still have high hopes for Schwarz, but this year could well be said to be a make-or-break season for him in the organization.

Schwarz will get plenty of chances to strut his stuff in the next few weeks, as fellow prospect Ben Bishop has been recalled to the Blues while Chris Mason recovers from an emergency appendectomy. Bishop, who can block out the sun at 6'7, 205 pounds, literally gives opponents nothing to shoot at when he is out of his net and challenging the shooter, and has the athleticism to recover quickly from the butterfly back to a standing position.

Mentally tough, composed and confident, Bishop is adept at showing opponents a five-hole that looks like the Arch from the blueline, and then closing it up in the blink of an eye. Further, Bishop is also an outstanding puckhandler and offensive catalyst from his crease, often taking advantage of opposition line changes to fire breakout passes to his teammates.

Bishop appeared in five games for the Rivermen last season after completing an outstanding four-year career at the University of Maine, and has already been the subject of some AHL Rookie of the Year speculation. There are still areas of his game that need work -- rebound control and lateral quickness, for example -- but the sky is the limit for Bishop at this point.

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," a look at some of the Blues' top NCAA college prospects. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Rivermen Steering A Course Through AHL In 2008-09

2008-10-26T11:34:00.009-05:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 4, October 22, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

Five games into the 2008-09 AHL season, and the Peoria Rivermen are just about where they want to be.

Currently tied for fourth place in the AHL's West Division, Peoria is one of four teams (the Chicago Wolves, Grand Rapids Griffins and Lake Erie Monsters are the others) in a race for the seventh and eight playoff spots in the Western Conference.

The AHL schedule calls for most games to be played within the division, and the Rivermen epitomize that philosophy so far by having played every game to date within their division. With two wins (vs. Quad City and Milwaukee), two losses (vs. Chicago and Iowa), and an overtime loss to Iowa, the Rivermen are at .500 on the year, and have allowed 15 goals in their five games while scoring 14 of their own.

Leading the way in goal scoring for the Rivermen is center Julian Talbot. Talbot, signed as a free agent by the Blues last year during a breakout AHL season (24 G, 26 A), leads the way in goals for Peoria with four, three of which have been scored on the power play. Through five games, Talbot's three PP goals account for fully half of Peoria's success with the man advantage; the Rivermen have converted six of 38 chances for a 15.8% mark, which puts the power play right in the middle of the AHL pack.

Tied with Talbot for the team scoring lead is left wing Steve Regier, a 6'4, 194-pound Edmonton native who signed with the Blues as a free agent in July. Regier, with three goals and five points, has the game-winner in both of Peoria's wins thus far, and has a history of scoring "money" goals in the AHL. Last season with Bridgeport, Regier scored 19 goals in 65 games; five of those were game-winners and ten were scored on the power play. In 2006-07, also with Bridgeport, Regier's 19 goals included another five game-winners, three shorthanded goals and seven on the power play. In 147 games during the last three seasons, Regier has scored 41 goals, 12 of which were game-winners and 17 with the man advantage.

Also checking in with five points through Peoria's first five games is Russian winger Nikolay Lemtyugov. The St. Petersburg product made an impressive AHL debut last year with 22 goals and 37 points in 69 games, and his well-publicized beatdown of Quad City's Tim Ramholt helped him rack up 71 minutes in penalty time as a rookie. Lemtyugov also has a knack for starting strong in games; seven of his 22 goals last year were the first goal of the game.

This season, Lemtyugov is cementing his position on the Rivermen and in the Blues' organization with another solid start, using his exceptional skating and puckhandling skills to set up goals (four assists in five games). He was teamed with Talbot and AHL veteran Cam Paddock early on, but seems to have settled in with Regier and fellow Blues' draftee Nick Drazenovic in the last few games. Lemtyugov's lone goal this season was, true to type, the first goal of the game in a 3-1 win over Milwaukee last Friday, and was set up by Regier and the AHL-contracted defenseman Jim Jackson.

Drazenovic, a 6' centerman who checks in at 175 pounds, has a pair of assists thus far in five games, and is among the team leaders in penalty time with 14 minutes in the sin bin. In 2007-08, Drazenovic also made an impressive rookie debut, racking up 16 goals and 42 points in 69 games after missing the first couple of weeks while recovering from a bout of mononucleosis. The Prince George, BC native contracted mono during the 2007 Western League playoffs, when he resurrected his fortunes as a Blues' prospect with nine goals and 19 points in 15 games for the hometown Cougars.

Another player looking to brighten his horizons in the Blues' organization is Czech center Tomas Kana, back for another kick at the can in North America after a less-than-auspicious debut in 2007-08. Kana showed up for the Blues' Development Camp in 2007 out of shape, and was assigned to Peoria very early in training camp. The 6', 200-pound center never got into a game with Peoria, and was assigned to Alaska of the ECHL, where he scored two goals in 12 games before bolting back to his Czech homeland. To his credit, Kana played well in the Czech league, with 10 points (5G, 5A) in 25 games spilt between HC Vitkovice and Usti nad Labem, and came to the Blues' main camp this year in better shape, and with a better attitude. Kana is scoreless thus far with the Rivermen, but is playing a key role on the checking/energy line.

Talbot, Regier (at 24 the oldest of the Kiddie Corps), Lemtyugov, Drazenovic and Kana are examples of the Blues' commitment to youth at all levels of the organization, but there's room for veterans -- and the leadership they provide -- in Peoria as well.

31-year-old journeyman Trent Whitfield has been a consummate professional and leader for the Rivermen since signing as a free agent with the Blues in the summer of 2005. He led the Rivermen in scoring in 2006-07 with 33-45-78 totals in 79 games, and last year was fourth on the squad with 22 goals and 52 points while transitioning into a leadership role. This season, Whitfield has earned the "C" for the Rivermen, and leads by example wile still maintaining a presence among the team's scoring leaders with a goal (scored shorthanded vs. Iowa on Oct. 11) and three assists.

Regier, in his fourth AHL season, was awarded one of the alternate captain positions by Rivermen coach Davis Payne, and the other went to fellow free-agent signee and AHL veteran Cam Paddock. Drafted 137th overall by Pittsburgh in 2002, Paddock spent the last couple of seasons in the Phoenix organization. The right-shooting centerman spent the entire 2007-08 season in San Antonio, and hit for 12 goals and 25 points in 71 games. Paddock also showed he could handle the rough stuff on the ice, notching 107 minutes in the sin bin during the regular season, and another 18 minutes in seven playoff games for the Rampage.

This year, Paddock has one goal in five games, scoring in Peoria's home opener on Oct. 11, a 4-3 OT loss to the Iowa Chops. He's also restrained himself thus far in the penalty department, with only a slashing penalty on Oct. 18 at Chicago to blemish his record.

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll look at the defense and goaltending of the Rivermen this season. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

2008 Draft Review: Last, But Not Least

2008-10-25T10:03:00.005-05:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 3, October 18, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

So far, so good... the Blues have had two home games this year, and won them both by a combined score of 11-3. The young players on the team -- David Perron, Patrik Berglund, T.J. Oshie and 2008 first-rounder Alex Pietrangelo have been big contributors to the team's early success. All of these players have one thing in common besides being members of the Blues; all were first-round picks.

Tonight, our focus will be on the players taken late by the Blues in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the players in rounds four through seven. These players may not necessarily be bound for NHL stardom, as is expected of the first-rounders, but there's talent on defense, at forward, and in goal in the Blues' late 2008 picks.

Something of a surprise pick in the fourth round (95th overall) was US National Team Development Program defenseman David Warsofsky. The Blues are known to scout the USNTDP very heavily, but Warsofsky's size -- or lack of it at 5'8 and 160 pounds soaking wet -- has been considered a major strike against him at the defense position.

There are definitely positives to Warsofsky's game, however. Vincent Montalbano at the McKeen's Hockey Prospects website notes that, "despite (his) lack of size, (Warsofsky) is an extraordinary player with exceptional skill, especially on the power play." The mighty mite is, in fact, considered something of a power play specialist, with a one-timer that is especially suited for man-advantage play, and an ability to always find the open man in a power-play situation.

The native of Marshfield, Massachusetts served as the captain of the U-18 squad for the USNTDP, and was second on the squad in scoring with nine goals (three PPG) and 40 points in 56 games. Before being drafted by the Blues, he signed a letter of intent to play at Boston University, and then went to Russia to skate for Team USA at the U-18 World Junior Championships, racking up seven assists and a plus-6 mark in seven games.

McKeens notes that Warsofsky "displays proper positioning on defense, as he does an effective job of cutting down angles and getting in the shooting lanes." The website further notes that he is "not afraid to initiate contact and get in the face of opponents," and that he "does not look to shoot from the point that often, as he prefers to utilize his productive passing game to set up teammates; however, he will pinch at times, as he loves to crash the net and be on the receiving end of a one-timer." Warsofsky has a pair of assists in three games for the Terriers this year, and both have come on special teams (on shorthanded assist and one power-play assist).

In the fifth round, the Blues went back to Europe, and took another offensive-minded defenseman with the 125th overall pick. Kristofer Berglund (no relation to Patrik) became the second defenseman chosen in the last three years by the Blues from IF Björklöven of the Allsvenskan (Alexander Hellström, currently in Peoria, was taken 184th overall by the Blues in 2006).

The 5'10, 180-pound native of Umea, Sweden was cited by several of the major scouting services as one of Sweden's top players in the 2008 U-20 World Juniors. McKeens Hockey Prospects called him "an adept puckhandler with excellent anticipation and hockey sense" as well as "a good positional defender (who) knows how to play the body, but (is) by no means a physical player," and said the WJC was a "coming-out party" for him.

International Scouting Services called Berglund "an excellent penalty killer ... who eats up pucks with his stick and skates," and NHL Central Scouting pulled no punches when they called him the "top Swedish d-man at (the) World Junior U20."

Totals of 4-21-25, a plus-10 mark, and 16 minutes in penalty time with Björklöven in 2007-08 earned Berglund a ticket to Luleå HF of the Elitserien for this season, where he's currently 1-3-4 with an even plus-minus and 6 PIM in 12 games.

In round six, the Blues went back to the Ontario League for Guelph Storm center Anthony Nigro. The 6'1, 190-pound Toronto native made great strides in his second Ontario League season in 2007-08, nearly tripling (from 17 to 48) his point totals from his rookie year, and improving from 4 to 24 goals.

International Scouting Services notes that Nigro "does a few things well, which include jumping into holes and going to the net with his stick on the ice, and working hard for the second and third chances. His defensive side of the game has been excellent, and he is always committed to taking care of that."

In 11 games with Guelph this season, Nigro has four goals and four assists, but is currently in the midst of a six-game scoring drought. His plus-minus is even, and he has 16 minutes in penalty time to go along with a power-play goal and a game-winner (vs. Erie on Sep. 26).

The Blues swung a deal with Los Angeles to re-acquire their seventh-round pick, and spent it on junior "A" goaltender Paul Karpowich of the Wellington Dukes. In 22 games with the Dukes last year, Karpowich posted a 15-3-2 record, a 2.15 GAA and 92.2% save percentage with three shutouts.

Karpowich signed a letter of intent to attend Clarkson this season, and made his NCAA debut Oct. 17 against RIT, stopping 31 of 35 shots to lead the Golden Knights to a 6-4 win. He will likely get the nod again tonight vs. the College Hockey America defending conference champion Niagara Purple Eagles.

In the Clarkson 2008-09 Media Guide, head coach George Roll said, "Paul enjoyed a really good playoff run with Wellington last year and was rewarded by being drafted by the St. Louis Blues this summer. From all indications, he should come in and compete for the number one job. He is a big standup goaltender who handles the puck extremely well."

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll take out first look at the Peoria Rivermen, and catch up with the progress of prospects like Ben Bishop and Nikolay Lemtyugov, the number one and number two stars in Peoria's 3-1 win over Milwaukee on Friday night. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

2008 Draft Review -- Three's A Crowd

2008-10-19T21:00:00.004-05:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 2, October 16, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

Previously in this space, your Game Time Prospect Department gave you the scoop on the Blues' top choices in last June's draft; defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, forward Philip McRae, and goaltender Jake Allen.

Tonight, our focus is on the three players taken by the Blues in the third round of this summer's draft, starting with third-round pick (65th overall), forward Jori Lehtera from Tappara of the Finnish Elite league (SM-Liiga).

Like 2007 first-rounder David Perron, Lehtera was in his second year of eligibility for the draft when the Blues chose him last summer. Also like Perron, Lehtera is considered a highly-skilled player who is especially proficient at stickhandling. Lehtera was not ranked by any of the major scouting services (NHL Central Scouting, International Scouting Services or McKeens Hockey) in the early or mid-season rankings, but managed to rise to the 23rd spot in the Central Scouting Final European rankings.

The Helsinki-born Lehtera will turn 21 on December 23, and is in his third year with Tappara Tampere of the SM-Liiga, where he broke out last year with 13 goals and 42 points in 54 games, while posting a plus-7 mark and 22 minutes in penalty time. Three years at the elite level makes Lehtera a more mature and developed player than many of his peers in the Blues' organization, but there are the usual concerns about his ability to translate his excellent game in Europe to the smaller North American rink and more physical North American style of play.

Lehtera has NHL size at 6'2, 191, but could stand to develop a little more upper body strength in order to not be checked off the puck in the North American game. He could also stand to further develop his acceleration and top speed, but these negatives are coachable and correctable.

His positives are the things you can't teach; Lehtera has excellent on-ice vision and a good work ethic, and he is an accomplished playmaker who is able to find his wingers from anywhere on the ice. He is a set-up man first and foremost, and will almost always look for the pass instead of taking the shot himself, but his double figures in goals scored during the short Finnish season indicate that he knows how to shoot the puck as well.

Currently, Lehtera is scoring at a point-per-game pace with Tappara, posting two goals and 12 points in 12 games thus far, with a solid plus-6 mark and eight minutes in the sin bin. He's under contract to Tappara through the 2009-10 season, and the Blues are fairly deep at center in the organization right now, so there's no sense of urgency to rush him over to North America just yet. If, however, he continues to round into a solid leader, on the ice as well as on the scoresheet, Lehtera may well find himself poised to make the jump directly to the NHL when some of the Blues' veterans up front are ready to hang 'em up.

Five picks after the selection of Lehtera, the Blues came back to North America to tap into budding power forward James Livingston, a Nova Scotia native playing into the Ontario Hockey League with Sault Ste. Marie. Livingston, a 6'1, 200-pound right wing, ended the 2007-08 season with 21-23-44 totals, appearing in all 68 games for the Greyhounds and posting a plus-10 with 135 penalty minutes. Four of his 21 goals were scored on the power play, most at the beginning of the year he was a power-play specialist.

Livingston has been described by the McKeens Hockey Prospects website as "somewhere between being a tough guy and a skilled player, but not big or strong enough to be a heavyweight fighter and not good enough hands or skills to be an offensive player at the NHL level." The lack of a defined style in his game was reflected in the way Livingston fluctuated in the rankings by the major scouting services over the 2007-08 season.

Livingston started strong in the McKeens rankings at 14th overall, but by season's end he had dropped in their estimation to 89th overall. International Scouting Services also had Livingston ranked highly (16th overall) at the start of the year, only to see him fall, though not as far (to 39th) as he did at McKeens, and NHL Central Scouting had Livingston at 42nd at mid term and 53rd in the final rankings.

International Scouting Services did note about Livingston that "he works extremely hard every shift on the ice and carries himself with a great deal of class," and the Toronto Star website noted that Livingston "possesses the work ethic, grit and two-way presence to play an important role in the National Hockey League." Currently, Livingston has seven points (2 G, 5 A) in nine games with Sault Ste Marie, with a plus-2 mark and 17 PIM.

The Blues' last selection in the third round (87th overall) was role player Ian Schultz of the Calgary Hitmen. Schultz isn't the biggest guy out there at 6'1, 180 pounds, but he has a heart the size of Montana, with a great work ethic and outstanding leadership traits.

The intangibles, as well as a willingness to get his nose dirty, has resulted in Schultz playing on Calgary's top line over the last few seasons despite modest point totals (15 G, 15 A last year). Schultz spent all of last season on a line with Montreal draftee Ryan White, and is currently playing alongside fellow Blues draft pick Brett Sonne (the 85th overall selection by the Blues in 2007), who leads the Hitmen in scoring and is third in the Western League with 4-11-15 totals in ten games.

McKeens Hockey Prospects website notes that Schultz "has shown flashes of nifty moves and good stickhandling with the confidence to challenge opposing players using his speed and agility." International Scouting Services calls him "very hard-nosed and tough in all aspects of the game," and says he "has the tools to develop into a good power forward in the next few seasons."

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll zero in on the Blues' last four 2008 draft selections; offensive-minded defensemen David Warsofsky and Kristoffer Berglund, center Anthony Nigro, and college-bound goalie Paul Karpowich. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

2008 Draftees Poised For Impact In NHL, Juniors

2008-10-19T14:28:00.005-05:00

(This article was originally featured in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 4 No. 1, October 10, 2008 in "Tomorrow's Blues with Brian Weidler")

In each of the last three seasons, a first-round draft pick has emerged from training camp with a spot on the Blues' NHL roster. In 2006, it was first-overall pick Erik Johnson, as expected. In 2007, the Blues struck gold from Quebec when 26th-overall selection David Perron lived up to his statements in Game Time that he would make the team out of camp, and dazzled teammates, coaches, and fans alike with his skill level.

This year, the hometown boys have yet another first-rounder looking to stick with the big club right out of camp, but the impact on the organization of the Blues' 2008 draft picks doesn't end there. From top to bottom, the Blues came away from Ottawa and the Entry Draft with quality at every position, and tonight we'll take a look at Jarmo Kekalainen's top three selections in this year's draft.

In the first round, with the fourth overall pick, the Blues rolled the dice on blueliner Alex Pietrangelo. The 6' 3, 210-pound native of King City, Ontario put up impressive scoring numbers (13-40-53 in 60 games, with 94 PIM and a sterling plus-29) for the Niagara Ice Dogs, and was playing his best hockey of the season in the playoffs before falling victim to a double whammy of mononucleosis and a ruptured spleen.

The mono and ruptured spleen kept Pietrangelo out of the workouts at the Scouting Combine, and also kept him off the ice at the annual Development Camp, but the Blues saw enough during the season to rank Pietrangelo at the top of their list for the Entry Draft.

"He's one of the best defensive prospects to come out of the draft since (Chris) Pronger," one NHL scout noted at the McKeens Hockey website, "and he even reminds some of Pronger other than the lack of a mean streak."

"Not many defensemen can offer the total package, and if Pietrangelo puts it all together, he'll be a franchise defenseman for 15 years."

Pietrangelo seems to have recovered fully from the spleen injury and mono, and has earned a spot on the Blues' roster out of training camp. Erik Johnson's injury has opened the door for Pietrangelo to play a lot of minutes early in the season, and if he continues to produce in the regular season as he did in the Blues' pre-season, the expected nine-game trial may well turn into a full-time roster spot.

Shrewd dealing by John Davidson and Larry Pleau left the Blues with back-to-back picks near the top of the second round, and the scouting staff took full advantage of this positioning by selecting Philip McRae of the London Knights (OHL) with the 33rd overall selection, and goaltender Jake Allen of the St. John's Fog Devils (QMJHL) at number 34.

McRae, son of former Blue Basil McRae, is a streaky player; in December and January of last season, he managed 22 points in 21 games (5 G, 17 A), the followed that performance with a February in which he scored five goals in 13 games, but collected no assists and was a minus-5. He finished the season 18-28-46 in 66 games, a total considered "disappointing" by the staff of the McKeens Hockey Prospect website.

In the U-18 World Juniors, McRae was one of the leaders for Team USA with six points (3 G, 3A) in seven games, but at the USA World Junior Selection Camp in August, he managed only one goal and was generally ineffective.

It was later discovered that the reason for McRae's inconsistent play at the Evaluation Camp was that he had contracted mononucleosis, making him the third high-profile Blues prospect to come down with mono in the last year (Pietrangelo and second-year pro Nicholas Drazenovic are the others). At 6' 2 and 190 pounds, McRae has the size and strength to shake off a bout with mono, and he has returned to the ice in London in dramatic fashion, scoring what turned out to be the game-winning goal in a 4-2 victory over Saginaw last week.

Allen, a native of Fredericton, New Brunswick, was something of a late bloomer. Spending much of the 2007-08 season on the bench in St. John's behind Sharks' prospect Timo Pielmeier, Allen managed to post a nice 2.25 (14 GA in 374 minutes) with a 93.5% save percentage (201 saves) and a 2-2-2 record in his last six games for the 32-30-8 Fog Devils (now playing as Junior de Montréal).

Few expected the 6' 2, 175-pounder with the 8-9-4 record, 3.15 GAA and 90.1% save percentage for the season to make much of a mark in post-season play, but Allen did earn the Devils' only two wins of their first-round series, posting a 3.74 GAA and 85.5% save percentage in the process. Many were stunned when Hockey Canada's chief scout Al Murray included him on Canada's U-18 World Junior entry, but the poised and confident Allen took the opportunity and ran away with it.

Allen played all seven games for Team Canada at the World Juniors, and led his team to the gold medal with a performance made for Hollywood. In 420 minutes, Allen allowed 10 goals on 192 shots for a 1.43 GAA and a 94.8% save percentage. Oh, by the way, he also won six of the seven games, with only a 4-2 loss to host Russia in the preliminary round to mar his record, and posted a pair of shutouts, including an 8-0 whitewashing of the Russians in the championship game.

Allen didn't attend the Blues' Development Camp this year, but did join the team for the Traverse City Prospect Tournament (3.00 GAA, 90.9% save percentage, 1-2-0 record) and even saw action in the NHL pre-season against Los Angeles before being returned to junior. So far this year, Allen has won QMJHL Defensive Player of the Week honors once, and is 4-1-0 with a 2.80 GAA and 91.9% save percentage in five games.

Next time in "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll focus on the Blues' next three selections in June's Entry Draft; Finnish forward Jori Lehtera, budding OHL power forward James Livingston, and grinder Ian Schultz of the Calgary Hitmen. Until then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Jake Allen Named QMJHL Defensive Player of the Week

2008-10-01T22:27:00.006-05:00

By Brian Weidler, "St. Louis Game Time " Prospect Department

2008 Blues' draftee Jake Allen was recently named QMJHL Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending September 28, 2008.

Allen, the Blues' third choice (34th overall) in last June's Entry Draft, stopped 63 of 66 shots against in two games last week for Junior de Montreal. The lanky native of Fredericton, New Brunswick, defeated the Saint John (NB) Sea Dogs 6-3 last Friday, and turned away all 31 shots by defending Memorial Cup champion Gatineau on Sunday in a 5-0 victory.

Allen spent much of the 2007-08 season as the backup to San Jose prospect Timo Pielmeier with the St. John's (NF) Fog Devils in the "Q." Named to Canada's entry for the U-18 World Junior Championships last spring, Allen stole the spotlight by posting a phenomenal 1.43 GAA (10 goals against) and 94.8% save percentage in seven games, leading the Canadians to the championship and securing the tournament's Top Goaltender honors.

At the Traverse City Prospect Tournament in mid-September, Allen split duty with Ben Bishop in the Blues' net, and posted a 1-2 record with a 3.00 GAA and respectable .909 save percentage. He earned a trip to St. Louis for the Blues' training camp before being sent back to the "Q" for more seasoning.

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"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

Prototype Prospect Data Panel

2008-03-08T23:17:00.004-06:00

Here's a taste of the prospect data panels I'm working on. The goal is to have one of these for each prospect.

Click on the thumbnail below for a full-size view.

Stepping Up To The Plate...

2008-02-14T22:58:00.002-06:00

When the Blues are in need of injury replacements, they send a call up to Peoria for help from the prospects there. So, it's only fitting that, when our parent publication is down and out, the Prospect Department is able and willing to chip in and help carry the play until the guys in The Show get back on their virtual feet...

While the "St. Louis Game Time" (http://www.stlouisgametime.com) site is down, we here at "Future 'Notes" are happy to step up and offer this site as a substitute for the hard-hitting and hilarious hockey hijinks you've come to expect at "Game Time."

Comedy isn't our forte here at "Future 'Notes," but we'll do our best to keep an open mind...

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"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

New Season, New Prospects, New "Future 'Notes"

2007-10-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

You might have noticed that there's a new look to the "Future 'Notes" page for the 2007-08 season.

There will be a quantum increase in the amount of content posted to this blog this season. Be watching, and remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

L to R: Ian Cole, Evgeny Skachkov, Jay Barriball, Cade Fairchild, and Reto Berra compete at the 2007 Blues' Development Camp scrimmage (photo by Brian Weidler)

The Ins and Outs of the Blues Prospect Stable

2007-10-16T20:53:00.001-05:00

By BRIAN WEIDLER, "St. Louis Game Time" Prospect Department
(Originally published in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 3, No. 1, 10-10-07)

This past summer has been just about the most exciting time in recent memory to be a Blues' fan, and specifically to be interested in the player development side of the franchise's operation.

Starting with the Entry Draft in Columbus, the Blues have been hard at work separating the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, and replacing prospects who haven't made the grade with those who are younger, bigger, or simply have greater potential.

The Blues had three first-round selections in the Entry Draft this year for the first time ever in franchise history, and as documented by the Fox Sports Midwest "All Access Draft Special" aired this summer, they were able to use each of those selections to acquire a player that they had rated very highly. The deadline trades of Keith Tkachuk and Bill Guerin brought a plethora of picks back to the organization, and the Guerin trade also brought a highly-regarded scoring prospect into the fold. Other trades and free-agent signings over the summer also brought new prospects to the organization

Before we look at what the Blues have added to the roster over the last few months, let's first take a look at the prospects that the Blues have decided to part company with. Departing from the organization over the summer were:

Juhamatti Aaltonen, a scoring forward from Finland with 11-21-32 totals in 53 games for Oulu Kärpät of the Finnish Elite League last year. The Blues were interested in signing Aaltonen before the July 1 deadline, but his recent marriage and the birth of his first child made the timing wrong for this season. The whispers are that the Blues will try again to bring Aaltonen over next summer as a free agent.

Jon DiSalvatore, a veteran of the AHL and Peoria's third-leading scorer last year with 21-39-60 totals in 76 games. The native of Bangor, Maine signed with Phoenix in the off-season.

Zach FitzGerald, a big rugged defenseman who spent a lot of time on the injury and suspension list, and bounced between Alaska and Peoria, was traded to Vancouver.

Mike Gauthier, a big raw-boned defenseman from western Canada who was the Blues' fifth pick (169th overall) in 2005, failed to impress in his last year of junior eligibility and was not offered a contract.

Scott Jackson, the Blues' second-round pick (37th overall) in 2004, a big stay-at-home defenseman, never progressed as expected and was also not offered a contract after his last year of junior eligibility.

Doug Lynch, the third asset received by the Blues in the Chris Pronger trade, never played up to his potential in Peoria and was not tendered a qualifying offer during the summer.

Tomas Mojzis, who came to the Blues in the Eric Weinrich trade at the 2006 trade deadline. The offense-mended defenseman got a cup of coffee with the Blues in 2006-07, but signed with Russian side Sibir Novosibirsk over the summer.

Ryan Ramsay, a free agent center who managed 14 goals, 159 PIM, and a team-leading plus-16 for Peoria in 58 games last year, but lost his spot to an influx of younger, drafted players.

Peter Sejna, the eternal prospect who never put it all together sufficiently to become dominant at the AHL level or stick around as a role player in the NHL, was not tendered a qualifying offer.

Alexei Shkotov, the Blues first pick in 2002 (48th overall) who left the Worcester IceCats mid-season in 2005-06 after a questionable suspension, has been dropped by the Blues.

Carl Söderberg, who appears to be the latest in a long line of highly-rated European prospects who have apparently decided they'd rather stay at home and be a big fish in a small pond, was traded to Boston over the summer.

Patrick Wellar, a big kid from Carrot River, Saskatchewan who signed with the Blues as a free agent before the 2005-06 season. The defenseman has just signed with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

Konstantin Zakharov, a skilled player with little apparent drive to pay the price to be an NHL'er, skipped out on the Blues twice in two seasons to return to his native Belarus. He has been dropped by the Blues as well.

The Blues also retain the rights to Russians Konstantin Barulin (Khimik Mytischi) and Timofei Shishkanov (CSKA Moscow), but as both are insistent upon one-way NHL deals for a million dollars a year before they will cross the pond, don't count on seeing them in St. Louis any time soon, if at all.

You could form the nucleus of a pretty decent AHL team with the players dropped from the Blues' prospect rolls over the summer. But, potent as that list of players may be, the list of prospects added to the organization over the summer is even more impressive.

Although the Blues weren't able to get Aaltonen signed before the July 1 deadline, they did get a number of other prospects signed to contracts and ready to embark on their pro careers. From Europe, the Blues signed draft picks Patrik Berglund (25th overall in 2006), Alexander Hellström (184th overall in 2006), Jonas Junland (64th overall in 2006), Tomas Kana (31st overall in 2006), and Nikolai Lemtyugov (219th overall in 2005) to contracts. Berglund and Junland have been returned to their Swedish sides for more seasoning, but are expected back in 2008-09 for the start of their pro careers. Hellström and Lemtyugov are beginning their rookie seasons in Peoria, and Kana will start the year in Alaska.

From this side of the pond, the Blues signed draft picks Nicholas Drazenovic (171st overall in 2005) and Ryan Reaves (156th overall in 2005) to their first pro contracts. Drazenovic, who boosted his stock considerably with a strong playoff performance for Prince George (WHL) in 2006-67, has been assigned to Peoria, and Reaves is in Alaska rehabilitating from an injury suffered at the Traverse City Prospect Tournament early in September.

Off-season trades brought forward Francois-Pierre Guenette (from Vancouver for FitzGerald) and goaltender Hannu Toivonen (from Boston for Söderberg) to St. Louis, and free agents signed in the latter part of the 2006-07 season include big left wing Charles Linglet (Peoria) and defense prospect Steve Wagner (Minnesota State-Mankato). Wagner was impressive in the Blues' Development Camp and main camp, and has begun the season on the NHL roster.

As an accompaniment to the blockbuster free-agent signing of Paul Kariya, the Blues added younger brother Martin Kariya to the organization as a free agent from... the Blues, of Espoo, Finland. Also coming over from Finland was 30-year-old veteran goaltender Juuso Riksman, who is currently on loan to a Swedish side as the goaltending picture in Peoria is a little crowded. Riksman may, however, have to return to North America because his former Finnish team (Jokerit Helsinki) is reported to be blocking his assignment to Farjestad due to time remaining on his contract with them.

North American free agents signed for depth in Peoria include defensemen Alex Brooks and Micki DuPont. In addition, the Blues signed Sudbury, Ontario-born veteran Jean-Guy Trudel from Ambri Piotta in Switzerland. Trudel has maintained a home in Peoria for years, married a Peoria girl, and will also be taking a regular shift for the Rivermen this winter.

An then, of course, there is the NHL Entry Draft. The Blues added three top prospects to the organization in the first round, as mentioned, and added a total of ten prospects to their ever-deepening prospect pool in this draft. The most notable of these is first-rounder (26th overall) David Perron, whom we at "Game Time" first took note of at the Development Camp when he told us that he was determined to make the team this year, right out of junior at age 18. Perron lived up to his bold statement, and after an impressive training camp and a series of exhibition games in which he seemed to be developing solid chemistry with veteran Doug Weight, also began the season on the NHL roster.

We'll take a more in-depth look at Perron, and the rest of the Blues' 2007 Entry Draft selections, in the next edition of "Tomorrow's Blues." Until then, as always, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Blues 2007 Entry Draft Review

2007-10-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

By BRIAN WEIDLER, "St. Louis Game Time" Prospect Department
(Originally published in "St. Louis Game Time," Vol. 3 No. 2, 10-12-07)

The St. Louis Blues have been making it a habit to make team and league history at the NHL Entry Draft in recent years. Last year, they had the first overall pick in the draft for the first time in team history, and used it to select the first player ever in that position (Erik Johnson) who chose to forego immediate entry into the NHL in favor of spending a year in college.

This year, the Blues again chalked up a franchise first by stockpiling three first-round selections in total, and made NHL history yet again by drafting the first Danish-born player ever chosen in the first round. After seeing their targeted player (Halifax forward Jakub Voracek) selected by host Columbus at seventh overall, Larry Pleau swung a trade with San Jose, which saw the Blues swap their first pick at ninth overall for the Sharks’ picks at 13th and 44th in this year’s draft, plus a second-rounder next year.

After all of that, the Blues still managed to get a player they had rated near the very top of their priority list, choosing center Lars Eller (6'1, 196 lbs, shoots left) of the Frölunda Indians junior club of Sweden. In 39 games with Frölunda in 2006-07, Eller tallied 18 goals (eight on the power play) and 37 assists for 55 points. The Great Dane was also a plus-22, and accumulated 58 minutes in penalty time, during those games.

The scouting report on Eller is that he’s an excellent skater and stickhandler with a top-notch passing game and elite hockey sense. Unfortunately, a wrist injury suffered late in the Swedish junior season went undetected by Swedish doctors, but was caught by the Blues doctors when Eller arrived at St. Louis Mills for the Development Camp in July. That injury kept Eller out of the camp, and as of this writing he’s still on the sidelines.

Later in the first round, Pleau swung still another deal, this time trading up from the 24th pick to the 18th pick to select solid physical defenseman Ian Cole (6′1, 211 lbs, shoots left) from the US National Development Team Program U-18 squad. In 49 games with the U-18 squad, Cole chipped in four goals, 20 points, and 57 minutes in penalty time. At the U-18 World Junior Championships in Finland, Cole notched four more goals in only seven games, chipped in an assist, and was a plus-4 with six PIM.

Cole’s greatest strength is his skating, and that area of strength allows him to play an active, involved, offensive style from the blueline. He likes to jump into the play as it develops, and is a patient and accurate passer with the puck. He does not neglect his defensive responsibilities, either, hustling back into the play when the rush goes the other way. Cole plays with no fear, and while not physically intimidating at this stage, he can throw a very solid check.

The last of the Blues’ first-round selections, at 26th overall, was scoring whiz David Perron (6'0, 180 lbs, shoots right), a Sherbrooke native skating for the Lewiston MAINEiacs of the QMJHL. A confident player, Perron made a meteoric rise from Junior B in 2005 to being a first-round pick in 2007. He wasn't shy about his intentions to make the Blues' roster right out of training camp, telling "Game Time" and anyone else who would listen that his goal was to be a Blue this year, and he delivered on that promise.

In 70 regular-season games with the MAINEiacs, Perron struck for 39 goals (10 PPG, 7 GWG) and 83 points, added 75 minutes in penalty time, and was a sterling plus-37 on the year. He raised his game in the playoffs, too, helping lead Lewiston to the QMJHL Championship with 16 goals (7 PPG, 4 GWG) and 28 points in 17 playoff games. Finally, Perron and Lewiston appeared in the Memorial Cup, where he managed a goal and two assists in four games, but couldn't lead the MAINEiacs past the host Vancouver Giants for the big prize.

In the second round, the Blues used the 39th overall pick to select Eller's linemate in Frölunda, Simon Hjalmarsson. The 5'11, 161-pound forward can play either wing or center, and his above-average skating, stickhandling skills, and hockey sense helped him score 31 goals in 41 games for the Indians junior squad in 2006-07.

Five picks later, at 44th overall, the Blues reached into the United States League for Michigan-bound right wing Aaron Palushaj (5'11, 187 lbs, shoots right). Called "a poor man's Tomas Vanek" by "McKeen's Hockey Prospects," Palushaj has the ability to read and execute plays a split-second faster than the opposition. He has soft hands and a quick release, which helped him to 22 goals and 67 points in 56 games with Des Moines in 2006-07.

In the third round (85th overall), the Blues went out West and selected hard-working forward Brett Sonne (6'0, 200 lbs, shoots left) from the Calgary Hitmen. Not considered a particularly gifted offensive player, Sonne still managed 21 goals in 71 games for the Hitmen last year, and his stickhandling and work ethic are a cut above average. He's not particularly physical, but he will go into the trenches in front of the net and along the boards to get the puck and earn scoring chances.

With their first of two picks in the fourth round, the Blues went back to the USNTDP U-18 squad to select offensive-minded defenseman Cade Fairchild (5'11, 186, shoots left). Fairchild's strengths are his skating and outlet pass, and he has in fact been described by McKeen's as having "a very European style (to) his game." Due to a lack of ideal size for a defenseman, Fairchild's defensive game is based on solid positional coverage rather than the more physical and aggressive style employed by larger teammates such as Cole.

The last of the Blues’ eight selections in the Top 100 was lank Wisconsin-born forward Travis Erstad (4th round, 100th overall). Standing 6’03 and weighing in at 182 pounds, Erstad rang up 31 goals and 64 points in 24 games for his hometown Stevens Point HS before finishing the 2006-07 season by appearing in eight games for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.

With their sixth round selection (160th overall), the Blues dipped into the Ontario League talent pool for big utility man Anthony Peluso of the Erie Otters. Peluso is a 6’3”, 220-pound right-hand shot who has been used on both forward and defense, and he put up a respectable 7 goals and 10 points in 52 OHL games last year with the Otters. He also earned 176 minutes in penalty time, and was one of the surprises of July’s Development Camp with his hustle and skill level.

Rounding out the Blues 2007 draft (7th round, 190th overall) is center Trevor Nill. The son of former Red Wing (and current Detroit assistant GM) Jim Nill, the 6’03”, 190-pound Detroit native skated for Compuware in 2006-07, piling up 24 goals and 55 points in 57 league and tournament games. Nill is currently skating for the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia League, where he has two goals and four points in 12 games thus far, and has committed to Michigan State University for the 2008-09 season.

Most of the Blues' 2007 draft picks have already begun their seasons, and the three college-bound players kick their seasons off this weekend. Look for reports on how the college prospects fared in their season-opening tournaments, as well as further ongoing prospect coverage, in the next edition of “Tomorrow’s Blues.” Until then, remember: “If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil.” Auf wiedersehen…

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UPDATE: 2007 draftee statistics as of 10-16-07

Player ..................... 2007-08 Team GP G. A. Pt +/- PIM PP SH GW GT
========================================= == == == == === === == == == ==
ELLER, Lars ........ Frolunda Jr (SWE JR) .0 .0 .0 .0 ..0 ..0 .0 .0 .0 .0
COLE, Ian ............. Notre Dame (CCHA) .2 .0 .0 .0 - 1 ..2 .0 .0 .0 .0
PERRON, David ........... St. Louis (NHL) .1 .0 .1 .1 + 1 ..0 .0 .0 .0 .0
HJALMARSSON, Simon . Frolunda Jr (SWE JR) 13 .4 .6 10 +15 .40 .0 .0 .0 .0
PALUSHAJ, Aaron ......... Michigan (CCHA) .2 .0 .0 .0 - 2 ..2 .0 .0 .0 .0
SONNE, Brett .............. Calgary (WHL) 13 .6 .8 14 + 8 ..4 .2 .1 .2 .0
FAIRCHILD, Cade ........ Minnesota (WCHA) .1 .0 .1 .1 ..0 ..0 .0 .0 .0 .0
ERSTAD, Travis ........... Lincoln (USHL) .4 .0 .0 .0 - 1 ..6 .0 .0 .0 .0
PELUSO, Anthony .............. Erie (OHL) .9 .2 .1 .3 - 3 .17 .2 .0 .1 .0
NILL, Trevor ........... Penticton (BCHL) 15 .3 .4 .7 ..0 ..6 .0 .0 .0 .0

"Game Time" -- A Conversation With Dave Baseggio

2007-01-16T10:30:00.000-06:00

This interview was originally published in three parts, in the January 2, January 4, and January 13, 2007 editions of "St. Louis Game Time." It is presented here in its entirety; portions highlighted in red are exclusive to "Future 'Notes," and were not part of the "Game Time" series due to space limitations.

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Game Time: What caused you to leave a situation in Bridgeport, where you had been for several years, to come to an organization that hasn't been highly regarded for its prospects at this level?

Baseggio: "I was in Bridgeport for five years, and they had a big overhaul of management last year, and I was a casualty of war. So it wasn't by choice (that I left Bridgeport), but everything happens for a reason, and I couldn't be happier right now, being with the Blues. I'm excited about the whole situation, working for this organization."

Game Time: Can you contrast the Islanders' organization at Bridgeport with the Blues' organization here? What is each organization doing right in regards to their prospect development, and what, if anything, do you see as needing improvement?

Baseggio: "Just to focus on the Blues, I think the communication is excellent throughout this organization; from top to bottom, it's outstanding. They care, and they believe in developing a winning environment. You know, losing every night doesn't develop players. You have to learn how to win, and that's something I believe in too.

"I think, with the new ownership and management, they're (committed to) keeping their kids, and they're starting to get returns from these past few drafts. Players are starting to come through, and I think more and more will be coming through. And that excites me, to have a lot of good young players coming through here to develop themselves.

"I think they know that it's going to take a little time to rebuild up there; with the new CBA and the way things are, you have to develop your own talent. It's imperative to develop your own talent; that's the difference between winning and losing."

Game Time: What contact, if any, have you had with Andy Murray in St. Louis?

Baseggio: "So far, just by telephone until tonight. He's coming to the game with John (Davidson). I've heard nothing but great things about him, and obviously, with the way the Blues have been playing lately, he's been doing a great job. So I'm looking forward to meeting him in person; it's been great talking to him on the phone. He loves to talk hockey."

Game Time: How do you think your coaching style meshes with his, and do you think that the game you're teaching the players here is compatible with what kind of hockey Murray will expect from these guys in St. Louis?

Baseggio: "I really don't know much about Andy's coaching philosophy and style. I do know he's going to want the guys to compete when they go up there, and just do a lot of the little things that help a team win. I know he's not looking for a guy to come up there from our team right now and score 50 goals; that's just not going to happen right now. He wants guys who are going to go up there and be responsible and hard-working.

"But, the more I get to know Andy and know about his philosophies and systems, I'll know what he's looking for. We haven't had much time to sit down and talk, with our schedules and the holidays, but hopefully within the next couple of weeks I'm going to take a ride to St. Louis and sit down with him, have some dinner, and talk hockey."

Game Time: The guy you just sent up there, David Backes, is a good example of what the kids can expect to have asked of them up there. He's working hard, driving the net, and he's had some success early on with a couple of points. They've had nothing but good things to say about him up there.

Baseggio: "David's a quality kid; he worked hard down here, and he's obviously making the most of his opportunity. Again, it's as you said, he's doing the little things; he's competing, he's going to the net, he's getting pucks out, he's feeding pucks in front, he's physical. It's not brain surgery what he's doing, but he's learning to do it on a consistent basis.

"It might even be easier for him to develop up there, because he's such a smart player. It's less 'scrambly' up there, and he's probably better suited for that kind of environment, a more cerebral game."

Game Time: Do you expect to see him back?

Baseggio: "Not any time soon. I know he's really settling in; watching the third period on our bus ride home last night, he's still out there with a minute-and-a-half left in the game. So that means he's doing something right, and I don't know how long Ryan Johnson is going to be out, so... I know Dallas Drake is ready to come back, but I don't foresee (Backes returning to Peoria) in the next little bit."

Game Time: Let's talk about your coaching style a little bit. Judging by your scoring records, you were an offensive-minded defenseman in college, and your 2003-04 team in Bridgeport set AHL marks on defense for fewest goals allowed, lowest team GAA, and best penalty-killing percentage. Would it be fair to say that your coaching style is geared towards defense first, and do you think that had any bearing on the Blues picking you to come here, what with as many defense prospects as the Blues have coming through the system?

Baseggio: I don't know if that had anything to do with (coming to Peoria). The year that Bridgeport set all those defensive records, that was the old rules; we had a pretty good team, but we had a pretty veteran defense too. It's still not easy to do, but it's easier to do (with veterans).

"I think the game has changed. I think the game has become more of a speed and skating game, and I believe in attacking and pressuring the puck, pressuring the other team. When you have the puck, pressure them with speed , pressure them with the puck, and when you don't have it, try and get it back as quickly as you can and as early as you can. I do believe in keeping the speed to the outside defensively, and keeping the shots coming from the outside.

"But as far as 'defense first,' yeah, you have to play well in your own end, and that's something we work at on a daily basis here, our coverage and our responsibilities. But I want to play in the other team's end as much as possible. I call it 'zone time.' If we spend 'zone time' in the other team's end, obviously we have a better chance of scoring. So I guess, yeah, there's a little 'defense first (philosophy),' but I love to attack and I love to skate."

Game Time: What can Blues' fans expect out of Dave Baseggio-coached players when they come to St. Louis, and what can Blues' fans expect to see from a Dave Baseggio team when they come up here to see the future in action?

Baseggio: "I just hope that they'll see, like with Backes, guys doing the little things. I call them little things, but I also call them winning things. A guy blocks some shots, a guy gets the puck deep instead of turning the puck over and the other team going the other way; those things are all conducive to winning hockey. Backchecking, back pressure; little things like that. Like I said, I call them winning things. I like to think that these guys are always learning, everything from line changes to length of shifts. Those are all things that I'm constantly harping on, because that's conducive to winning, to developing winning habits.

"As far as down here, I'm fortunate that the Blues have given me, have given us, a good group of kids down here, and good core leadership. On a nightly basis, obviously, it's a tough thing to do, but these guys compete. Aaron Mackenzie, my captain, is a great example. Guys like (Trent) Whitfield, (Mike) Glumac, (Mike) Stuart, (Rocky) Thompson, (Jon) DiSalvatore... they come to play, and they're really a great, great influence on the younger kids coming in. These guys, in practice, when the whistle blows, they go 110 percent. It creates a great environment.

"When you come to watch a game, you'll get the effort every night. I know that the execution is going to be there every night; that's just the way it is over an 80-game season. But as long as the effort is there..."

Game Time: You've been a big part of several championship-caliber teams, at many different levels of hockey. How does this year's Rivermen team stack up against some of those teams, and if there's some element missing in the current lineup, do you see that role being filled by one or more of the players you might have coming in the near future?

Baseggio: "I really don't know much about the prospects coming in; I've seen the names, I know the hype is there. But I really like this group as it is right now. The only thing is, we don't really have a lot of offense from our blue line, but I wouldn't call it so much a weakness because it's a good group of defensemen. I'll take these guys any day. I think we're in the top two or three in shots against in the league; we don't give up much. They move the puck, they get it up ice, so they're effective in that way.

"We don't score a lot of goals, we really don't, but we spread it out fairly well. I like this group of players; if you want to compare it to a playoff team, I think this team is playoff-ready. We play a lot of close games, we don't score a lot of goals, we grind things out. We're tough to play against when we're going. We've got some good size.

"Obviously, goaltending is key. Marek Schwarz, (Chris) Beckford-Tseu, (Jason) Bacashihua when he was here... I could count on two fingers the nights when we've had just average goaltending so far this year. And that's pretty good, when goaltending gives you a chance to win every night.

"It's tough to compare teams, but I like the makeup of this team when I look around at the rest of the league. I think this is a good quality group that really cares about each other and likes each other; they really do a lot of things together off the ice. Chemistry is something I can't teach; it just happens, and it's so important."

Game Time: I'm going to have some more in-depth questions about some of the players here, but what I'm going to do now is throw some names at you and ask you to describe, in ten words or less, your first and lasting impressions of these guys, starting with Zack FitzGerald.

Baseggio: "Big, strong, character type of defenseman."

Game Time: Aaron Mackenzie:

Baseggio: "Heart and soul."

Game Time: Doug Lynch

Baseggio: "Needs to pick up the pace, and speed, a little bit; good hard-working solid citizen."

Game Time: Roman Pola'k

Baseggio: "NHL prospect written all over him. He's going to be a solid defenseman."

Game Time: Michal Birner

Baseggio: "Great speed, skill, hard worker. Wants to be a player"

Game Time: Jon DiSalvatore

Baseggio: "Very solid, offensively solid; a premier player in the American League."

Game Time: Peter Sejna

Baseggio: "Skilled, creative, hard-working, gifted."

Game Time: Mike Glumac

Baseggio: "Another heart and soul guy. Can beat you with skill, beat you with his fists, or beat you with the body."

Game Time: D.J. King

Baseggio: "Toughest kid in the AHL."

Game Time: Charles Linglet

Baseggio: "Outstanding potential, good hands, great skill set."

Game Time: Konstantin Zakharov

Baseggio: "Young, still maturing, good skills. A good prospect."

Game Time: Jason Bacashihua

Baseggio: "Loads of talent. Needs to establish himself."

Game Time: Chris Beckford-Tseu

Baseggio: "Tons of potential. Won a championship last year in Alaska. He's got a lot of good qualities."

Game Time: Marek Schwarz

Baseggio: "Great kid, good attitude. Athletic and hard-working."

Game Time: I've seen some people compare him to a young Dominik Hasek. Do you think that's a valid comparison?

Baseggio: "I think Schwarz (plays) more of a butterfly (style); Hasek, I don't know what Hasek('s style) is. Schwarz is more controlled."

Game Time: I apologize in advance if this is a sore spot, but comment, if you will, on the Magnus Kahnberg situation.

Baseggio: "It's not a sore spot with me. It's a shame. I think Magnus is a good player. He had a good camp in St. Louis, and they wanted him to come down here, and he just didn't want to be in the minors. He wanted to go back home, his girlfriend was homesick, and he just never played to his potential down here. It was frustrating at times, for me and for him, but I can't beg anybody to be here and to play. If they want to play in the NHL, they have to go through it themselves, and he wanted to go home. Best of luck to him."

Game Time: One of the things that he said when he went back home was that the playing style here was kind of slow and static, and it wasn't what he was used to or how he wanted to play. Do you have any comment on that?

Baseggio: "Well, we're playing on a smaller (ice) surface here, so maybe he would see it that way. But if your heart and your head are not into something, you're not going to do it. How are you going to drive ahead if you don't really want to?"

Game Time: Comment also, if you will, on the decisions by Carl Söderberg and Alexei Shkotov to stay in Europe instead of reporting here. Do you think that this decision on their parts will have any negative effect on how they're accepted in Peoria if they do report here in the future?

Baseggio: "I don't think so. Every player's decision, that's between them and the Blues. I coach what I have; I can't coach what I don't have. So it's their choice. Whether it's right or wrong, I really don't put much thought or effort into that. It's something I can't control, so I don't.

"If they're here, I don't think there'll be any ill will. If they're here to play, then that's what we want them to do. But if they don't want to be here, I can't control that, and I can't coach a player that's not here.

Game Time: Did you get a chance to meet or talk with either of those guys?

Baseggio: "Shkotov, no. Söderberg, at rookie camp. Good kid, good prospect. A good player."

Game Time: And he's been playing well over in Sweden...

Baseggio: "Yeah, he's playing for (former Canadian National Team coach) Dave King, so that's a good positive. Like I said, it's none of my business; it's a player that's not here, so that's something for the Blues to worry about."

Game Time: We talked a little bit about the goaltending earlier. Two of your goalies have played in the NHL, and the other has been absolutely dominant at the level just below this one. Do you consider goaltending a strength of this team? What do you see as each goalie's individual upside?

Baseggio: "Absolutely, it's a big strength. Schwarz has a great demeanor and work ethic. His quickness... he makes some saves where you can't believe he got to the shot. He has that quiet confidence in the net, and he knows how to win hockey games.

"Beckford-Tseu is bigger, and not as quick as Marek, but he covers more net. He's a good, hard-working kid with a good skill set, and you're right... he's dominated down below, and he's played well for us here this year, too. I think he's ready to take the next step."

Game Time: As a former pro defenseman yourself, give me your impression of Jeff Woywitka. He's always going to be "one of the guys who was traded for Chris Pronger," and those are big skates to fill. He may never be a Chris Pronger type of player, but does he have, inside, what it takes to live up to that kind of pressure?

Baseggio: I think so. I think it (the inevitable comparison) is unfair; it's not Jeff's fault that he was traded for Chris Pronger. Chris Pronger's an elite player; he's one of the best defensemen to ever play the game. Jeff went up this year and played very well for the Blues, and he won a championship playing for Brent Sutter in Red Deer. He was a first-round draft pick, and he's been dealt a couple of times, but he's got some talent, and he's played really well for us this year. I think he's going to be a pretty good NHL defenseman."

Game Time: There were a couple of games earlier this year with Chicago where you guys got lit up, and give up a large number of goals. Did Woywitka personally get a big minus in those games, and has he been pretty much even the rest of the way? Because he's got a high minus total right now...

Baseggio: Well, he and (Mike) Stuart, in the last two or three weeks, have gotten hit hard with the minuses for some reason. But no, it didn't happen in one game, just a bit here and a bit there. I know that stat is going to jump out at you for those two guys; it's not alarming for me yet, but you notice it. It's not characteristic of how they've played."

Game Time: That was going to be my next question. A lot of people have heard reports that Woywitka's one of the best defensemen you have down here, but they'll see that stat, and it's hard to justify those reports.

Baseggio: "I think Jeff has been on for maybe three or four empty-net goals against, too, so that doesn't help. Or he's been out at the end of a penalty kill, when our guy has just come back on, and a goal against is an even-strength goal. Little things like that. But it (the plus/minus) is not a true indication of how he's played."

Game Time: Roman Pola'k had an impressive training camp with the Blues, and has seen some NHL time as a first-year pro this season. He's also seemed to find a little offense in his game lately. What do you see as his long-term role in the NHL?

Baseggio: "Oh, he has a shot at being a top four in the NHL. He's so big, and so strong, and moves so well. I don't know if he ever gets beat one-on-one. He's got a great stick, great mobility for a big guy, and when he goes into a one-on-one battle in the corner, he comes out with the puck a lot of the time. That's pretty impressive for a young kid.

"He's got a cannon of a shot, and he's learning how to use it and when to use it. Since he's been reassigned to us, I don't know what our record has been, but it's been a lot better with him in the lineup. He adds that much as a twenty-year-old, and that's pretty impressive."

Game Time: How's his English, and how's he making the adjustment, coming back to North America?

Baseggio: "Oh, he's great. He's really a funny kid when you get to know him. From what I heard, while he was in St. Louis, he started to come out of his shell a little bit. His English is fine; he understands everything that's going on, and he played a year in the Western League, so that probably helped him acclimate a little more. He's a good kid."

Game Time: We talked a little bit earlier about Zack FitzGerald and D.J. King. Do (they) have a role to play in today's NHL, beyond that of the big, strong enforcer?

Baseggio: "D.J. King really has some pretty good skills, and when he gets going, he can skate. D.J. just needs that little bit of quickness, and he can be a regular player. D.J., when he's skating hard and finishing checks, is an effective player. To add the dimension that he can drop the gloves is great, but obviously, as you've seen, most other teams don't even have that player. You can't dress a guy and give him two minutes a night and have him drop the gloves, any more. That's just not the way the game is played.

"I think if D.J. continues to work hard on his skating and his skill set down here, he has a chance to play in the NHL on a regular basis. And Zack FitzGerald is the same way.

"Unfortunately for Zack, last year he was injured for most of the year, and this year has been the same thing. He's just come back in the last little bit. If we can keep him healthy, I think we'll get a better indication of Zack's potential."

Game Time: Is there much more for Peter Sejna to accomplish at this level? What does he have to do yet in order to earn a spot on an NHL roster for the long haul?

Baseggio: "I saw Peter play a few times in the last few years, when he was in Worcester and here. He's been in the Blues' organization for a few years now, and what I'd hear from everyone is (about) his consistency level; when Peter plays, he's got to keep up that consistency level. And he's done that of late. He's playing real well, and his points show that. He's really put up some numbers.

"When Peter's skating and moving, he's very, very effective. He needs to do that on a consistent basis, and he has been lately."

Game Time: In his first pro game, right out of college he scored a highlight-reel goal against a future Hall-of-Famer. Do you think that maybe set the bar for him a little higher than it should have been?

Baseggio: "It very well could have. He won the Hobey (Baker Award), which comes with expectations, and I'm sure he signed for a good chunk of change, which adds more expectations. Maybe the expectations were higher than they should have been, but I wasn't around for that, so I really don't want to go there. But I think Peter has NHL skills, and with the new rules, he has a chance to go up there and play at that level."

Game Time: Last season, there was some miscommunication, and a bit of a falling out between Zakharov and the Blues. He came down here, didn't play, went to Alaska, didn't play, and ended up going back home. People had sort of written him off as a prospect for the Blues. What does it say to you that he's come back here for another kick at the can, and how's he been playing?

Baseggio: "He's actually been playing pretty well, but he didn't play a lot the other night. Zak's a young kid, and people forget that. He's only 21 years old. He came over, and language was an issue, but Zak is maturing, and his game is maturing. His biggest problem early in the year was his play away from the puck and understanding the system, where to go and when to do it, and when not to do it.

"To his credit, he came to camp, and I told him, 'I don't care what happened in the past. It's a clean slate.' And he's worked hard, and he's done a pretty good job."

Game Time: You mentioned his maturity. He did an interview here with Dave Eminian a little while ago, and it sounded like he was nothing but cognizant of what he has to do in order to earn a spot in the NHL. Would you say that's a fair assessment?

Baseggio: "Yeah, as I said, he's maturing and he's starting to understand not only his role, but just life in general a little bit more, what it takes. He's done a good job, and I think the best is yet to come with him."

Game Time: Michal Birner was touted as a hard-working, gritty kid with a good work ethic when he was drafted by the Blues in 2004. Would it be fair to say that he's lived up to that description, and what do you see as his role in the NHL -- scorer, checker, both?

Baseggio: "He's absolutely lived up to that description. Michal, he wants to be a player. He works so hard; he works hard off the ice, and he works hard in practice. He's got great skills, he's fast. Unfortunately, he had some wrist problems and has missed a good chuck of the season. I think he's only played about twenty games by now, maybe less. So we're still trying to figure out what Michal is as a player, but I think he has a chance to be both a scorer and checker in the NHL.

"He has great skill, and he's showed it here, he shows it in practice. And again, he's only 21 years old; once we get him 'flatlined' as far as his health, he'll determine himself what kind of player he's going to be, and I think the sky's the limit for him"

Game Time: Mike Glumac has had a couple of shots at sticking with the Blues, and each time he was sent back. He's pretty popular with the fans in St. Louis, and he seems to have the hands to be at least a supplemental scorer at the NHL level. Do you see him as a full-time NHL player in the near future?

Baseggio: "Yes, I do. As I said earlier about Mike, he can beat you in a lot of ways. Last night (December 26th vs. Grand Rapids) he was physical, and he scored a goal and had one or two assists. He's not afraid to drop the gloves, and if he's not scoring some night, he can beat you in other ways. That's such a valuable asset to have."

Game Time: Let's talk a little about last night, and the power play. You guys got four goals on the power play last night; is there anything special that you're doing to be that successful on the power play, because your power play has been in the top half of the AHL all year, and the Blues' power play has been a little "iffy."

Baseggio: "Well, we had a tough start; in our first twelve games we were one-for-24 or something like that. But I have a little sheet in my office about the principles of the power play that I try to work from. It's movement, it's supporting the puck, it's shots, it's traffic... just certain principles. You watch other teams, and how they kill penalties, and that'll give you a 'heads-up' about what you need to do.

"But the players on the ice, they've done a great job. Again, you can't stand still any more; you have to move. I really stress a lot of movement, with the puck and without the puck. Last night, we had two five-on-threes, and that helps, but the guys are doing a good job of getting pucks to the net."

Game Time: The last player I'd like to talk to you about is Charles Linglet. He's 24 years old, got good size, and apparently can skate and score. Is he on the Blues' radar screen that you know of, and if so, what do you see as his role in the NHL?

Baseggio: "Oh, he's definitely on the Blues radar (NOTE: Linglet was signed to an NHL contract by the Blues that night, shortly after this interview). Like I said earlier, he's got outstanding hands. He knows how to score, and he has a nose for the net. He has 14 goals in 25 games this year, and last night he had a couple of open nets that he just didn't bury, which is uncharacteristic for Charlie.

"He's a great kid, great demeanor; he just needs to work on his skating. When he's moving his feet, he's an effective player, but he needs to keep those feet going. He's been doing it on a consistent basis this year, and the results are indicative of that."

"Game Time" -- 2006: The Year Of The Prospect

2007-01-16T10:18:00.000-06:00

(originally published December 30, 2006)

As we prepare to turn the calendar page to 2007, it’s time to take a quick look back at what some of the Blues’ prospects have been able to accomplish in 2006.

The 2006-07 season began on a high Note, prospect-wise, as the Blues were able to add some quality prospects to the fold in the 2006 Entry Draft. Six of the nine players chosen by the Blues in June are ending the 2006 calendar year by performing in the World Junior Championships in Sweden, ranking the Blues in a three-way tie for first place among NHL teams with the most prospects appearing at the U20 WJC.

Twenty-fifth overall pick Patrik Berglund has a goal and an assist and is a plus-1 for Sweden. Jonas Junland has an assist and 12 PIM for the Swedes and Alexander Hellström is playing his usual effective stay-at-home defensive game. Thirty-first overall pick Tomas Kana also has a goal and an assist, but his Team Czech Republic squad is winless thus far. Reto Berra has played both games for underdog Switzerland, with a 4-1 win over Belarus and a 6-0 loss to a powerhouse Russian squad. Berra sports a 3.50 GAA and an 89.4% save percentage.

Future franchise defenseman Erik Johnson has a goal for winless Team USA, one of only four goals scored by the disappointing American squad in the tournament so far. Johnson has made some excellent plays on offense and defense, but committed one well-publicized gaffe by throwing his stick at Canada’s Jonathan Toews on a breakaway, after Johnson’s defense partner turned the puck over at center ice. The resulting penalty shot added to the Canadian lead in the game.

Down on the farm in Peoria, first-year Rivermen mentor Dave Baseggio has put together a squad that is currently in fifth place in the AHL’s West Division and holding down the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a record of 16-12-1-2 in 31 games. Twenty-nine-year-old Trent Whitfield (30 GP, 15-14-29) and 27-year-old Peter Sejna (30 GP, 10-19-29) are leading the Peoria scoring parade, and the newly-signed (on December 27) Charles Linglet is right behind. The 6’2, 212 pound 24-year-old LW leads the Rivermen in goals with 16 (six on the power play), and has 24 points an even plus/minus and 12 PIM to add to the mix. RW Mike Glumac has nine goals, as does rookie David Backes, who is currently looking to establish himself as a full-time NHLer with the Blues.

On defense, the Rivermen have gotten only two goals from the blueline, both off the stick of rookie Roman Pola'k. Tomas Mojzis (12) and Jeff Woywitka (11) have hit double figures in assists. In goal rookie Marek Schwarz has been a rock wall. In 19 games played, the young Czech is 12-5-0 with a 2.60 GAA and a 90.1% save percentage. He has taken the bull by the horns and snatched the number one goaltender spot from under the nose of third-year man Chris Beckford-Tseu, who has been dominant at the ECHL level (5GP, 0.79 GAA, 96.9% save percentage, 5-0-0 record with Alaska this season), but has struggled a bit in the American League.

Peoria as a team has shared the wealth on the scoreboard this year, with game-winning goals coming from Whitfield and Jon DiSalvatore (three apiece), Linglet and Backes (two each), and Sejna, Glumac, Ryan Ramsay, Pola'k, and rookies Michal Birner and Ryan MacMurchy (one each). The Rivermen have appeared in only two shootouts this year, both road losses (at Albany and Chicago).

Some of the Blues’ older European prospects are making their marks in their respective leagues. In Finland, Juhamatti Aaltonen is a top-six forward in his second season at the Finnish elite level, and is 10-13-23 with a plus-1 mark and 36 PIM in 33 games for Oulu Kärpät. The Blues will lose the rights to the 21-year-old in June 2007, so if he ever wants to make the move to North America, the time is at hand.

Over in Mother Russia, Viktor Alexandrov was cut by SKA St. Petersburg in early December, after the coach who brought him there was fired. Alexandrov has caught on with MVD Podolsk, also of the Superleague, and in 21 games between the two teams, the just-turned 21 year old is 1-12-13, with 18 PIM and a plus-2. Elsewhere, in 32 games for Severstal Cherepovets, Nikolai Lemtyugov is 5-5-10 with 34 PIM and a plus-4 mark. He will turn 21 on January 15, and would do his career a favor by coming to North America for good next year.

Another candidate to cross the pond for 2007-08 is defenseman Nikita Nikitin. The 6’3 blueliner has put on over twenty pounds of muscle this year, going from 173 to 196 pounds, and his Avangard Omsk club is reaping the benefits of his development. Avangard is second in the RSL with a 24-5-7 mark, and Nikitin has chipped in a goal and 12 assists to go along with 60 PIM and a plus-4 in 36 games played.

In major junior, the Blues have four prospects out in the Western League who are all in their last year of junior eligibility. Right wing Ryan Reaves of Brandon (39 GP, 9-13-22, plus-7, 52 PIM, 2 SHG, 2 GWG), center Nick Drazenovic of Prince George (33 GP, 7-21-28, minus-6, 40 PIM), and defensemen Scott Jackson of Seattle (36 GP, 3-16-19, plus-16, 32 PIM, 3 PPG, 2 GWG) and Mike Gauthier of Prince Albert (37 GP, 2-11-13, plus-1, 154 PIM) are all better than even money to take their places in Peoria next fall, and continue their development into sound role players for the Blues.

Finally, at the NCAA level there has been some buzz recently about big Ben Bishop, the St. Louis native tending goal for the University of Maine, possibly turning pro next season. The thinking here is that Bishop’s 11-3-2 record 1.90 GAA and 93.2% save percentage notwithstanding, the sophomore would probably be better off to finish college first and avoid the logjam the Blues currently have in goal at the professional level. Another sophomore, forward T.J. Oshie of North Dakota (19 GP, 5-12-17, 8 PIM), has also been rumored to be turning pro, and considering the Blues’ dearth of skilled forwards in the minor pro ranks right now that might be the best thing for his career.

In our next edition of “Tomorrow's Blues”, we’ll have a conversation with the man who’s shaping the development of the Blues’ young players in Peoria, head coach Dave Baseggio. Until then, check out archived “Tomorrow’s Blues” articles and other prospect-related content on the “Future ‘Notes” blog at futurenotes.blogspot.com and remember... “if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil.” Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The Best Of Both Worlds

2006-12-28T21:32:00.000-06:00

(originally published December 23, 2006)

In the last two editions of "Tomorrow's Blues," we've discussed the reactions of one European player (Magnus Kahnberg) to his assignment to Peoria, and we've addressed some of the issues that player raised upon his return to Europe. We also noted that, based on these experiences, and the Blues' experiences with other European prospects who spent time in major junior after being drafted, the course of wisdom seems to lie with getting European prospects over to North America as soon as possible after their selection in the draft.

The skill level and creativity of the average European-trained player is highly desirable in the modern NHL. The economics of the game, however, are such that most young European players can make considerably more money by remaining in their home countries and signing contracts with elite league clubs there, than they can by signing entry-level two-way contracts and starting their pro careers in the AHL. Staying in Europe offers the benefits of little or no professional risk to the player, and no adjustment to a new culture or a new language.

The lure of making good money to stay among family and friends is a powerful one, often to much for many young European players to resist. They are driven to achieve the highest level of competition in their home countries, and that's admirable, but the drive to do whatever it takes to make it to the NHL is not present in these players, as it is with young North Americans who are prepared to pay the price to achieve the highest level of competition that their home country has to offer.

But what of the young European player who willingly leaves his home and familiar surroundings at age 16 or 17, and journeys halfway around the world in search of the most challenging level of competition? For the most part, these are players who could remain in their home countries, play in the top junior leagues there, and be dominant in that setting. With modern scouting methods and communications technology, these players stand as much chance of being seen in Prague as they do in Portland. They could probably be higher profile players at home, in fact; big fish in smaller ponds, as it were.

What causes some young Europeans to cross the pond in their draft year, or even earlier, in some cases?

Character, that's what. Acceptance of the reality that the road to the NHL, for all but the most truly exceptional and gifted of young players, leads through such places as Syracuse, San Antonio, and yes, Peoria. By willingly coming to North America as teenagers, and acclimating themselves to the North American game and culture, these players are demonstrating a commitment to the National Hockey League dream, rather than the dream of being stars in Finland, Sweden, Switzerland or the Czech Republic. And that speaks volumes about their character.

It seems reasonable to assume that best chance the Blues have of getting skilled Europeans to play in Peoria, is to add skilled Europeans to the system who have already crossed the pond and are showcasing their skills in the top junior leagues. To that end, then, we present a brief look at a few Europeans already playing North American hockey, who should be on the Blues' radar screen come June.

We've already talked about Jakub Voracek of Halifax (QMJHL) in this space. A solid player with NHL size and skill, Voracek seems to have the early edge in the race for the first-overall pick this summer. If the Blues do end up with a lottery pick, as seems likely, Voracek is a player they would almost certainly be looking at very closely.

If, however, the Blues don't end up with a lottery pick, there are other top-notch Europeans who should still be available with later first-round selections. Out west, Michal Repik of Vancouver (5-11, 185, born 12-31-88) is a skilled stickhandler with a good shot, and his excellent speed and elite mobility have helped him to 15 goals and 33 points (plus-7, 28 PIM) in 33 games. There's also Oscar Moller of the expansion Chilliwack Bruins (5-11, 177, born 01-22-89), who has racked up 19 goals and 33 points (plus-6, 24 PIM) in 34 games with grit and determination.

On defense, Tri-City's towering Juraj Valach (6-06, 210, born 02-01-89) has four goals and 18 points, with a plus-4 mark and 26 PIM in 27 games. Another defenseman worth a look in the late first or early second round is David Skokan (6-00, 202, born 12-06-88) of Rimouski (QMJHL), who is an intense and determined player with good skating skills and a heavy shot from the point. Skokan has used those attributes to the tune of seven goals and 22 points, with 36 PIM, in 27 games so far this year.

Skokan's teammate in Rimouski is Russian forward Maxim Gratchev (5-11, 198, born 09-26-88), an effortless skater with soft hands and a willingness to battle for loose pucks. Gratchev currently leads the Oceanic with 14-23-37 totals (minus -7, 52 PIM) in 36 games. Another European forward with good hands and skating skills is Patrik Lusnak (6-00, 180, born 11-06-88) of the Sudbury Wolves (OHL). The young Slovak is still getting used to the North American game, but his 9-14-23 totals (plus-4, 21 PIM) in 35 games show that the adjustment isn't proving to be difficult so far.

There's also an interesting prospect in the USHL, Stockholm native Calle Ridderwall of the Tri-City Storm (5-11, 170, born 05-28-88) This is a player who knows where the net is; in 76 games with the junior "B" Chicago Chill last season, Ridderwall piled up 52 goals and 118 points. This year, he's leading the Storm with 13-15-28 totals in 22 games (24 PIM, plus-9, 7 PPG, 3 GWG), and he'll be attending Notre Dame in the fall of 2007. A late-round pick spent on this player just might pay big dividends for the Blues in five years or so.

Look for more on these players, and others, in future articles in this space, and on the Web along with archived "Tomorrow's Blues" articles and other prospect-related content on the "Future 'Notes" blog at http://futurenotes.blogspot.com. Until next time, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- Can Blues Keep Picks From Saying 'Nix' To Playing In The Sticks?

2006-12-28T21:17:00.000-06:00

(originally published December 21, 2006)

Previously in this space, we looked into some comments made by former Peoria Riverman Magnus Kahnberg upon his return to Sweden at the beginning of December. The speedy winger was apparently dissatisfied with a "slow, static" style of play by the Rivermen, and was negotiating with the Blues about going back to Sweden even while telling Peoria in the papers that he wasn't looking to get out.

In an interview, part of which was excerpted here, Kahnberg raised some issues about Peoria and the Rivermen, issues that deserve a serious look. In today's column, we'll take that look and talk about what the Rivermen are doing right, and what they could perhaps be doing differently.

As previously mentioned, Kahnberg is not the first Blues' prospect of European descent to pass on the opportunity to ply his trade in central Illinois this winter. Second-round selections Carl Söderberg (2004) and Alexei Shkotov (2002) also balked at assignment to Peoria from the Blues' training camp, and both are currently playing in their home countries (Sweden and Russia, respectively).

Söderberg's decision to return home wasn't completely unexpected, as he had said last season that if his hometown team (IF Malmö Red Hawks) was able to work their way into the Swedish Elite League from the Allsvenskan (Division II), he wanted to play at least one year in the SEL, in front of his hometown fans and family. Shkotov had various family issues in Russia, and never even showed up for camp.

Söderberg is better than even money to be back next year, and will probably challenge for an NHL roster spot based on his play in Sweden so far. Shkotov, on the other hand, does not appear to be interested in coming back at all, and based on what he's done in Russia so far this year, that might not be any great loss. Still, however, the question remains: what, if anything, are the Blues doing to get their European prospects interested in coming over and paying their dues in the AHL, and more importantly, what are they doing to ease their transition when the Europeans do make it across the pond?

In a couple of interviews with the Swedish media, Kahnberg mentioned that there was little for the players to do off the ice in Peoria, and implied that the organization had left him on his own, more or less, to find his own way in America. That may well be because Kahnberg, at 26, was no green kid just off the reindeer farm in Sweden... but if the Blues' organization is also leaving the younger Euros to fend for themselves when coming over, that could be a problem.

There have been no reports of the young Europeans being left on their own, but the Blues would do well to create and publicize a program whereby new young players who don't speak English as a first language are enrolled in English classes even before stepping off the bus in Peoria for the first time, and assigned a "host" family who speaks their language and/or is familiar with their native culture. The Booster Club would be a great resource for the "host" families, as booster clubs at the minor-league level are generally populated by younger single adults and families who are eager for any chance to spend time with "their" players, and genuinely want to do whatever they can to help the team and promote them in the home city.

That's just one suggestion for helping the Europeans make the transition when they get here, but can any improvement be made in the process of getting them here in the first place? At first glance, it might seem that the Blues as an organization are chronically deficient in getting top European prospects to come to America, but in reality, the Blues currently have four young Europeans playing at Peoria -- LW Michal Birner, D Roman Pola'k, G Marek Schwarz, and RW Konstantin Zakharov -- and all have been making contributions.

The common thread with each of these players is that all four of them came over from Europe the year after being drafted by the Blues, and played at least one season of major junior hockey in the CHL. Birner started in Barrie of the OHL in 2004 before being traded to Saginaw midway through his first season. Pola'k and Schwarz each played the 2004-05 season in the Western League, with Kootenay and Vancouver respectively, before returning home in 2005-06 to play in the Czech Extraliga. Zakharov came over in 2003 after being chosen by the Blues 101st overall that summer, and racked up 33 goals in 55 games with Moncton of the QMJHL.

The time spent in North America prior to turning pro can not have been anything but beneficial to these players, in terms of helping them make the adjustment to a new language and a new way of life. Based on this admittedly small sample, the conclusion is reached that the best way for the Blues to get their European prospects prepared for the road to the NHL is to get them over to North America immediately after drafting them. This was the plan for 2006 draftee Tomas Kana (31st overall), who was verbally committed to Owen Sound of the OHL before doing an about-face and going back to the Czech Republic to play in the Extraliga for Vitkovice.

Other European prospects like Juhamatti Aaltonen of Finland, and Russians Viktor Alexandrov, Konstantin Barulin, Nikolai Lemtyugov and Nikita Nikitin have been playing the last two seasons in the elite leagues in their home countries, and are now of age to come directly to the AHL (Barulin, at 22, is the oldest). The transition for these players will probably be more difficult because they have had little or no exposure to the North American game or way of life, choosing instead to develop through their late teens and early 20's at home. Based on the Blues' experience with other European prospects, the odds are against any of these players ever making an appearance in the American League, and subsequently on the Blues' roster.

When it comes to Europeans, the Blues as an organization are fond of their talent and skill level, so it would seem that the plan needs to be to draft them and place them with a major junior team right away, in the season immediately following the draft in which the player is chosen, if at all possible.

There is, however, an alternative, one which the Blues have yet to avail themselves of during the Jarmo Kekalainen era. We'll look at that alternative in greater detail in the next edition of "Tomorrow's Blues." Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" articles and other prospect-related content on the "Future 'Notes" blog at http://futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- Kahnberg's, Peoria's Loss Can Be Blues' Gain... If They're Smart

2006-12-28T21:09:00.000-06:00

(originally published December 17, 2006)

Much has been made in recent weeks of the departure of ex-Peoria Riverman Magnus Kahnberg back to Sweden, and of an interview given to a Swedish journalist by Kahnberg shortly after returning to his homeland.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Kahnberg did an interview with Peoria beat writer Dave Eminian in which he said that he wasn't thinking about going back, and that he was committed to earning a shot with the Blues. In the Swedish interview, however, Kahnberg noted that he started thinking about returning to Sweden around the first of November, and during the time frame when he was interviewed by Eminian, was already actively discussing with the Blues the terms under which he could go back home.

In another interview, on December 11, 2006 with the Swedish newspaper "Expressen," Kahnberg referred to Peoria as a "boring" city, and noted that the team's playing style was slow and static (a point he also made in the Eminian interview), which was not how he was used to playing or wanted to play.

Leaving aside any opinions about Kahnberg's character and honesty in telling Eminian one thing while doing another, there may be some valuable lessons for the Blues to learn from this whole rather unfortunate situation. Kahnberg is not the first European player this year to reject the AHL; Phoenix prospect Enver Lisin was assigned to AHL San Antonio on November 27, but refused to report and went back to Russia. Earlier this season, the Blues had a pair of highly-regarded prospects, Carl Söderberg and Alexei Shkotov, both balk at assignment to Peoria, and both are playing in their home countries.

Many large corporations now conduct an "exit interview" with management-level employees when those employees leave the company, in the hopes of determining any systemic shortcomings that can be fixed to keep others happy and in the company's employ. Maybe the Blues might want to use this as Kahnberg's "exit interview," and use the information gathered here to take another look at some of their processes and methods regarding the Rivermen and prospect development -- especially with Europeans?

A special thanks goes out to Johan Karlsson at the "Hockey's Future" website, for translating the "Expressen" interview from the original Swedish. What follows are some excerpts from that interview:

Expressen: Was the step from the SEL to the NHL bigger then what you thought?
Kahnberg: No, I was very well prepared both mentally and physically. I had a good camp and was surprised when I was sent down in the last cut.

Expressen: You ended up on the farm-team Peoria Rivermen in the AHL, how was that?
Kahnberg: It was a boring city, there was nothing to do. I've probably seen every movie in the theater that there is to see; just to walk my dog I had to take the car and go 10 minutes away.

Expressen: What was the standard of the hockey?
Kahnberg: I didn't like the way we played hockey. It was a very strict game, we stood still and there was no speed. It was not developing for myself and after a month I just wanted out. The joy disappeared, the fun was taken out of the game.

Expressen: How was the mood among the players on the team?
Kahnberg: They were great guys, but there you mostly play for yourself and not as a team. For example in a 2-1 (game), players mostly shot the puck. Afterwards there were big piles of paper filled with stats which the players read to see how they had performed.

Expressen: Did you and your girlfriend live in a hotel during the entire stay?
Kahnberg: No, in St. Louis I lived in a guest-room in Christian Bäckman's house. When I got demoted we lived in a hotel room for a month before moving in with a teammate in his new house in which we rented a room. Sure, it was a hassle, but we kept our spirits up.

Agree or disagree with Kahnberg's stance, there's some interesting first-hand insight here as to how things are going at Peoria. Let's break down those comments a little.

From all accounts, and from what little personal observation the Game Time prospect department was able to make, Kahnberg had a pretty good training camp, and probably should have gotten an opportunity to at least start the season up on the big club. Based on this, and the Shkotov/Söderberg defections, and the Konstantin Zakharov departure from Alaska last year, it'd be easy to say that the Blues are gaining a reputation for not giving their European prospects a fair shake... but then, how do you explain rookie Roman Pola'k starting the year in St. Louis? Or Zakharov's decision to return and give it another go?

Secondly, I'll grant you that Peoria's not exactly the most exciting and cosmopolitan of cities, but remember, Magnus... you're there to play hockey, not to dig the swingin' nightlife. Nonetheless, he does seem to be making a valid point that the organization may not be doing enough to help the newcomers and their families or significant others adjust to a new lifestyle in North America.

The most interesting of Kahnberg's comments are those about the players focusing more on their individual game, and about the team's overall game plan.

It might be expected for players at that level to be more focused on developing themselves as individuals, so as to give themselves the best possible chance to be promoted to the NHL... but it's also not an unreasonable expectation to think that there should be a coherent "team" concept, even at that level, that can harness the individual energy of the players and guide them all in the same direction. If that's not happening, that's something that the Blues might want to look at and fix, if necessary.

It's also interesting that, from the sound of it, the coaching staff in Peoria is teaching the prospects to play the same kind of deliberate, defense-oriented game that the Blues had been playing under Mike Kitchen. Certainly, you want continuity of systems, and of instruction, in your organization... but since the system in St. Louis is about to be altered, perhaps drastically so, as a result of Andy Murray's hiring as head coach, are the Peoria coaches prepared -- or even able -- to adjust their coaching tactics and game plan in mid-season, in order to maintain that continuity throughout the organization?

We'll discuss these issues, and throw out some ideas for addressing them, in our next report. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" articles and other prospect-related content on the "Future 'Notes" blog at http://futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Sources:

Kahnberg's interview with "Expressen," 12-11-06:
http://www.expressen.se/index.jsp?a=788571

Eminian's interview with Kahnberg, 11-21-06:
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/112106/DAV_BBJBG5EE.081.shtml

"Game Time" -- Peoria Rivermen Season-To-Date Recap

2006-12-15T20:45:00.000-06:00

(originally published December 12, 2006)

With the American Hockey League season just about one-third complete, it's time to take a quick look at how the Blues' prospects in Peoria have been doing as a team. The results to date are encouraging for the most part, but there are some areas of concern to be examined as well.

As of Monday, December 11, the Rivermen sit in third place in the West Division of the AHL's Western Conference with a 13-8-1-2 record for 29 points and a solid .604 point percentage. The Rivermen are a respectable .500 on the road (5-5-1-2) and a very nice 8-3-0-0 at the friendly confines of Carver Arena. As a result, Peoria sits 11th overall in the 27-team AHL, and are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference. If the playoffs were to begin today, the Rivermen would face the Hamilton (Ontario) Bulldogs, where Montreal and Edmonton send their prospects for development.

As with the parent Blues, offense has been an issue for the Rivermen this year. As of now, they are 23rd in the AHL in goals for per game, with 64 goals in 24 games, an average of 2.67 goals for per game. Defensively, however, the Rivermen are better, ranking ninth in the league with 70 goals against in 24 games and posting a team GAA of 2.88. The team save percentage, unfortunately, isn't keeping pace. The three Peoria goalies this year have allowed 70 goals (two ENG) in 631 shots against for a meager 88.9% team save percentage, with Jason Bacashihua's 86.0% (178 saves on 207 shots against) dragging the rest down.

The Rivermen power play is middle-of-the-road in the AHL, ranked 11th overall with 26 goals in 149 tries, a 17.45% success rate. At the other end of the spectrum, like the parent Blues, the Rivermen have been having some trouble staying out of the penalty box. 570 minutes in penalties, an average of 22.8 minutes per game, has the Rivermen sitting in a tie for seventh-highest average PIM per game in the league. Peoria's penalty kill ranks tenth in the league with 131 kills in 154 times shorthanded, an 85.06% rate of success.

Offensively, the Rivermen have no players among the league's leading scorers, or among the league's leading rookie scorers. Veteran Trent Whitfield leads the Peoria scoring parade at the moment with 11-10-21 totals while appearing in all 24 games played to date. AHL-contracted player Charles Linglet leads the team in goals scored with 12 (to go along with six assists for 18 points), and checking-line center Ryan Ramsay has the best plus/minus mark on the club with a plus-6. David Backes tops the Rivermen rookies with nine goals and 11 points, but also shares (with utility man Mike Stuart) the worst plus/minus mark on the team with a minus-8. Bruiser DJ King tops the team with 58 minutes in penalty time.

On the defensive side, rookie goaltender Marek Schwarz has justified his selection as the 17th overall pick in 2004 with a very nice 2.28 GAA in 12 games, ranking him fifth in the AHL at present, and tops among rookie goaltenders. Schwarz also boasts a 9-2-0 record, putting him just outside the top five in wins by AHL goalies, and has allowed only 26 goals on 297 shots against for a very respectable 91.2% save percentage.

Peoria started the month of November with a 10-5 shellacking at the hands of their arch-rivals, the Chicago Wolves. After that wake-up call, however, the Rivermen reeled off an impressive 8-1-1-1 string, with wins over division foes Iowa (three times), Omaha (twice), and Houston (once), leading up to last weekend's road trip to Winnipeg and a two-game set with the Manitoba Moose.

On paper, the series looked like a slam dunk for the good guys. Peoria was 13-6-1-2 and on a hot streak, while the Moose were two games under .500 at 10-12-3-2, and had just lost four games in five days. The ice storm that gripped the Upper Midwest put a hitch in Peoria's travel plans, however, which should have been a sign of things to come for the Rivermen.

Chris Beckford-Tseu, who was an impressive 2-0-1 with a 1.90 GAA and 92.7% save percentage in limited action for the Rivermen, was pressed into service as Peoria's number one goalie after Bacashihua and Schwarz got callups to St. Louis. This series would be "The Hyphenator's" first crack at being the go-to guy at the AHL level, and it turned out to be less than memorable for the Richmond Hill, Ontario native.

The Moose are fourth in the AHL in attendance this year, averaging over 7000 per contest, and Winnipeggers turned out in even better numbers this past weekend to cheer on their home team. Inspired by crowds of over 7500 in both games, Manitoba took care of the Rivermen by scores of 4-1 on Friday night and 3-0 on Sunday afternoon. Beckford-Tseu allowed five goals on 30 shots (an 85.7% save percentage) in just over 117 minutes of ice time, and the Moose sealed the two wins with the only two empty-net goals scored against the Rivermen all season.

Beckford-Tseu and the Rivermen have a chance to right the ship with four games before Christmas, all at home on the Peoria riverfront. They'll face the Iowa Stars on Friday and Sunday of this week, with a game against Grand Rapids sandwiched in between on Saturday. Peoria will also host the Griffins again on Friday, December 22 before taking a three-day break for Christmas. The Rivermen this year are 3-0-0-0 vs. Iowa, with 12 goals for and five against, and won their only other meeting with Grand Rapids this year by a 3-1 score on November 17 at Van Andel Arena.

Until next time, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" articles and other prospect-related content on the "Future 'Notes" blog at http://futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- First Look At The 2007 Entry Draft

2006-12-10T23:49:00.000-06:00

(originally published December 9, 2006)

We have good news and bad news on tap this evening. The bad news is the fact that the Blues seem destined for another sub-standard season this year. The good news, of course, is that a poor record means the Blues will probably have another lottery pick this year, and could even end up with the first-overall pick for the second year in a row.

The better news is that, even though this draft isn't considered particularly flush with first-line talent, the few blue-chip prospects that will be available are concentrated at the top of the draft. Here's a quick look at five players that the "Game Time" prospect department ranks as the best of the best right now. All statistics are as of December 8, 2006.

Jakub Voracek, RW, shoots L, 6’02, 190, born 08-15-89. Probably the consensus first-overall pick right now, Voracek has all the size, speed and skill necessary to be an impact player in the NHL. The first pick in last year's CHL Import Draft, Voracek has great offensive instincts and hockey sense, is a skilled passer and puckhandler, and is creative and tenacious in high-traffic areas in front of the net and in the slot. The native of Slany, Czech Republic was the NAPA Draft Prospect of the Month in the QMJHL for October, per the Canadian Hockey league website (www.chl.ca). Voracek spent the entire 2005-06 season with Kladno juniors (46 GP, 21-38-59, plus-17, 54) learning English and preparing to make the transition to North America.

International Scouting Services December 2006 Ranking: 1st
McKeen's Hockey Prospects Fall 2006 Ranking: 1st
NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Ranking (QMJHL): 7th

Current statistics: Halifax (QMJHL), 32 GP, 14-28-42, minus-12, 14 PIM, 6 PPG, 4 GWG

James van Riemsdyk, LW, shoots L, 6’03, 190, born 05-04-89. The native of Middletown, New Jersey is a player on the rise in the draft rankings, and was recently named to Team USA for the 2007 World Junior Championships to be held in Sweden starting December 26. Van Riemsdyk has a strong but sometimes-choppy skating stride, a long reach and good hands. His wrist shot is excellent, and he has a good slap shot as well. He has the size and strength to handle himself well in traffic. Van Riemsdyk was 26-16-42 with 62 PIM in 55 games for the USA U-17 team last year, and also saw time with the U-18 squad in 2005-06.

International Scouting Services December 2006 Ranking: 2nd
McKeen's Hockey Prospects Fall 2006 Ranking: 13th
NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Ranking (USNTDP): "A" Watch List Player

Current statistics: USA U-18 (USNTDP), 16 GP, 14-9-23, +/- NA, 20 PIM, 8 PPG, 2 GWG

Angelo Esposito, C, shoots L, 6'01, 185, born 02-20-89. For the last couple of season, Esposito was touted as the top player available for the 2007 Entry Draft. He's still very highly-ranked, and probably still at the top of more than one team's draft list, but players like Voracek and van Riemsdyk have caught up to, and possibly passed, the lanky teenager from Montreal. Skating is Esposito's best asset, with excellent top-end speed, an explosive first step, and first-class agility and lateral movement. Though not the biggest player out there, he is unafraid and doesn't back down from physical challenges. Esposito has top-notch hockey sense and is a better-than average passer and playmaker.

International Scouting Services December 2006 Ranking: 3rd
McKeen's Hockey Prospects Fall 2006 Ranking: 3rd
NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Ranking (QMJHL): 1st

Current statistics: Quebec (QMJHL), 29 GP, 15-36-51, plus-12, 41 PIM, 2 PPG, 1 GWG

Karl Alzner, D, shoots L, 6’02, 209, born 09-24-88. Alzner missed qualifying for the 2006 draft by a mere nine days, which makes him one of the older players available in 2007. Alzner is a big fan of Scott Niedermayer, and plays a similar game. Already showing signs of becoming one of the top blueliners in the 'Dub with his 2005-06 performance (4-20-24, plus-14, 28 PIM in 70 games), he has surpassed last year's scoring totals in only 33 games so far. Alzner is a smooth, composed blueliner who thrives on lots of playing time and has world-class hockey sense and instincts. He doesn't play a particularly physical game, but instead uses his positioning and skating skills to be effective on defense.

International Scouting Services December 2006 Ranking: 5th
McKeen's Hockey Prospects Fall 2006 Ranking: 4th
NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Ranking (WHL): 14th

Current statistics: Calgary (WHL), 33 GP, 5-23-28, plus-5, 20 PIM, 5 PPG, 0 GWG

Sam Gagner, C, shoots R, 5'11, 190, born 08-10-89. The son of former NHL great Dave Gagner, Sam has tremendous puckhandling skills and is an Adam Oates-class passer with incredible on-ice vision and patience, and the ability to thread the needle with a pass in traffic. A member of the London Knights juggernaut, Gagner sits third in Ontario League scoring right now, and can dictate the pace of the game when on the ice due to his passing and puckhandling ability. He also has the ability to make other players better, and is something of a power-play specialist. The chief knock on him is his choppy skating, but he skates well enough and fast enough to get the job done.

International Scouting Services December 2006 Ranking: 6th
McKeen's Hockey Prospects Fall 2006 Ranking: 6th
NHL Central Scouting Preliminary Ranking (OHL): 1st

Current statistics: London (OHL), 28 GP, 16-46-62, plus-15, 12 PIM, 8 PPG, 1 GWG

Other players to keep an eye on include Logan Couture (C/L, 6-00, 190, Ottawa/OHL, 18 GP, 7-15-22, -9, 8 PIM), James Petrecki (D/L, 6-03, 215, Omaha/USHL, 16 GP, 1-2-3, +1, 67 PIM), and Colton Gillies (C/L, 6-04, 195, Saskatoon/WHL, 24 GP, 4-9-13, -4, 26 PIM).

Until next time, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" articles and other prospect-related content on the "Future 'Notes" blog at http://futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- 'Hull' Of A Lot Of Potential For These Prospects

2006-12-10T15:35:00.000-06:00

(Originally published December 5, 2006)

Tonight, the Blues pay tribute to Brett Hull, the man, the myth, the legend...

For many Blues' fans, Hull is the reason why they are Blues' fans in the first place. For others, who grew up admiring the exploits of Bobby Hull, Brett is a chip off the old block. No matter which view one takes, however, it goes without saying that Brett Hull's importance to the Blues' franchise, and to the city of St. Louis, is very significant. Hull's record-setting goal totals in the late 80's and early 90's put St. Louis firmly on the hockey map, and perhaps the best Blues' team of all time -- the 1990-91 squad that was 47-22-11 for 105 points -- was powered by Hull's 86 goals and 131 points.

As much as his goal-scoring touch, it was Hull's off-ice charisma, and his electrifying presence on the ice, that packed both the old Arena and the new Kiel/Savvis/Scottrade Center. Tonight, as the Blues honor Brett Hull by raising his #16 to the rafters, we'll look at three players at different stages of development (minor pro, US college, and Europe) who have the potential to become a home-grown Brett Hull for this franchise. All current statistics are as of December 4, 2006.

Konstantin Zakharov (Peoria, AHL): There are some physical similarities, as Hull was listed at 5'11, 203 pounds, and Zakharov is listed at 6'01, 195 pounds. Also, like Hull, Zakharov was a prolific junior scorer. As a 19-year-old, Hull exploded for 105 goals in 56 games with Penticton of the BC Junior League. Zakharov didn't quite hit those totals, but at age 18 managed 33 goals in 55 games at a higher junior level, with Moncton of the QMJHL.

Both players are snipers first, although Hull's passing ability was somewhat underrated due to the emphasis placed on his lofty goal-scoring totals. Both are also perimeter players, in that they prefer to stay out of the main traffic areas, but will go to the net for scoring chances on occasion. Both have adequate size to play a more physical game, but tend to stay away from that style of play. Zakharov will, however, throw a check more often and more effectively than Hull did, and Zakharov has developed into a much more defensively-aware player than Hull was.

Zakharov's a handsome devil, but doesn't yet have the charisma, the "it" factor that made Hull such a phenomenon in St. Louis. He's only 21, however, and time is on his side if he can continue to round out his game, and learn to play at both ends without sacrificing his offensive creativity.

** Zakharov at age 21: Currently 12 GP, 3-1-4, 10 PIM.
** Hull at age 21 (1985-86): Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA), 42 GP, 52-32-84, 46 PIM.

T.J. Oshie (North Dakota, WCHA): At first glance, there would seem to be more differences than similarities between Oshie, a center, and Hull, a right wing. Oshie, at 5-10, 180 pounds, is a little smaller that Hull was, and as a center, Oshie is a more accomplished passer and playmaker than Hull was.

Where the two players are similar, however, is in their desire to be the absolute best they can be, and in their shot. Like Hull, Oshie has a cannon of a shot and also has a very heavy and deceptive wrist shot. Also like Hull, Oshie is adept at getting his shot off quickly and at any moment, from any point in the offensive zone. Hull was taught a work ethic by Brian Sutter, one of the absolute masters of that particular aspect of athletic prowess; Oshie has an innate, natural ability to push himself to excel, and to exceed expectations at every turn.

The two also share the WCHA as a coming-out party for their skills, Hull with the Bulldogs of Minnesota-Duluth, and Oshie with the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota, where he was 24-21-45 in 44 games as a freshman last year. Finally, both players have an electrifying presence on the ice, one that brings people out of their seats in anticipation of the next move. It remains to be seen whether Oshie has the same off-ice charisma as Hull, but that may come as the on-ice accomplishments continue to mount and Oshie continues his climb to the NHL.

** Oshie at age 19 (he'll be 20 on December 23): Currently 14 GP, 3-8-11, 8 PIM.
** Hull at age 20 (1984-85): Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA), 42 GP, 32-28-60, 24 PIM.

Juhamatti Aaltonen (Oulu Kärpät, Finland): The native of Ii, Finland shares more characteristics with Hull than either Oshie or Zakharov. Hull was a late-round draft pick (6th round, 117th overall in 1984) as was Aaltonen (9th round, 284th overall in 2003). Both are right-hand shots who play the right wing. Both gained notoriety as goal-scorers in junior (Aaltonen scored 76 goals in 97 games over three seasons in the Finnish junior league). And both are players who have had their work ethic and intensity questioned in the past.

Hull overcame those questions, and carved out a 19-year Hall of Fame NHL career. Aaltonen is still a work in progress, but he's making strides in his second season as a regular in the tough elite league in Finland. Aaltonen was asked last season to contribute offensively after Kärpät lost their scoring leader from 2004-05, and he responded with a solid rookie season of 13 goals and 25 points in 50 games. He's stepped up to the plate again offensively this year, has made great strides in improving his defensive awareness as well, and word out of Finland is that he's starting to develop the sort of "what-will-he-do-next" on-ice presence that sets the top scorers apart.

** Aaltonen at age 21: Currently 29 GP, 8-12-20, 34 PIM.
** Hull at age 21 (1985-86): Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA), 42 GP, 52-32-84, 46 PIM.

In the next issue of "Game Time," we'll take an early look at the 2007 Entry Draft, with some thoughts on players who may become "Tomorrow's Blues." Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember -- "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The System: Spare Parts And Options

2006-12-10T15:32:00.000-06:00

(originally posted November 30, 2006)

Like any good system or piece of machinery, the Blues' development system has spare parts that are kept on the shelf in case of dire need. These may be parts that are a little worn out or out-of-date, but still serviceable... or they may be parts that might not be designed exactly for the current system, but could possibly be modified to fit in. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the NHL Guide and Record Book 2007, or from various team websites, and all statistics are as of Tuesday, November 28.

Joel Perrault, C, shoots R, 6'01, 197, born 04-06-83. Recently acquired by the Blues on waivers from Phoenix, Perrault is still finding his way in the Blues' organization. He's described as a player with a nose for the net, and as a good team player, but he needs to develop his strength and tenacity on the puck in order to really stick at the NHL level. As a center, he'd be a Godsend for Peoria right now, but the NHL's waiver rules make it a risk for him to be reassigned long-term to Peoria, as Phoenix would very likely reclaim him.

Perrault didn't exactly get off to a flying start in his Bluenote career, as he was torched for a minus-3 in the disastrous 4-2 home loss to Columbus on November 9. He's been scratched for the Blues' last three contests, prompting speculation that his time in the organization may be coming to an end anyway. He's scoreless with a minus-4 in seven games with the Blues, and was 1-1-2 with a minus-2 and 8 PIM in nine games with Phoenix. During a two-game conditioning assignment to Peoria in early November, he was 0-2-2 with a minus-2 and seven PIM.

Trent Whitfield, C, shoots L, 5’11, 204, born 06-17-77. You can't really call Whitfield a "journeyman," since the Blues are only the second NHL organization he's ever played for (Washington being the other). He's bounced between the NHL and AHL every year since 2000, always being a first-line offensive threat in the AHL but not quite able to translate that success into scoring-line duty in the NHL.

At 29 years old, Whitfield isn't exactly a prospect any longer, but he is the sort of very useful veteran that you can assign to your minor-league affiliate as a scorer and a leader, and also be able to count on for limited stretches as a callup. That's exactly the role that the Estevan, Saskatchewan native has filled with the Blues since being signed as a free agent in 2005, the same role that Jamie Rivers was signed in the past off-season to fill on the defensive side. Injuries on the blue line have kept Rivers in St. Louis instead of Peoria, where he was intended to go, and a shortage of centers has kept Whitfield down on the farm, where he's currently 10-10-20 with a minus-2 and 22 PIM in 19 games.

Perrault and Whitfield are under contract to the Blues, for now. There are, however, other players in Peoria who are under contract to the Rivermen and not the Blues, but who hope to catch the eye of Blues' pro scouts and earn a roster spot and contract with the big team. That's the route that Curtis Sanford and Mike Glumac took to become members of the Blues' organization; here's a quick look at three players who hope to follow in their footsteps.

Kevin Croxton, F, shoots R, 6’03, 200, born 09-08-82. Croxton is a big kid from Calgary, and comes to the AHL following a stellar four-year career at Rensselaer (ECAC), where he was nearly a point-per-game player (57-86-143 in 147 games played) and a team leader. 27 of his career 57 goals were power-play tallies, and he scored the game-winner in ten of the Engineers' 62 total wins during his NCAA career. With Camrose of the Alberta Junior League in 2001-02, Croxton put up 38-48-86 totals and 42 PIM in 62 games while leading the Kodiaks to the Royal Bank Cup, the Canadian Junior "A" championship. He was invited to play for the Blues' entry in the Traverse City Prospect Tournament earlier this year, and won a contract offer from Peoria based on his play there. He's spent most of this year in Alaska, where he's 7-2-9 with a plus-4 and two minutes in penalty time over 12 games.

Charles Linglet, LW, shoots L, 6’02, 212, born 06-22-1982. The Montreal native spent his first two pro seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05) toiling for Alaska in the ECHL, where he had very respectable 48-69-117 totals, with 105 PIM, in 134 games. His performance there earned him a look in Peoria last season, and he made the most of it with 14 goals and 21 points in 38 games for the Rivermen. Linglet has always been a scoring threat, going back to his days as a top gun in the offense-minded QMJHL (108-152-260 and 143 PIM in 253 games for Baie-Comeau over four seasons), and he currently sits in third place in the Peoria scoring race, with 8-4-12 totals in 17 games, to go along with six minutes in penalties, a plus-1 mark, three power-play goals and a game-winner in Grand Rapids on November 17th.

Ryan MacMurchy, RW, shoots R, 6’02, 207, born 04-27-83. Unlike the other players in tonight's report, MacMurchy was actually drafted by the Blues (284th overall in 2002), but failed to earn a contract offer after a solid four-year career with the University of Wisconsin (WCHA), where he was a big part of a national championship winner last season. MacMurchy, like Croxton, was invited to play for the Blues in Traverse City, and earned a contract offer from Peoria after his performance there. At Wisconsin, MacMurchy was a physical, inspirational leader who also was able to chip in the odd goal (44-66-110 with a whopping 342 PIM in 172 games over four seasons), but the Regina native is still finding his niche at the AHL level. He does have one goal in four games played thus far, a game-winner vs. Iowa on November 5.

In the next issue of "Game Time," we'll pay tribute to Brett Hull by focusing on a few prospects hoping in the near future to take a run at his lofty scoring totals in a Bluenote. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember -- "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The System From Aaltonen To Zakharov, Part Seven

2006-12-10T14:47:00.000-06:00

(originally published November 28, 2006)

After several weeks, we've come to the end of our annual journey through the Blues' system from A to Z. We have one collegian, and four minor pros on tonight's menu. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the Blues’ website, and all statistics are as of Saturday, November 25.

Mike Stuart, F/D, shoots R, 6’00, 194, born 08-31-80. Originally drafted by Nashville in 2000, the Blues signed Stuart as a free agent in 2002 after a collegiate career at Colorado College where he was 8-39-47 with 152 PIM in 140 games over four seasons.

Stuart comes from a hockey family; he has a younger brother following in his footsteps at CC, another brother with the Chicago Wolves, a sister playing at Boston College, and his father is a doctor and the chief medical officer for USA Hockey. He has been a fixture on the blueline at the AHL level for the last few years, and is a versatile player who can play forward or defense. He hasn't scored yet this year, but has six assists and 16 PIM in 19 games for the Rivermen. Stuart has had two cups of coffee with the Blues in past seasons, and may get one again this year if the injury big keeps biting the St. Louis blueline.

Ryan Turek, F/D, shoots R, 5’11, 170, born 09-22-87. Another player who is equally adept at defense or forward, Turek (no relation to former Blues' goaltender Roman) was the Blues' 4th round pick (94th overall) in the 2006 draft, and is currently playing at Michigan State (CCHA), where he is scoreless with a minus-3 and 6 PIM in 11 games this far for the Spartans.

Turek, a swift skater with a hard-nosed attitude who is always first to the loose puck, enjoyed a nice junior career with Omaha of the USHL. 2005-06 was his breakout season, as he managed 17-11-28 scoring totals in 52 games, with a plus-2 and 71 PIM while also wearing the "C" for the Lancers. The Southfield, Michigan native was also named MVP of the 2006 USHL All-Star Game, and served as captain for bronze medalist Team USA in the 2006 Viking Cup. At 5'11, 170 pounds, he would have had a tough time cracking the "old" NHL, but the new rules and new emphasis on skating and speed make Turek a player to watch for the future.

Patrick Wellar, D, shoots L, 6’03, 210, born 12-04-1983. The big defenseman, originally drafted 77th overall by Washington in 2002 and signed as a free agent by the Blues in 2004, is just a few days shy of his 23rd birthday. That means time is still on his side, but he will need to start making a move pretty soon if he doesn't want to be pigeonholed as a career ECHL'er.

Wellar has yet to really stick in the American League, but he was a key factor in the Alaska Aces' march to the Kelly Cup championship last year. The Carrot River, SK native played in all 22 playoff games for Alaska, and chipped in two goals, four points, and 30 PIM during the Aces' run. This year, Wellar has seen action in a pair of games for Peoria, where he has no points, 2 PIM, and a minus-2. He's fared better in Alaska, where he has 13 games under his belt with a goal, an assist, 26 PIM and an even plus-minus.

Jeff Woywitka, D, shoots L, 6’02, 209, born 09-01-83. A big rawboned kid from western Canada, Woywitka has found himself in the middle of two big trades in his brief pro career. Originally drafted by Philadelphia 27th overall in 2001, Woywitka was traded to Edmonton in his rookie pro year, along with draft picks, in exchange for Mike Comrie. Then, prior to the 2005-06 season, Woywitka was part of the package that the Blues received in exchange for Chris Pronger.

The Vermillion, AB native has been arguably Peoria's top defenseman so far this year, with 0-8-8 totals, a minus-3, and 8 PIM in 15 games for the Rivermen. He's currently up with the Blues, and picked up an assist in his first game up (at Vancouver on Nov. 17). Woywitka will be a free agent after this season, so this is the right time for him to start establishing himself as a legitimate NHL player. Being back with the Blues, and getting regular ice time, will go a long way towards accomplishing that goal.

Konstantin Zakharov, RW, shoots R, 6’01, 185, born 05-02-85. It's a long way from Alaska to Peoria, and going by way of Belarus makes the journey longer still... but last year's character-building experience may have been just what this youngster needed to finally realize his enormous potential. Zakharov, the Blues' third-round choice (101st overall) in the 2003 draft, started the 2005-06 season as the odd man out in the Peoria lineup. Two weeks of inactivity later, he was assigned to Alaska, where he was unspectacular in an eight-game cup of coffee. Frustrated at the lack of playing time, Zakharov returned to Belarus and his father's Junost Minsk club, where he found his scoring touch again with 14-15-29 totals and 78 PIM in 36 games.

Though many had given him up for lost as a prospect for the Blues, Zakharov paid his own way to the prospect camp at St. Louis Mills in July, and has gone to Peoria this season with a better attitude about the development process and the AHL in general. He has recently found his game with a pair of goals in the last week (2-1-3, minus-1, 6 PIM in 9 games total), and he has re-emerged as a legitimate prospect for an organization that needs all the young scoring forwards it can find.

In the next issue of "Game Time," we'll take a quick look at some players who aren't "official" prospects, but could follow the same path to prospect status as Curtis Sanford and Mike Glumac have. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember -- "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The System From Aaltonen To Zakharov, Part Six

2006-12-10T14:41:00.000-06:00

(originally published November 25, 2006)

Continuing with our annual look at the Blues’ entire prospect development system, we have two Russians and a Swede on tap for tonight -- all youngsters who have been to North America and gone home, and a trio that could potentially make one heck of a forward line together. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the Blues’ website, and all statistics are as of Thursday, November 23.

Timofei Shishkanov, LW, shoots R, 6’01, 209, born 06-10-83. On the surface, Shishkanov seems to have all the size and skill necessary to be a real blue-chip prospect. He's enjoyed success as a junior player -- gold medals at the 2003 World Juniors and 2001 U-18 World Junior, and an appearance in the Memorial Cup with Quebec in 2003. The Muscovite also has gotten a taste of the NHL with the Blues, after coming over last season in the Mike Sillinger trade. He skates like the wind and is known to play aggressively and physical when needed.

So what's the problem? According to observers, Shishkanov still lacks elite hockey sense, the ability that world-class players have to make the right on-ice decisions in a split-second. There are also lingering questions about his desire to push himself to be the standout he has the potential to be. At the moment, he seems content to be a big fish in a small pond back home in Russia, where he's 5-4-9 with a minus-3 and 57 PIM in 25 games for Vityaz Chekov of the Superleague. It's really 50-50 whether the Blues will be able to entice him back, and probably will not be able to do so without a firm promise of an NHL roster spot.

Alexei Shkotov, RW, shoots L, 5’10, 161, born 06-22-84. Taken in the second round (48th overall) by the Blues in 2002, the Elektrostal native has yet to make a real impact in North America, opting instead to ply his trade in Mother Russia for the most part.

After a solid year in the Quebec League with Moncton and Quebec in 2003-04, Shkotov started the lockout season in Worcester and was 6-6-12 with a plus-1 and 18 PIM in 23 games. A questionable penalty call and an even more questionable suspension, however, soured Shkotov on North American hockey; he left for Russia in mid-season, and has been there with Mytische Khimik ever since. The Blues thought they would have Shkotov back in the minors this year, but family issues kept him in Russia, where he has now signed on with UFA Salavat Ulayev after a falling-out with Khimik management. In 16 games with Khimik and UFA this year, Shkotov is 2-4-6 with a plus-3 and 12 PIM.

Shkotov has made a few appearances in North America, at several Blues' camps, and has impressed onlookers with his skill level and speed. There's no question he has the wheels and the hands to be an NHL player; the sticking point seems to be his lack of will to pay his dues in the AHL. Unless he morphs into Alex Ovechkin overnight, or things change drastically on the Blues' roster, Shkotov isn't likely to be handed an NHL roster spot without facing up to the need to do his time in the AHL first.

Carl Söderberg, C, shoots L, 6'03, 198, born 10-12-85. When Söderberg was drafted by the Blues in the second round (49th overall) in 2004, much was made of the fact that he had grown up a fan of the Blues and Blues' legends Brett Hull and Brendan Shanahan. Now that he's had a couple of years to develop in Sweden, Söderberg is giving indications that he's ready to make his move towards being that kind of scoring threat for the Blues.

In 2005-06, Söderberg finished 11th in the Allsvenskan (Swedish division two) scoring race, piling up a point per game and chipping in with solid physical two-way play (15-24-39, plus-24, 45 PIM in 39 games) for his hometown IF Malmö Redhawks, helping lead them into the qualification round and move up to the Swedish Elite League for this season. Söderberg was on record as saying he'd like to play a year in his hometown with an SEL club, but he ended up signing with the Blues in the off-season and being assigned to Peoria. The youngster was apparently not keen on being sent to the American League, however, and opted to return home to Sweden, where he sat for about three weeks until an agreement could be worked out between the Blues and Malmö that would allow him to play. And play he has, leading his club in scoring with 7-7-14 totals in 14 games played. He's also a plus-3 with four PIM, and has three goals on the power play. He's taken his faceoff prowess to the next level as well, with a solid 152 wins in 281 faceoffs (54%) thus far.

Like the other young Euros in tonight's report, Söderberg wants to play in the NHL and seems content to stay at home until he can do so. The Blues will certainly make an effort to bring him back over next year, and since he does still have a contract with the team, and since he will have achieved his stated goal of playing in the SEL with the hometown team, perhaps the way to that return will be smoother.

We'll wrap up our trip through the Blues' system in our next report. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" articles, and other prospect-related content, on the "Future 'Notes" blog at http://futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Comparison of "Future 'Notes" Hot Lists to CSS Preliminary Rankings

2006-11-23T23:04:00.000-06:00

Here are the criteria used by “Future ‘Notes” to winnow through the extensive lists of draft-eligible players in order to create the “Hot Lists” for the Czech Republic, Finland, Slovakia, and Sweden.

Essentially:

1. Bigger is better than smaller.
2. Higher scoring totals are better than lower scoring totals.
3. Younger is better than older.
4. Higher plus/minus is better than lower.

Also, a center or defenseman with a right-handed shot was more likely to be chosen over a left-hander with comparable size or statistics.

The criteria were not necessarily applied in this order, so with the caveat that we don’t have the opportunity to see these players perform live, there were a number of instances where a bigger player with lesser scoring totals was chosen for the “Hot List” over smaller players with higher numbers, or where a younger player with a higher plus/minus was chosen over an older player with better scoring numbers.

Without further ado, then, here’s a look at how the “Future ‘Notes” Hot Lists compared to the Preliminary Rankings that NHL Central Scouting just put out.

Czech Republic: “Future ‘Notes” identified five of the 25 skaters on Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings (20%), including the CSS top Czech prospect, Vladimir Ruzicka (Slavia Praha, C/L, 6-01, 180). “Future ‘Notes” also identified three of the four Czech goaltenders on the CSS listing, including the number one (Tomas Vosvrda, Vitkovice, G/L, 6-03, 172) and number two (Marek Benda, Karlovy Vary, G/L, 5-11, 167).

Ruzicka’s primary assets are his hands, as in his ability to create offense, to make nifty passes, and win faceoffs. His downside is a lack of defensive awareness, but that’s a correctable flaw. Vosvrda, one of the youngest players who will be eligible for the 2007 draft (born 12 Sep 1989), is 12-6-0 with a 3.29 GAA and 90.15% save percentage for Vitkovice as of 22 November 2006.

Radim Ostrcil (Vsetin, D/L, 5-11, 198) was the highest-ranked player by CSS (2nd Czech) to not make the “Future ‘Notes” Hot List for the Czechs. He has offensive upside (2-5-7, plus-3, 41 PIM in 10 games as of 22 November), but is only an average skater and can be beaten one-on-one.

Overall, Central Scouting’s Czech list was composed of 12 defensemen (12/25 = 48%), four centers (4/25 = 16%), and nine wings (9/25 = 36%). The “Future ‘Notes” Hot List was made up of nine defensemen (9/30 = 30%), three centers (3/30 = 10%), four wings (4/30 = 13.33%), and 14 “forwards” (14/30 = 46.67%).

There were no Czech players ranked by Central Scouting who were not first-time draft eligible (born after 15 September 1988). "Future 'Notes" Czech Hot List included nine players who were draft-eligible in 2006, including D Marek Troncinsky, the 55th-ranked European player by CSS in 2006.

Finland: “Future ‘Notes” identified 12 of the 28 skaters on Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings (42.86%) and six of the top 11 skaters on the CSS list, including the CSS top Finnish prospect, Harri Ilvonen (Tappara, D/L, 6-03, 196) and the number two Finn (Lassi Kokkala, TPS Turku, C/L, 6-01, 189). “Future ‘Notes” also found the only Finnish goaltender on the CSS listing, Juha Metsola (Ilves, G/L, 5-07, 150).

Ilvonen has good size, and his offensive upside is evident in his 5-11-16 numbers through 17 games in the Finnish junior circuit. He’s also a plus-1, and has 14 minutes in penalty time (all minors). Metsola, like the other first-time draft-eligible Finnish goalies on our Hot List, is small at 5-07, 150, and his numbers are only average (6 GP, 2-3-0, 2.76 GAA, 89.76% save percentage) while playing behind Jarno Laitinen, who’s almost a full year older than Metsola.

The best draft-eligible goalie in Finland might just be a player who’s looking at his last go-round of draft eligibility. Antti Härmä of Blues Espoo is a January 1987 birthdate who was passed over in 2005 and 2006. He’s bigger than Metsola at 5-11, 185 pounds, and his numbers this year have been outstanding (18 GP, 12-3-0, 1.59 GAA, 93.32% save percentage).

Niklas Lucenius (Tappara, C/L, 6-00, 187) was the highest-ranked player by CSS (3rd Finn) to not make the “Future ‘Notes” Hot List for the Finns. He has offensive upside (7-4-11, plus-5, 14 PIM in 10 games as of 22 November) and is an excellent puckhandler, but his skating is suspect and his game can be too one-dimensional.

Overall, Central Scouting’s Finnish file was composed of 12 defensemen (12/28 = 42.86%), five centers (5/28 = 17.87%), and 11 wings (9/25 = 39.27%). The “Future ‘Notes” Hot List was made up of 12 defensemen (9/30 = 30%), no centers, five wings (5/30 = 16.67%), and 13 “forwards” (13/30 = 43.33%).

There were four Finnish players ranked by Central Scouting who were not first-time draft eligible; “Future Notes” had 12 players on the Finnish Hot List who were born before September 15, 1988. There were two players common to both lists; Nico Aaltonen of Lukko, and Jonne Virtanen of Sai Pa.

Slovakia: “Future ‘Notes” identified 13 of the 20 skaters on Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings (65%), and three of the top four skaters on the CSS list, including the CSS top Slovak prospect, Juraj Mikus (Dukla Trencin, D/L, 6-03, 176) and the number three Slovak (Ondrej Rusnak, Bratislava, W/L, 6-03, 176). “Future ‘Notes” also identified all three of the Slovak goaltenders who made the CSS listing, beginning with the top Slovak goalie in this age group, Tomas Hiadlovsky (Dukla Trencin, G/L, 6-01, 163).

Mikus has an NHL-sized frame, although some filling out may be necessary, and he seems to be especially proficient on the power play. Through 22 November, he was 3-11-14 in 21 games played, and 1-9-10 on the power play. He also has a shorthanded goal.

Rusnak is a smart player who has a presence in all three zones on the ice, but has some work to do with his skating. In 18 games played as of 22 November, Rusnak is a solid 6-10-16 with a plus-10 and 18 PIM. He contributes at even strength and on special teams, with two game-winners, two PPG, and a shorthanded goal.

In 12 games played through November 22, Hiadlovsky is 8-3-0 with two shutouts, a 2.08 GAA, and 92.14% save percentage. He's a poised and confident goaltender who stays square to the shooter and plays his angles well. Look for Hiadlovsky to represent the Slovaks in the U-18 tournament this year, as he did last season.

Martin Dulak (Spisska Nova Ves, D/L, 6-00, 183) was the highest-ranked player by CSS (2nd Slovak) to not make the “Future ‘Notes” Hot List. His offensive upside is limited, but he does play a solid physical game despite only average size (3-5-8, plus-18, 52 PIM in 21 games as of 22 November). Steady and unspectacular, Dulak is projected as a stay-at-home defensive defenseman.

Overall, Central Scouting’s Slovak list was composed of eight defensemen (8/20 = 40%), two centers (2/20 = 10%), and 10 wings (10/20 = 50%). The “Future ‘Notes” Hot List was made up of 11 defensemen (11/30 = 36.67%), six centers (6/30 = 20%), eight wings (8/30 = 26.67%), and five “forwards” (5/30 = 16.66%).

There were no Slovak players ranked by Central Scouting who were not first-time draft eligible; “Future Notes” had five players on the Slovak Hot List who were born before September 15, 1988, including the top three scorers in the Slovak junior league as of 22 November 2006: Richard Smotrila (Spisska Nova Ves, 03-14-88, LW/R, 5-11, 165, 23 GP, 16-20-36, 18 PIM, plus-16), Matej Cesik (Banska Bystrica, 06-26-88, F/L, 6-02, 176, 24 GP, 20-13-33, 65 PIM, plus-22) and Radovan Hubler (Spisska Nova Ves, 06-25-88, RW/L, 6-02, 183, 24 GP, 15-15-30, 34 PIM, plus-15).

Sweden: “Future ‘Notes” identified eight of the 30 skaters on Central Scouting’s preliminary rankings (26.67%), and four of the top five skaters on the CSS list, including the CSS top Swedish prospect, Mikael Backlund (Västerås, C/L, 6-00, 194) and the number two Swede, Joakim Andersson (Frölunda, C/L, 6-02, 198). “Future ‘Notes” also identified both of the Swedish goaltenders who made the CSS listing, Mark Owuya (Djurgården, G/L, 6-01, 191) and Christian Engstrand (Linköping, G/L, 5-11, 191).

Central Scouting ranked twelve Swedish players on this season's Preliminary Rankings who were draft-eligible in 2006, with D Kristofer Berglund (69th European in 2006) the highest-ranking repeater (6th Swede 2007 Preliminary). The "Future 'Notes" Hot List was geared towards first-time draft-eligible players, with only three 2006-eligible players ranked (none of whom appeared on the CSS listing). "Future 'Notes" correctly identified eight of the 18 first-time draft-eligible players on the Swedish compilation, a 44.44% percentage. Also, "Future 'Notes" identified the top Danish-born player on the CSS listing, Lars Eller (20 GP, 9-17-26, 24 PIM, plus 13), who is Andersson's teammate with Frölunda.

Backlund (1-2-3, 12 PIM, plus-1 in 11 GP with Västerås' Allsvenskan squad) has been ranked among the top 2007-eligible players since late last season, and is a solid two-way player with good offensive instincts and decent skating ability. His main weakness is a tendency to play more often outside of the main traffic areas, and he is inconsistent in his willingness to play along the boards.

Andersson (20 GP, 9-11-20, 38 PIM, plus-17) is a very good skater for a big man, and a playmaker with the ability to make crisp tape-to-tape passes. He is willing to help out defensively, but needs to improve his defensive awareness and intensity.

Owuya (5 GP, 0.60 GAA, 95.77% save percentage, three shutouts) has seen limited action behind Islanders' draftee Stefan Ridderwall, but is a butterfly goaltender with good fundamentals and focus, a good glove hand, and decent puckhandling ability.

Engstrand (15 GP, 1.66 GAA, 93.06% save percentage, two shutouts) is among the leaders in every measured statistical category in the J-20 Superelit league this year.

Niklas Torp, who has yet to appear for HV-71 this season, was the highest-ranked player by CSS (3rd Swede) to not make the “Future ‘Notes” Hot List. The 5-11, 191-pound left-shooting defenseman was 4-2-6 with 57 PIM in 13 games played with HV-71's U-18 squad last season, and 0-0-0 2with 34 PIM in seven games at the U-20 level.

Overall, Central Scouting’s Swedish list was composed of 13 defensemen (13/30 = 43.33%), six centers (6/30 = 20%), three wings (3/30 = 10%), and eight "forwards" (8/30 = 26.67%). The “Future ‘Notes” Hot List was made up of 11 defensemen (11/30 = 36.67%), eight centers (8/30 = 26.66%), and 11 wings (11/30 = 36.67%).

As noted above, Central Scouting ranked 12 Swedish players who were not first-time draft eligible, while “Future Notes” had three players on the Swedish Hot List who were born before September 15, 1988 -- Henrik Eriksson (HV-71, 02-07-88, RW/R, 5-11, 183, 18 GP, 12-10-22, 14 PIM, plus-9), David Laudius (Rögle, 08-05-88, LW/L, 6-00, 207, 23 GP, 14-13-27, 22 PIM, plus-8), and Viktor Sundström (Malmö, 08-12-88, RW/R, 6-01, 198, 21 GP, 3-3-6, 16 PIM, plus-4).

Two of the goaltenders on the "Future 'Notes" list were also 2006-eligible -- Jesper Backlund (Timrå, 04-16-88, G/L, 6-01, 165, 13 GP, 1.65 GAA, 92.34% save percentage, no shutouts) and Anders Lindbåck (Brynäs, 05-03-88, G/L, 6-05, 185, 19 GP, 1.60 GAA, 92.81% save percentage, five shutouts).

"Game Time" -- The System From Aaltonen to Zakharov, Part Five

2006-11-22T08:27:00.000-06:00

(originally published November 12, 2006)

Since yesterday was Veteran's Day, it seems appropriate that tonight's report includes one of the oldest and longest-serving prospects in the Blues' system. In all, we have three AHL players and two junior forwards on tonight's menu. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the Blues’ website, and all statistics are as of Friday, November 10.

Ryan Ramsay, C, shoots L, 5’11, 200, born 05-18-83. Signed as a free agent by the Blues in August of 2005 after a productive Ontario League junior career (283 points in 295 games over five seasons), Ramsay has developed into a top-notch grinder and sparkplug for the Blues in this, his third pro season. Last year, Ramsay set AHL career highs last year with 52 games played, 14 goals and 25 points, and also managed to tear up the ECHL for 17 games mid-season with Alaska (17 GP, 8-12-20, 30 PM). This season, the pride of Ajax, Ontario has a pair of goals in 11 games, to go with a minus-1 and 27 minutes in the sin bin.

Ryan Reaves, RW, shoots R, 6’02, 215, born 01-20-87. Like the veterans that we honored yesterday, and all year 'round, Ryan Reaves is a leader by example for the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL), where he wears an "A" and boldly goes where few men are willing to go on the ice. Reaves caught fire in mid-October, with a stretch of three consecutive games from 10/14 through 10/20 in which he scored a pair of goals in each game. He hasn't found the back of the net since then, but he has continued to stand up for his mates and play a physical, power forward style. In 20 games for the Wheat Kings thus far, Reaves has put up six goals and 14 points, with a plus-7 and 36 PIM, 12 of which came in Brandon's opening game (a fight, a slashing minor, and a major for checking from behind).

Andrew Sackrison, C, shoots L, 6’01, 178, born 11-12-87. Drafted by the Blues with the 124th overall selection in last June's Entry Draft, the skilled, swift-skating Minnesota native adds significant scoring potential to the Blues' system. Skating for his hometown St. Louis Park HS club last year, Sackrison lit up goaltenders in his league to the tune of 41 goals in 25 games. He attended the Blues' Prospect Camp this past summer, and is currently playing for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, where he's 1-6-7 with a minus-1 and seven PIM in ten games thus far. Sackrison will attend Minnesota State-Mankato, David Backes' alma mater, next season.

Marek Schwarz, G, catches R, 6’00, 180, born 04-01-86. Schwarz was the first member of the Blues' Recent First Round Picks Club, joining the organization with the 17th overall pick in 2004. His availability at that stage of the draft was something of a pleasant surprise for the Blues, and his presence in the organization was the kick-start needed to propel the system to a new level of prominence in the NHL. Born and raised in Mlada Boleslav, Czech Republic, Schwarz has been a prominent player on Czech junior teams for the last several years. In 2005 he backstopped his home country to a bronze medal in the U-20 World Junior Championships held in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In 2004, Schwarz was the top goaltender in the U-18 tournament, and led the Czechs to a bronze medal; he also played for the U-20 team at that level's World Junior Championship in Finland. Though not yet 21 years old, Schwarz already has extensive experience in the Czech elite league, and brings his skills to Peoria this year, where he's currently 4-1-0 with a 2.81 GAA and 90.2% save percentage in six games played.

Peter Sejna, LW, shoots L, 5’11, 198, born 10-05-79. Sejna, from Liptovsky Mikulas in Slovakia, recently celebrated his 27th birthday and the start of his fifth season in the Blues' organization. His first game in the organization was, of course, the "Patrick Roy game" in April of 2003, where he scored a highlight-reel goal against the sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, and Sejna has been trying ever since to live up to the high expectations set by that single, shining moment. As he showed then, and has shown in his college and AHL career, Sejna has the instincts and hands of a natural goal-scorer. What he seems to be lacking is the will to pay the price to put those instincts and hands to work at the NHL level. Until he gets that fire lit in his belly, if he ever does, he'll be a first-line AHL player and little else. Currently, Sejna is 3-3-6 in 11 games for Peoria, with 6 PIM and a team-worst minus-7.

In our next installment, we'll be looking at some more Russians, as well as one of the top young players in Sweden and a pair of Americans. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The System From Aaltonen to Zakharov, Part Four

2006-11-22T08:16:00.000-06:00

(originally published November 9, 2006)

"D" is the fourth letter of the alphabet, so it's fitting that this fourth installment of our annual look at the Blues’ system is heavy on defense prospects. In all, we have three AHL players, two Russians, a collegian, and a high school senior on tonight's menu. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the Blues’ website, and all statistics are as of Wednesday, November 8.

Aaron Mackenzie, D, shoots L, 6’00, 190, born 03-07-81. The Terrace Bay, Ontario native isn't the biggest or the fastest guy out there, but he has heart and leadership qualities that take a back seat to few in the Blues organization. What's more, he plays the kind of physical hard-hitting game that would be expected from a player four inches taller and thirty pounds heavier. Mackenzie finished a four-year career at Denver University with 19 goals, 54 assists, and 164 PIM in 157 games, and was the Pioneers' MVP and Best Defenseman, and WCHA co-Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He signed with the Blues as a free agent, and since turning pro in 2003-04, has become a fixture in the Blues' organizational defense corps. He's never been a big offensive contributor (0-2-2 with 26 PIM in 12 games this year), but his hard-nosed, no-nonsense game is bound to get him a cup of coffee soon at the NHL level if injuries continue to plague the Blues on defense.

Matthew McCollem, LW, shoots L, 6’00, 185, born 05-06-88. Taken in the sixth round (154th overall) by the Blues last summer, the Somerville, Massachusetts product will be playing his senior year at Belmont Hill School before moving on to Harvard for the 2007-08 campaign. Like Mackenzie, McCollem isn't the biggest player around, but loves to play a physical game, and his 48 PIM in 28 high-school games last year bears that out. He can also score a little, with 17 goals and 28 points last season. McCollem took part in the Blues' Prospect Camp in July, and impressed many observers with his speed, competitiveness, grit, and nose for the net. A little more growth and development, and the Blues could have another late-round steal on their hands.

Tomas Mojzis, D, shoots L, 6’00, 195, born 05-02-82. Acquired from Vancouver at last season's trade deadline, Mojzis was specifically requested by the Blues as a return for veteran Eric Weinrich. The lanky Czech has had a cup of coffee in the NHL, with Vancouver, and was playing well early in the pre-season. A bad game vs. the hated Blackhawks, however, wrote Mojzis' ticket to Peoria this year, where he will most likely remain until he regains the offensive touch he displayed in junior. He was 21-49-70 with 126 PIM in his last year of junior, and has been 20-53-73 with 154 PIM in 185 career AHL games over the three seasons prior to this one. Currently, Mojzis is 0-2-2 with a minus-3 and 24 PIM in 11 games for Peoria.

Nikita Nikitin, D, shoots L, 6’03, 178, born 06-16-86. Nikitin has come up in the system of Siberian club Avangard Omsk, and he's been a regular there since his draft year in 2004. Never a big goal scorer, Nikitin does have a good, hard shot, and that's contributed to his career high five assists so far this year. Long and lean at six-three, 178 pounds, Nikitin definitely needs to add some bulk; he does, however, like to throw around what height he has, as his 44 PIM in 21 games this season, and 70 in 76 career RSL games, will attest. Jarmo Kekalainen and Ville Siren were both high on Nikitin when he was drafted, so there's a better-than-even chance they'll lead an effort to get him signed and in Peoria next season.

T.J. Oshie, C, shoots R, 5’11, 181, born 12-23-86. In the last three seasons, the Blues have used their four first-round picks to reload their system with a quality prospect at every position. In 2006, the Blues used two picks to select a big center at 25th overall and a franchise defenseman at first overall. In 2005, the Blues went "off the board" with the 24th overall pick and selected an undersized, little-known forward from a small Minnesota high school. The "experts" scratched their heads then, but after T.J Oshie's dominant freshman season with WCHA powerhouse North Dakota (24-21-45, 33 PIM in 44 games), no one's wondering any more. This year, Oshie's having a bit of a sophomore slump, but is still among the Fighting Sioux' scoring leaders with 2-6-8 totals and four PIM in 10 games thus far.

Peoria Rivermen. The Blues’ primary affiliate and priority destination for prospect development, the Rivermen have been associated with the Blues for over two decades in the International League, ECHL, and now the American League.

Andrei Pervyshin, D, shoots L, 5’09, 165, born 02-02-85. Chosen by the Blues with the 253rd overall pick in 2003, Pervyshin has loads of talent and hockey sense. If he were three inches taller and thirty pounds heavier, the Blues would have moved heaven and earth to get him to North America by now. As it is, his play in the Russian Superleague over the last three seasons (7-13-20, plus-27, 56 PIM in 121 games) would probably earn him at least a spot in Peoria, but Pervyshin seems to have little interest in being a small fish in a big pond. He's 4-3-7 with a plus-13 and 24 PIM in 21 games this year with Ak Bars Kazan.

Roman Pola'k, D, shoots R, 6’01, 198, born 04-28-86. The Ostrava, Czech Republic native has quietly shot up the Blues' depth chart on defense, to the point where he opened his rookie pro season on the Blues' opening night lineup. His poise, physicality, and hockey sense have been praised by observers this year ever since an eye-opening Prospect Camp and performance at the Traverse City prospect tournament. Never a big offensive contributor (no points, no PIM, minus-1 in six games with the Blues), Pola'k has recently been sent down to Peoria where he will get quality minutes instead of the third-pairing time he was getting in St. Louis. He has become a very big part of a very bright future on defense for the Blues.

In our next installment, we'll be looking at some more Russians and AHLers, as well as forwards from the USHL and WHL, and the former first-rounder who may well be the Blues' goaltender of the future. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The System From Aaltonen to Zakharov, Part Three

2006-11-22T08:06:00.000-06:00

(originally published November 4, 2006)

All aboard the Trans-Europe Express for tonight's installment of our annual look at the Blues’ system. We'll make stops in Linköping, Vitkovice and Severstal tonight before finishing up in Peoria. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the Blues’ website, and all statistics are as of Thursday, November 2.

Jonas Junland, D, shoots L, 6’02, 198, born 11-15-87. The native of Linköping, Sweden was named Top Defenseman at the 2006 World Under-18 Tournament last season, and led the J20 Superelit (Swedish major junior) in defenseman scoring last year (17-23-40, 44 PIM in 32 games) despite missing the last two months of the season due to a shoulder injury. Junland reported to the Prospect Camp in July showing no ill effects from the injury, and after returning to Sweden for this season, quickly showed he's outgrown the junior league by posting 5-5-10 totals, with a plus-6 and 22 PIM, in only seven games with his hometown team. He's been playing recently for Linköping's senior squad in the SEL, and hasn't looked out of place with 0-2-2 totals, a plus-2, and 12 PIM in 13 games thus far. The 64th overall pick in 2006 could well be the dynamic offensive defenseman the Blues have long been looking to add to their system.

Tomas Kana, C, shoots R, 6’00, 202, born 11-29-87. Taken in the second round (31st overall) by the Blues in 2006, the native of Opava, Czech Republic remains a favorite of the "Game Time" prospect department despite the unexpected about-face he made this summer. Kana had reported to the Blues' Prospect Camp, and looked to be all set to report to Owen Sound of the OHL, the team that drafted him sixth overall in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. Instead, the gritty, two-way center is back in Vitkovice for another season (3-2-5 with 24 PIM in 20 games so far), advising the Blues through his agent that he had signed a contract with the Czech Extraliga club. The word is that the Blues don't consider his contract to be an insurmountable obstacle, and when Kana plays for the Czechs in the World Juniors in January, as he likely will, the Blues can speak with him personally and get a handle on his intentions for the near future.

Magnus Kahnberg, LW, shoots R, 6’02, 196, born 02-25-80. Acquired from Carolina at last year's trade deadline, in the Doug Weight loan, Kahnberg brings his nose for the net from the Swedish Elite League to Peoria for the 2006-07 campaign. In six full seasons with Frölunda of the Swedish Elite League, Kahnberg lit the lamp 102 times in 295 games, including a league-high 33 goals in 2003-04. He was also a plus-45 over the last three seasons in Sweden, but neither that stat nor the goal-scoring touch seem to have been packed in his suitcase when he came to Peoria. In ten games with the Rivermen, Kahnberg is 1-4-5 with 4 PIM and a minus-6. He has had a good attitude about starting his North American career in the AHL, and if he keeps working hard, his skill level merits an NHL shot at some point during this season.

D.J. King, LW, shoots L, 6’03, 230, born 01-27-84. After getting only about three minutes of ice time per game in his first six NHL appearances, the big winger from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan was reassigned to Peoria on October 23rd. Since then, King has appeared in two games for the Rivermen, racking up no points and nine minutes in the penalty box. The penalty box has been a familiar destination for King in his young pro career, with 338 minutes in two AHL seasons accumulated prior to this year. He has been effective as a role player in the AHL, with a respectable 11 goals and 25 points in his two pro seasons, but it's his size, toughness, and ability to use his fists that will get him a full-time job in the NHL. If he can continue to develop the ability to chip in the odd goal, that's what will keep him there.

Nikolai Lemtyugov, RW, shoots L, 6’00, 184, born 01-15-86. After coming up in the system of CSKA Moscow, and playing the last two years in the RSL for that team, the Blues' seventh-round pick (219th overall) in 2005 is playing for Severstal Cherepovets this season. The Miass, Russia native has 3-2-5 totals, with a plus-5 and 18 PIM in 18 games for Cherepovets thus far, and caught the attention of North American fans in the 2005 Canada/Russia Challenge with a goal, an assist, and 26 PIM in six games. He followed up that performance with a strong showing in the World Juniors last season, where he was 4-1-5 with a plus-4 mark in six games for Team Russia. A strong skater with a hard-nosed attitude, Lemtyugov is a player that the Blues will certainly make a strong effort to sign in the coming off-season.

Doug Lynch, D, shoots L, 6’03, 214, born 04-04-83. Acquired from Edmonton in the infamous Chris Pronger trade, Lynch has developed into a solid stay-at-home blueliner with strong leadership ability. As a rookie with the Oiler organization in 2003-04, Lynch put up 11-25-36 numbers with a plus-10 mark and 77 PIM in 74 AHL games. He has never come back to those kinds of numbers on offense, but the potential is still there, and at age 23, he has time on his side for a little while longer. Lynch appeared in 29 games for Peoria last season, and only eight regular-season games for Alaska of the ECHL, but he was a key component of Alaska's march through the Kelly Cup playoffs. A steadying influence on a young defense, Lynch was 0-4-4 with 10 PIM in 22 games as the Aces captured the ECHL championship. Currently, Lynch is 0-1-1 with a minus-1 and 17 PIM in nine games for Peoria.

Konstantin Barulin update: The "Game Time" prospect department has finally located a website that has updated Russian Superleague stats. According to Russian Hockey Digest (www.rushockey.com), Barulin has played three games (129:05) with Khimik Voskresensk, and has allowed four goals on 54 shots against for a sterling 1.86 GAA and 92.6% save percentage.

In our next installment, we'll be looking at some more Russians and AHLers, as well as possibly the Blues' top offensive prospect. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The System From Aaltonen to Zakharov, Part Two

2006-11-22T07:07:00.000-06:00

(originally published November 2, 2006)

Continuing with our annual look at the Blues’ entire prospect development system, we have three AHL players, three Western League (major junior) players, two Swedes, and a collegian on tonight's menu. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the Blues’ website, and all statistics are as of Tuesday, October 31.

Jon DiSalvatore, RW, shoots R, 6’01, 200, born 03-30-81. Acquired by the Blues as a free agent (from San Jose) in 2004, DiSalvatore has become a fixture at the top of the Blues' farm club scoring leader boards. He reached career highs in goals (22), assists (45), and points (67) last season, and is currently second on the Rivermen with 4-5-9 totals, a plus-3, and 10 PIM in 10 games. The native of Bangor, Maine and Providence College product got a five-game cup of coffee with the Blues last year, and seems poised to make an appearance on the NHL roster again this year.

Nicholas Drazenovic, C, shoots L, 6’00, 172, born 01-14-87. Recently selected to compete for Team WHL in the 2006 Canada/Russia Challenge, Drazenovic has a lot of things going for him. He's an excellent skater with a scorer's touch (career high 30-33-63 totals last year), and his speed makes him an effective forechecker in the Jamal Mayers mold. Drazenovic could stand to bulk up a little, however, and his scoring touch failed him in last year's playoffs for Prince George, where he was held pointless with a minus-6 mark in five games. He's struggling a little offensively, and in the plus/minus area, again this year, with 1-4-5 totals and a minus-6 in 10 games.

Zack FitzGerald, D, shoots L, 6’02, 210, born 06-16-85. The native of Two Harbors, Minnesota, is not an offensive powerhouse by any means... but he certainly qualifies as a physical one. A punishing hitter and willing scrapper, FitzGerald has no points in 10 games for Peoria this year, but leads the club with 36 minutes in the sin bin. As a rookie last year, he spilt time between Alaska (ECHL) and Peoria, and racked up four points and 125 penalty minutes in only 25 games played at both levels. There's still a need to develop some consistency, but his physical play should get him a look at the NHL level before too much more time passes.

David Fredriksson, RW, shoots L, 6’02, 216, born 10-04-85. A physical, hard-hitting Swede drafted in the seventh round (211th overall) by the Blues in 2004, Fredriksson is a long shot to make the NHL at this point. He has demonstrated some scoring ability (5 G, 9 points in 37 games last season) at the Swedish Elite level, but it's his grit and toughness that will get him a shot. Currently, Fredriksson is 0-1-1 in 10 games for an HV-71 squad that sits at .500 in the SEL with a 8-4-4 mark, and eyewitnesses report that he's not getting as much playing time as he did last year. A move to North America is a must in the very near future if Fredriksson hopes to ever see the NHL.

Mike Gauthier, D, shoots R, 6’03, 185, born 03-26-87. Long, lean, and lanky, you can add one more "l" word to Gauthier's resume... lion-hearted. The stay-at-home defender is gaining a reputation as a fighter in the double-tough Western League, and his offensive game is developing nicely as well. He's made his mark with 459 minutes in penalty time through 178 career WHL games (65 in 14 games this season), but he also set career scoring highs last year (4-8-12). This year, Gauthier's 1-4-5 mark through 14 games has him on pace to eclipse those numbers, and his solid showing at the July Rookie Camp leads to the conclusion that he'll be turning pro after this season.

Mike Glumac, RW, shoots R, 6’02, 200, born 04-05-80. Glumac's career to date is a testimonial to the value of hard work. After four solid but unspectacular college seasons at Miami of Ohio, Glumac turned pro with Pee Dee of the ECHL in 2002, and his 37-32-69 totals there got him a shot with the Blues' farm team in Worcester for 2003-04. That year, he led the Ice Cats in scoring with 28-26-54 totals in 80 games, and was a plus-14. An injury-plagued 2004-05 followed, but his 2003-04 numbers, and his tenacity, got him an NHL shot last year. He made the most of it with 7-5-12 totals and 33 PIM in 33 games, was one of the last cuts from the NHL roster after this year's training camp, and is currently 3-5-8 with a plus-1 and 30 PIM in 10 games for Peoria.

Alexander Hellström, D, shoots L, 6’02, 207, born 04-17-87. The native of Falun, Sweden was eligible for the NHL Entry Draft in 2005, but not chosen due to concerns about his skating and development. Those questions were answered to the satisfaction of the Blues' scouts, especially European scout Ville Siren, who noted that Hellström "competes like hell, every shift," and the Blues chose the stay-at-home blueliner with the 184th pick in the 2006 Entry Draft. This is Hellström's third season with the Allsvenskan (second division) club in Björklöven, and his two points (both assists) in ten games have doubled his Swedish career point totals to date. Hellström participated in the Blues' Rookie Camp in July, and further North American appearances seem likely in the near future.

Scott Jackson, D, shoots L, 6’04, 213, born 02-05-87. The second of the Blues' prospects to be named to Team WHL for the Canada/Russia Challenge games, Jackson is rebounding from what some considered a disappointing showing at the Blues' summer Prospect Camp, and in the Traverse City Prospect Tournament. After setting career highs in assists (23,) points (26,) and PIM (48) last season, Jackson reported to the Prospect Camp in July and was unspectacular; not bad, certainly, but not outstanding, and definitely not looking like the Number Two defense prospect in the system. Back for his fourth year in Seattle, Jackson hasn't found the back of net as yet, but his six assists and 10 PIM in 13 games put him on pace to set new career high-water marks in those categories.

Erik Johnson, D, shoots R, 6’04, 222, born 03-21-88. Simply stated (to steal a line from John Hadley), The Franchise. The big kid known as "EJ" was the consensus choice for last year's first-overall pick, and the Blues were only too happy to add his talents to their growing and impressive stable of defense prospects. Johnson's presence in the system, in fact, is a large part of the reason why the Blues' developmental system, long maligned by the "experts," is now getting some long-overdue attention as one of the better organizations in the NHL. Johnson kept his word to the coaching staff at the University of Minnesota, and is currently enjoying an excellent freshman season (7 GP, 1-6-7, plus-7, 10 PIM) with the Gophers, with an eye towards playing in the NHL as early as next season.

In our next installment, we'll be looking at three Euros and three AHLers (one European). Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember... "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- The System From Aaltonen to Zakharov, Part One

2006-11-09T23:55:00.000-06:00

[originally published October 30, 2006)

It’s time once again for our annual look at the Blues’ entire prospect development system, from one end of the alphabet to the other. The starting point (Juhamatti Aaltonen) and ending point (Konstantin Zakharov) are the same this season as last, but there have been quite a number of changes in the middle.

This installment is brought to you by the letter "B," as no fewer than eight of the prospects we’ll be looking at tonight have names beginning with that letter; five of those are goaltenders. All personal data (height, weight, etc.) is taken from the Blues’ website, and all statistics are as of Saturday, October 28.

Juhamatti Aaltonen, RW, shoots R, 5’11, 163, born 06-04-85. Taken in the ninth round by the Blues in 2003, the native of Ii, Finland has begun to look like a true steal at that point of the draft. The 21-year-old is in his second year as a regular in the SM-Liiga (Finnish elite league), and has put up 4-6-10 totals with a plus-2 mark and 14 PIM in 18 games with Oulu Kärpät thus far. Aaltonen’s skating and skill set make him a player that the Blues will likely try very hard to sign in the summer of 2007.

Alaska Aces. The Aces are the Blues’ East Coast League (ECHL) affiliate. Coach Davis Payne’s squad was the 2005-06 Kelly Cup champions, with Blues’ prospects Chris Beckford-Tseu and Doug Lynch playing big roles in Alaska’s march through the playoffs.

Viktor Alexandrov, RW, shoots L, 5’11, 183, born 12-28-85. Alexandrov is a highly-skilled player who has been a regular in the Russian Superleague since age 17. He is the son of former Soviet standout Boris Alexandrov, and the Aqtobe, Kazakhstan native has already nearly equaled last year’s point totals with a 1-8-9 mark (to go along with 14 PIM) in 15 games for SKA St. Petersburg.

Jason Bacashihua, G, catches L, 5’11, 175, born 09-20-82. The first of five goaltending prospects in tonight’s report, Bacashihua is a former first-round pick of the Dallas Stars (2001) and is a native of Garden City, Michigan. A quick and agile goaltender who can steal a game with an acrobatic save at a key moment, Bacashihua was recently assigned to Peoria in order to get some more playing time. His numbers there aren’t great at first glance (0-2-1, 2.95 GAA, 88.8% save percentage in three games), but time is still on the 24-year-old’s side at this point.

UPDATE: And it isn't pretty. Bacashihua was torched 7-1 by Houston on Saturday night (October 28, 2006), making 28 saves on 35 shots against. Yikes...

David Backes, RW, shoots R, 6’02, 200, born 05-01-84. The Minneapolis product left college after completing his junior season last year, and had an auspicious debut with Peoria to finish off the 2005-06 season. This year, the budding power forward is leading the Rivermen in goals with four, and has five points, a plus-1 mark, and 6 PIM in nine games. Loaded with native intelligence, leadership ability and hockey sense, Backes has worked to develop his skating, which was considered the only weak point in his game.

Konstantin Barulin, G, catches L, 6’02, 180, born 09-04-84. Since being chosen by the Blues with the 84th overall pick in 2003, Barulin has teased the team’s staff and fans alike with his talent, but the lack of news from Russian sources on Barulin’s play and intentions makes it difficult to get a read on him. He is under contract to Khimik Voskresensk of the Russian Superleague, but their website shows no statistics for him as of October 28, and www.russianprospects.com shows him having played one game for a Russian squad that is competing in various continental tournaments.

Chris Beckford-Tseu, G, catches L, 6’02, 201, born 06-22-84. Known around the Blues’ Internet message boards as "The Hyphenator," the Richmond Hill, Ontario native may find himself a victim of the numbers game this season, as the Blues’ goaltending prospect stable is filled to overflowing. After a spectacular season with Alaska last year, Beckford-Tseu was looking to get the bulk of playing time at AHL Peoria this year. The assignment of Bacashihua, and the emergence of Marek Schwarz, however, has left Beckford-Tseu with nowhere to play but back in Alaska for the time being.

Reto Berra, G, catches L, 6’04, 189, born 01-03-87. Eligible for the NHL Entry Draft in 2005, but not chosen, Berra was taken by the Blues with their fourth-round selection (106th overall) in 2006. The top Swiss goaltender in his age group, Berra is a mature and focused competitor, technically sound with a quick glove, and hard to beat down low. He's currently riding the bench in Zurich behind Finnish veteran Ari Sulander, and the most likely scenario is that he'll go to Zurich's "B" team for more playing time when their season starts next week.

Patrik Berglund, C, shoots L, 6'04, 187, born 06-02-88. The Blues liked Berglund well enough to trade up for him at the 2006 Entry Draft, sending their 30th and 77th overall picks to New Jersey for the right to take the big center at 25th overall. He played most of his draft year on the Allsvenskan (Swedish division II) team in his hometown of Västerås, and is currently their scoring leader with 6-5-11 totals and 12 PIM in 11 games. Berglund plans to play another two years in Sweden, but the Blues have until the summer of 2008 to get him signed.

Michal Birner, LW, shoots L, 6'00, 183, born 03-02-86. Another personal favorite of the "Game Time" prospects department, the native of Litomerice, Czech Republic is a gritty, hard-working player who also has a fairly high skill level. After a solid 2005-06 season in major junior (31-54-85, 91 PIM in 60 games for Saginaw), Birner has brought his game to Peoria, where he's currently 1-1-2 in five games. His goal was a game-winner vs. San Antonio during the season-opening home stand.

Ben Bishop, G, catches L, 6'05, 202, born 11-21-86. Depending on what source you believe, Bishop is either 6'05 or 6'07. Either way, he's huge, and is playing huge this year for the top-ranked University of Maine Black Bears. The Chaminade HS product is undefeated in five starts, and boasts a glittering 1.49 GAA and 94.4% save percentage. He first came to prominence with a phenomenal showing in Kelly Chase's charity game in 2005, and he's climbing the Blues' goaltending depth chart like King Kong.

In the next issue of "Game Time," we'll continue our "A to Z" review of the organization, staring with Jon DiSalvatore. Until then, check out archived "Tomorrow's Blues" columns and other prospect-related content at www.futurenotes.blogspot.com, and remember -- "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

2007 Entry Draft "Hot List" -- Sweden

2006-10-31T08:18:00.000-06:00

Players listed in alphabetical order. All statistics are as of 1 October 2006.

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS S
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
ANDERSSON, FREDRIK..... SWE JR SÖDERTÄLJE... 10-13-88 5-11 183 .C L
ANDERSSON, JOAKIM...... SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... 02-05-89 6-02 198 .C L
BACKLUND, MIKAEL....... SWE II VÄSTERÅS SR.. 03-17-89 6-00 185 .C L
BJUHR, ELIAS........... SWE JR MODO......... 10-17-88 5-10 176 RW L
BOSTRÖM, LINUS......... SWE JR BJÖRKLÖVEN... 09-28-88 6-01 194 LW L
BURSTRÖM, SIMON........ SWE JR LULEÅ........ 11-24-88 6-01 194 .D R
ELLER, LARS............ SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... 05-08-89 5-11 174 LW L
ERIKSSON, HENRIK....... SWE JR HV-71........ 02-07-88 5-11 183 RW R
ERIKSSON, LUKAS........ SWE JR HV-71........ 10-18-88 6-03 176 RW L
ERIXON, SEBASTIAN...... SWE JR TIMRÅ........ 09-12-89 5-10 172 .D L
GARTNER, ROBIN......... SWE JR HV-71........ 11-07-88 5-11 172 .D L
GÖTZ, MARCUS........... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... 07-31-89 6-03 180 .D L
HELLGREN, JENS......... SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... 03-06-89 6-03 176 .D L
HJALMARSSON, SIMON..... SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... 02-01-89 5-11 161 LW L
HOLMBERG, ANTON........ SWE JR LULEÅ........ 06-07-89 6-00 174 .C L
JOHANSSON, MIKAEL...... SWE JR HUDDINGE..... 01-27-89 6-03 178 .D R
LAUDIUS, DAVID......... SWE JR RÖGLE........ 08-05-88 6-00 207 LW L
LAURIDSON, OLIVER...... SWE JR LINKÖPING.... 03-24-89 6-04 202 .D R
LINDGREN, ANTON........ SWE JR SÖDERTÄLJE... 02-27-89 6-01 194 .D L
ORS, DENNIS............ SWE JR MORA......... 04-14-89 5-10 163 .C L
PERSSON, ANTON......... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... 01-04-89 5-10 180 .C R
PERSSON, MARTIN........ SWE JR LULEÅ........ 11-09-88 5-08 180 RW L
PETTERSSON, JOHAN...... SWE JR LULEÅ........ 08-06-89 5-10 180 .D R
ROXÄ, CARL............. SWE JR ALMTUNA...... 10-08-88 6-03 200 .D R
SJÖRÉN, ROBIN.......... SWE JR DJURGÅRDEN... 03-17-89 5-10 174 .C L
SKINNARS, JOHAN........ SWE JR LEKSAND...... 03-31-89 5-11 169 LW L
SUNDSTRÖM, VIKTOR...... SWE JR MALMÖ........ 08-12-88 6-01 198 RW R
SVÄRDSTRÖM, THOMAS..... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... 01-16-89 6-04 198 .D L
ULLSTRÖM, DAVID........ SWE JR HV-71........ 04-22-89 6-01 185 .C L
WAHLBERG, EMIL......... SWE JR VÄSTERÅS..... 09-19-88 6-01 194 LW L

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... GP GOL AST PTS +/- PIM
======================= ====== ============= == === === === === ===
ANDERSSON, FREDRIK..... SWE JR SÖDERTÄLJE... .5 ..5 ..1 ..6 + 1 .27
ANDERSSON, JOAKIM...... SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... .7 ..7 ..4 .11 + 8 .14
BACKLUND, MIKAEL....... SWE II VÄSTERÅS SR.. .3 ..0 ..1 ..1 - 1 ..4
BJUHR, ELIAS........... SWE JR MODO......... .6 ..1 ..4 ..5 + 6 .12
BOSTRÖM, LINUS......... SWE JR BJÖRKLÖVEN... .5 ..2 ..1 ..3 - 2 ..6
BURSTRÖM, SIMON........ SWE JR LULEÅ........ .6 ..0 ..1 ..1 + 0 .10
ELLER, LARS............ SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... .7 ..5 ..6 .11 + 5 ..4
ERIKSSON, HENRIK....... SWE JR HV-71........ .6 ..4 ..6 .10 + 4 ..4
ERIKSSON, LUKAS........ SWE JR HV-71........ .7 ..2 ..2 ..4 + 2 ..4
ERIXON, SEBASTIAN...... SWE JR TIMRÅ........ .6 ..3 ..1 ..4 + 2 ..2
GARTNER, ROBIN......... SWE JR HV-71........ .7 ..0 ..4 ..4 + 6 ..6
GÖTZ, MARCUS........... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... .6 ..3 ..0 ..3 + 1 .49
HELLGREN, JENS......... SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... .7 ..0 ..2 ..2 - 1 .10
HJALMARSSON, SIMON..... SWE JR FRÖLUNDA..... .7 ..8 ..5 .13 + 5 ..2
HOLMBERG, ANTON........ SWE JR LULEÅ........ .6 ..2 ..2 ..4 + 5 .33
JOHANSSON, MIKAEL...... SWE JR HUDDINGE..... .6 ..0 ..0 ..0 + 0 ..2
LAUDIUS, DAVID......... SWE JR RÖGLE........ .6 ..2 ..3 ..5 + 2 .16
LAURIDSON, OLIVER...... SWE JR LINKÖPING.... .5 ..0 ..0 ..0 + 0 ..4
LINDGREN, ANTON........ SWE JR SÖDERTÄLJE... .6 ..1 ..3 ..4 + 0 ..6
ORS, DENNIS............ SWE JR MORA......... .7 ..3 ..2 ..5 - 3 .24
PERSSON, ANTON......... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... .6 ..1 ..1 ..2 + 3 ..2
PERSSON, MARTIN........ SWE JR LULEÅ........ .6 ..3 ..3 ..6 + 2 ..4
PETTERSSON, JOHAN...... SWE JR LULEÅ........ .6 ..2 ..1 ..3 + 0 ..8
ROXÄ, CARL............. SWE JR ALMTUNA...... .7 ..0 ..0 ..0 - 1 .10
SJÖRÉN, ROBIN.......... SWE JR DJURGÅRDEN... .7 ..1 ..3 ..4 - 1 .10
SKINNARS, JOHAN........ SWE JR LEKSAND...... .7 ..7 ..1 ..8 + 0 ..6
SUNDSTRÖM, VIKTOR...... SWE JR MALMÖ........ .6 ..2 ..2 ..4 + 3 ..2
SVÄRDSTRÖM, THOMAS..... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... .6 ..0 ..1 ..1 + 0 ..6
ULLSTRÖM, DAVID........ SWE JR HV-71........ .7 ..3 ..2 ..5 + 2 ..4
WAHLBERG, EMIL......... SWE JR VÄSTERÅS..... .8 ..3 ..5 ..8 + 5 ..6

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS C
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
BACKLUND, JESPER....... SWE JR TIMRÅ........ 04-16-88 6-01 165 .G L
ENGSTRAND, CHRISTIAN... SWE JR LINKÖPING.... 11-08-88 6-00 194 .G L
LINDBÄCK, ANDERS....... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... 05-03-88 6-05 185 .G L
OWUYA, MARK............ SWE JR DJÜRGÅRDEN... 07-18-89 6-02 192 .G L
SÖDERSTRÖM, PETTER..... SWE JR TIMRÅ........ 06-01-89 5-09 163 .G L

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... GP MINS GA. GAAV SAV %
======================= ====== ============= == ==== === ==== =====
BACKLUND, JESPER....... SWE JR TIMRÅ........ .3 .150 ..4 1.60 0.936
ENGSTRAND, CHRISTIAN... SWE JR LINKÖPING.... .4 .240 ..3 0.75 0.966
LINDBÄCK, ANDERS....... SWE JR BRYNÄS....... .5 .298 ..9 1.81 0.918
OWUYA, MARK............ SWE JR DJÜRGÅRDEN... .1 ..60 ..1 1.00 0.900
SÖDERSTRÖM, PETTER..... SWE JR TIMRÅ........ .4 .210 .11 3.15 0.863

2007 Entry Draft "Hot List" -- Czech Republic

2006-10-27T13:41:00.000-05:00

Players listed in alphabetical order. All statistics are as of 1 October 2006.

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS S
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
BLAHA, TOMAS........... CZE JR PARDUBICE.... 09-30-88 6-01 198 .F L
BURIAN, VILEM.......... CZE JR JIHLAVA...... 08-16-88 6-03 194 .F L
CHALUPA, PETR.......... CZE JR OPAVA........ 11-22-88 6-01 185 .F L
DRTINA, MAREK.......... CZE JR PARDUBICE.... 05-06-89 6-05 165 .D R
FABIAN, MICHAL......... CZE JR VSETIN....... 06-07-89 6-00 172 .D R
GRIMM, RADIM........... CZE JR HAVIROV...... 12-02-88 6-03 187 .D L
HAJEK, TOMAS........... CZE JR C BUDEJOVICE. 04-16-89 6-01 183 LW L
HANZL, ROBIN........... CZE JR USTI N LABEM. 01-10-89 5-11 160 .F R
HERMAN, BOHUMIL........ CZE JR OPAVA........ 04-19-89 5-11 172 LW L
HOFFMANN, MATEJ........ CZE JR KLADNO....... 05-29-88 5-10 191 .F L
KOPIC, MIROSLAV........ CZE JR LIBEREC...... 01-22-89 5-09 176 .C L
KUDLACEK, JAN.......... CZE JR KOMETA BRNO.. 02-23-88 6-01 189 .D R
KUNDELA, MAREK......... CZE JR JIHLAVA...... 01-22-88 5-11 170 .F L
MACH, MARTIN........... CZE JR USTI N LABEM. 08-25-88 6-03 191 .F L
MATEJKA, JAN........... CZE JR ZLIN......... 12-12-88 6-02 194 .F R
NOVAK, KAREL........... CZE JR PLZEN........ 01-18-89 5-10 165 .F R
PLACHKY, JAN........... CZE JR OPAVA........ 11-13-88 5-10 180 .D R
PODEVSA, MARTIN........ CZE JR VSETIN....... 12-16-88 5-08 150 .D L
POSMYK, ONDREJ......... CZE JR JIHLAVA...... 09-01-89 6-04 205 .D L
RUZICKA, VLADIMIR...... CZE JR SLAVIA....... 02-17-89 6-01 187 .C L
RYBECKY, LUKAS......... CZE JR SPARTA....... 08-05-88 6-00 174 .C R
SLABA, JAN............. CZE JR SPARTA....... 04-18-89 6-00 172 .F R
TICHY, JOSEF........... CZE JR OPAVA........ 07-11-88 6-06 238 .D L
TRONCINSKY, MAREK...... CZE JR KLADNO....... 09-13-88 6-00 196 .D L
VACH, KAREL............ CZE JR LIBEREC...... 11-09-87 6-03 191 .F L
VALCHAR, RADIM......... CZE JR VITKOVICE.... 04-20-89 5-11 180 .F R
VALSKY, JAKUB.......... CZE JR KLADNO....... 09-07-88 6-01 202 RW L
VENKRBEC, MATOUS....... CZE JR OLOMOUC...... 05-11-89 6-02 176 .F R
VLASANEK, RADEK........ CZE JR OPAVA........ 08-14-89 6-03 207 RW R
VRDLOVEC, DANIEL....... CZE JR VSETIN....... 04-13-89 5-11 160 .F L

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... GP GOL AST PTS +/- PIM
======================= ====== ============= == === === === === ===
BLAHA, TOMAS........... CZE JR PARDUBICE.... .4 ..2 ..1 ..3 - 1 .29
BURIAN, VILEM.......... CZE JR JIHLAVA...... .6 ..3 ..3 ..6 + 0 ..6
CHALUPA, PETR.......... CZE JR OPAVA........ .7 ..5 ..5 .10 - 2 .20
DRTINA, MAREK.......... CZE JR PARDUBICE.... .8 ..0 ..0 ..0 + 1 .10
FABIAN, MICHAL......... CZE JR VSETIN....... .9 ..3 ..1 ..4 +10 .16
GRIMM, RADIM........... CZE JR HAVIROV...... .4 ..0 ..1 ..1 + 1 ..8
HAJEK, TOMAS........... CZE JR C BUDEJOVICE. .9 ..1 ..3 ..4 + 3 .10
HANZL, ROBIN........... CZE JR USTI N LABEM. .9 ..1 ..6 ..7 + 0 .14
HERMAN, BOHUMIL........ CZE JR OPAVA........ .5 ..3 ..4 ..7 + 1 .12
HOFFMANN, MATEJ........ CZE JR KLADNO....... .9 ..3 ..4 ..7 + 4 ..4
KOPIC, MIROSLAV........ CZE JR LIBEREC...... .9 ..8 ..5 .13 + 8 .12
KUDLACEK, JAN.......... CZE JR KOMETA BRNO.. .9 ..1 ..1 ..2 - 2 .26
KUNDELA, MAREK......... CZE JR JIHLAVA...... .5 ..2 ..5 ..7 + 2 .33
MACH, MARTIN........... CZE JR USTI N LABEM. .8 ..4 ..5 ..9 + 0 .16
MATEJKA, JAN........... CZE JR ZLIN......... .6 ..5 ..2 ..7 + 4 ..6
NOVAK, KAREL........... CZE JR PLZEN........ .7 ..2 ..3 ..5 + 5 ..8
PLACHKY, JAN........... CZE JR OPAVA........ .7 ..1 ..2 ..3 + 5 .26
PODEVSA, MARTIN........ CZE JR VSETIN....... .9 ..5 ..5 .10 + 7 .47
POSMYK, ONDREJ......... CZE JR JIHLAVA...... .5 ..0 ..0 ..0 - 4 ..6
RUZICKA, VLADIMIR...... CZE JR SLAVIA....... .7 ..5 ..3 ..8 + 1 .16
RYBECKY, LUKAS......... CZE JR SPARTA....... .9 ..6 ..6 .12 + 2 ..6
SLABA, JAN............. CZE JR SPARTA....... .9 ..3 ..1 ..4 + 3 .10
TICHY, JOSEF........... CZE JR OPAVA........ .8 ..0 ..2 ..2 + 4 .10
TRONCINSKY, MAREK...... CZE JR KLADNO....... .7 ..2 ..2 ..4 - 2 .55
VACH, KAREL............ CZE JR LIBEREC...... .9 ..8 ..8 .16 + 9 ..8
VALCHAR, RADIM......... CZE JR VITKOVICE.... .8 ..4 ..2 ..6 - 1 .16
VALSKY, JAKUB.......... CZE JR KLADNO....... .9 ..4 ..2 ..6 + 2 .10
VENKRBEC, MATOUS....... CZE JR OLOMOUC...... .9 ..2 ..3 ..5 - 3 ..4
VLASANEK, RADEK........ CZE JR OPAVA........ .8 ..5 ..9 .14 + 2 .12
VRDLOVEC, DANIEL....... CZE JR VSETIN....... .9 ..2 ..4 ..6 + 4 ..6

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS C
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
BENDA, MAREK........... CZE JR KARLOVY VARY. 05-21-89 5-11 172 .G L
BLAZICEK, ROBIN........ CZE JR LIBEREC...... 03-16-89 5-11 161 .G R
CIKANEK, LUKAS......... CZE JR KLADNO....... 01-09-88 6-02 196 .G L
MICHALEC, PAVEL........ CZE JR SPARTA....... 02-22-89 6-04 194 .G L
VOSVRDA, TOMAS......... CZE JR VITKOVICE.... 09-12-89 6-03 176 .G L

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... GP MINS GA. GAAV SAV %
======================= ====== ============= == ==== === ==== =====
BENDA, MAREK........... CZE JR KARLOVY VARY. .4 .224 .10 2.68 0.910
BLAZICEK, ROBIN........ CZE JR LIBEREC...... .4 .165 ..5 1.82 0.947
CIKANEK, LUKAS......... CZE JR KLADNO....... .9 .504 .22 2.62 0.908
MICHALEC, PAVEL........ CZE JR SPARTA....... .5 .265 .15 3.40 0.887
VOSVRDA, TOMAS......... CZE JR VITKOVICE.... .5 .300 .17 3.40 0.899

2007 Entry Draft "Hot List" -- Finland

2006-10-24T13:10:00.000-05:00

Players listed in alphabetical order. All statistics are as of 1 October 2006.

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS S
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
AALTONEN, NICO......... FIN JR LUKKO........ 06-15-88 5-11 189 .F L
FISCHER, MARIO......... FIN JR LUKKO........ 05-05-89 6-01 182 .F L
GAZUR, BORIS........... FIN JR KARPAT....... 05-16-89 6-06 216 .D L
HEIKKILÄ, ILKKA........ FIN JR JYP JYVASKYLA 07-01-88 5-11 183 LW L
HEINONEN, HENRI........ FIN JR JYP JYVASKYLA 09-21-88 6-02 202 .F L
HIRVONEN, PASI......... FIN JR KAL PA....... 11-04-88 6-03 200 .D R
ILVONEN, HARRI......... FIN JR TAPPARA...... 11-03-88 6-02 176 .D L
JÄRVINEN, JOONAS....... FIN JR TPS.......... 01-05-89 6-03 212 .D L
JYRKKIÖ, JESSE......... FIN JR ASSAT........ 06-29-89 5-11 165 .D R
KEMPPAINEN, JOONAS..... FIN JR ASSAT........ 04-07-88 6-02 207 LW L
KIVIHARJU, MATIAS...... FIN JR TAPPARA...... 01-23-89 6-00 179 .D R
KOKKALA, LASSI......... FIN JR TPS.......... 03-20-89 6-01 187 LW L
KOLJONEN, TIMO-PEKKA... FIN JR JYP JYVASKYLA 03-15-88 5-11 184 .D L
LAJUNEN, VILLE......... FIN JR BLUES........ 03-08-88 6-00 183 .D R
LIIVIK, SIIM........... FIN JR HIFK......... 02-14-88 6-00 176 .F L
LUUKKAINEN, MIKA....... FIN JR TPS.......... 10-24-88 6-03 209 .D L
NIEMI, MIKA............ FIN JR ASSAT........ 03-10-88 6-01 187 .F L
PALONEN, NIKO.......... FIN JR ASSAT........ 01-30-89 6-03 207 .F R
PAUNIO, MIKAEL......... FIN JR HIFK......... 08-21-89 6-00 169 LW L
PUROLINNA, JUHA-PETTERI FIN JR HIFK......... 07-11-88 6-02 172 .D L
PYLKÄS, MATTI.......... FIN JR KARPAT....... 06-01-88 6-04 198 .F L
RAHKOLA, MIRO.......... FIN JR ASSAT........ 10-10-88 6-00 176 .D L
RISKA, ERIK............ FIN JR BLUES........ 05-16-89 6-02 194 .F L
SALMINEN, SAKARI....... FIN JR ASSAT........ 05-31-88 5-10 154 .F R
SAVOLAINEN, JANI....... FIN JR KAL PA....... 10-05-88 5-11 183 .F R
SEPPONEN, AAPO......... FIN JR JOKERIT...... 01-26-88 6-04 185 .F L
SIIVONEN, HENRI........ FIN JR BLUES........ 10-06-87 6-04 198 .F R
SUMMA, IIRO............ FIN JR PELICANS..... 04-26-88 6-01 187 .D L
VAUHKONEN, OLAVI....... FIN JR JOKERIT...... 01-24-89 6-04 187 RW R
VIRTANEN, JONNE........ FIN JR SAI PA....... 03-13-88 6-06 234 .F L

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... GP GOL AST PTS +/- PIM
======================= ====== ============= == === === === === ===
AALTONEN, NICO......... FIN JR LUKKO........ .7 ..4 ..5 ..9 + 3 ..2
FISCHER, MARIO......... FIN JR LUKKO........ .6 ..0 ..2 ..2 + 0 .31
GAZUR, BORIS........... FIN JR KARPAT....... .2 ..0 ..0 ..0 - 1 ..0
HEIKKILÄ, ILKKA........ FIN JR JYP JYVASKYLA .6 ..0 ..5 ..5 + 1 .10
HEINONEN, HENRI........ FIN JR JYP JYVASKYLA .1 ..1 ..1 ..2 + 0 ..0
HIRVONEN, PASI......... FIN JR KAL PA....... .6 ..0 ..0 ..0 - 3 ..8
ILVONEN, HARRI......... FIN JR TAPPARA...... .5 ..2 ..4 ..6 + 4 ..4
JÄRVINEN, JOONAS....... FIN JR TPS.......... .5 ..0 ..1 ..1 - 1 ..4
JYRKKIÖ, JESSE......... FIN JR ASSAT........ .6 ..3 ..4 ..7 + 1 .12
KEMPPAINEN, JOONAS..... FIN JR ASSAT........ .4 ..3 ..5 ..8 + 5 ..4
KIVIHARJU, MATIAS...... FIN JR TAPPARA...... .6 ..1 ..2 ..3 + 3 ..0
KOKKALA, LASSI......... FIN JR TPS.......... .5 ..1 ..4 ..5 - 6 ..2
KOLJONEN, TIMO-PEKKA... FIN JR JYP JYVASKYLA .5 ..0 ..1 ..1 - 1 ..2
LAJUNEN, VILLE......... FIN JR BLUES........ .6 ..1 ..3 ..4 + 2 .18
LIIVIK, SIIM........... FIN JR HIFK......... .5 ..0 ..1 ..1 - 3 .22
LUUKKAINEN, MIKA....... FIN JR TPS.......... .5 ..3 ..1 ..4 + 0 .12
NIEMI, MIKA............ FIN JR ASSAT........ .6 ..2 ..6 ..8 + 0 ..8
PALONEN, NIKO.......... FIN JR ASSAT........ .6 ..1 ..3 ..4 + 1 .16
PAUNIO, MIKAEL......... FIN JR HIFK......... .5 ..5 ..2 ..7 + 4 ..6
PUROLINNA, JUHA-PETTERI FIN JR HIFK......... .5 ..1 ..5 ..6 + 0 ..4
PYLKÄS, MATTI.......... FIN JR KARPAT....... .5 ..0 ..3 ..3 + 2 .31
RAHKOLA, MIRO.......... FIN JR ASSAT........ .6 ..3 ..4 ..7 + 1 .12
RISKA, ERIK............ FIN JR BLUES........ .6 ..1 ..0 ..1 + 2 ..2
SALMINEN, SAKARI....... FIN JR ASSAT........ .5 ..6 ..6 .12 + 0 ..4
SAVOLAINEN, JANI....... FIN JR KAL PA....... .6 ..3 ..0 ..3 - 1 ..2
SEPPONEN, AAPO......... FIN JR JOKERIT...... .6 ..0 ..5 ..5 + 3 ..0
SIIVONEN, HENRI........ FIN JR BLUES........ .6 ..4 ..2 ..6 + 3 ..4
SUMMA, IIRO............ FIN JR PELICANS..... .6 ..0 ..4 ..4 + 4 ..6
VAUHKONEN, OLAVI....... FIN JR JOKERIT...... .4 ..3 ..0 ..3 + 0 ..0
VIRTANEN, JONNE........ FIN JR SAI PA....... .6 ..3 ..1 ..4 + 0 .22

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS C
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
ENGREN, ATTE........... FIN JR LUKKO........ 02-19-88 6-00 174 .G L
HÄRMÄ, ANTTI........... FIN JR BLUES........ 01-05-87 5-11 185 .G L
METSOLA, JUHA.......... FIN JR ILVES........ 02-24-89 5-09 150 .G L
OINONEN, JUUSO......... FIN JR HIFK......... 12-28-88 5-08 154 .G L
VIRTANEN, TOMMI........ FIN JR TPS.......... 03-04-89 5-09 154 .G L

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... GP MINS GA. GAAV SAV %
======================= ====== ============= == ==== === ==== =====
ENGREN, ATTE........... FIN JR LUKKO........ .7 .430 .24 3.35 0.904
HÄRMÄ, ANTTI........... FIN JR BLUES........ .5 .304 ..8 1.58 0.933
METSOLA, JUHA.......... FIN JR ILVES........ .1 ..60 ..1 1.00 0.955
OINONEN, JUUSO......... FIN JR HIFK......... .3 .180 ..9 3.00 0.907
VIRTANEN, TOMMI........ FIN JR TPS.......... .5 .303 .16 3.16 0.878

2007 Entry Draft "Hot List" -- Slovakia

2006-10-24T06:24:00.000-05:00

Players listed in alphabetical order. All statistics are as of 1 October 2006.

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS S
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
BABKOVIC, MICHAL....... SVK JR ZVOLEN....... 02-14-89 6-02 172 LW L
BACA, MARTIN........... SVK JR L MIKULAS.... 02-02-89 6-03 201 .D L
BEZAK, ADAM............ SVK JR BRATISLAVA... 07-04-89 5-10 172 .C R
BRANDIS, ROBERT........ SVK JR DUBNICA...... 09-27-88 ---- --- .F -
BREJCAK, JAN........... SVK JR POPRAD....... 06-29-89 6-04 187 .D L
BUTORA, BORIS.......... SVK JR TOPOLCANY.... 12-13-88 6-03 225 .D L
CESIK, MATEJ........... SVK JR B BYSTRICA... 06-26-88 6-02 176 .F L
CHOCHULA, DOMINIK...... SVK JR TOPOLCANY.... 10-26-88 6-00 160 .F L
CIZEK, PETER........... SVK JR KOSICE....... 06-11-88 5-10 165 .C R
FARKASOVSKY, BOHUSLAV.. SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 08-14-88 ---- --- LW L
FILO, MARTIN........... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 02-06-89 6-02 192 LW L
HARTMANN, EDUARD....... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 10-15-88 5-11 176 .F R
HORVATH, BRANISLAV..... SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 07-18-89 5-11 170 .D R
HÜBLER, RADOVAN........ SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 06-25-88 6-02 183 RW L
JANCOVIC, DALIMIR...... SVK JR MARTIN....... 01-28-89 6-00 170 .C L
KOPECKY, PETER......... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 01-19-89 6-02 174 .C L
MERTEL, MAREK.......... SVK JR NITRA........ 06-07-89 6-00 196 .C L
MIKUS, JURAJ........... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 11-30-88 6-03 183 .D L
MISURA, MATEJ.......... SVK JR TRNAVA....... 02-16-89 6-01 185 LW L
PEKAR, MAREK........... SVK JR SKALICA...... 03-25-89 6-02 183 .D R
PSOTNY, DUSAN.......... SVK JR TOPOLCANY.... 10-20-88 ---- --- .D -
ROJKOVIC, PETER........ SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 01-09-89 5-11 160 .D L
RUSNAK, ONDREJ......... SVK JR BRATISLAVA... 02-25-89 6-03 176 .C L
SATKA, JAKUB........... SVK JR DUBNICA...... 12-10-88 5-11 168 .F L
SIMO, ANDREJ........... SVK JR NITRA........ 11-20-88 6-01 192 .D L
SLOVAK, MAREK.......... SVK JR NITRA........ 09-23-88 5-09 155 RW L
SMOTRILA, RICHARD...... SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 03-14-88 5-11 165 LW R
VALABEK, RADOVAN....... SVK JR POPRAD....... 06-02-89 5-10 194 .D R
VYLETELKA, TOMAS....... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 07-04-89 6-00 170 LW L
ZACHAR, KAROL.......... SVK JR TRNAVA....... 06-05-89 6-00 185 .D L

NAME................... LEAGUE TEAM......... GP GOL AST PTS +/- PIM
======================= ====== ============= == === === === === ===
BABKOVIC, MICHAL....... SVK JR ZVOLEN....... 11 ..3 ..3 ..6 + 4 ..0
BACA, MARTIN........... SVK JR L MIKULAS.... 11 ..2 ..3 ..5 - 5 .18
BEZAK, ADAM............ SVK JR BRATISLAVA... 11 ..5 ..6 .11 + 9 ..6
BRANDIS, ROBERT........ SVK JR DUBNICA...... .7 ..4 ..3 ..7 - 9 ..8
BREJCAK, JAN........... SVK JR POPRAD....... 11 ..0 ..0 ..0 - 2 .14
BUTORA, BORIS.......... SVK JR TOPOLCANY.... .7 ..3 ..4 ..7 +12 .26
CESIK, MATEJ........... SVK JR B BYSTRICA... 11 ..9 ..5 .14 + 4 .22
CHOCHULA, DOMINIK...... SVK JR TOPOLCANY.... .7 .11 ..3 .14 +16 .16
CIZEK, PETER........... SVK JR KOSICE....... 11 ..3 ..5 ..8 - 1 ..8
FARKASOVSKY, BOHUSLAV.. SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES .5 ..4 ..6 .10 + 9 ..6
FILO, MARTIN........... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 11 ..3 ..6 ..9 + 8 .14
HARTMANN, EDUARD....... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 11 ..7 ..2 ..9 +11 ..2
HORVATH, BRANISLAV..... SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 10 ..0 ..2 ..2 + 5 .16
HÜBLER, RADOVAN........ SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 11 ..6 ..7 .13 + 3 .22
JANCOVIC, DALIMIR...... SVK JR MARTIN....... 10 ..3 ..0 ..3 - 5 .10
KOPECKY, PETER......... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 11 ..0 ..5 ..5 + 3 .12
MERTEL, MAREK.......... SVK JR NITRA........ 11 ..6 ..7 .13 +13 .10
MIKUS, JURAJ........... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 11 ..3 ..7 .10 +10 ..0
MISURA, MATEJ.......... SVK JR TRNAVA....... 10 ..4 ..5 ..9 + 3 ..0
PEKAR, MAREK........... SVK JR SKALICA...... 10 ..2 ..2 ..4 + 6 .10
PSOTNY, DUSAN.......... SVK JR TOPOLCANY.... .7 ..1 ..6 ..7 + 7 .26
ROJKOVIC, PETER........ SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 11 ..1 ..7 ..8 + 8 ..6
RUSNAK, ONDREJ......... SVK JR BRATISLAVA... .7 ..2 ..2 ..4 + 4 .16
SATKA, JAKUB........... SVK JR DUBNICA...... 11 ..3 ..7 .10 -17 .18
SIMO, ANDREJ........... SVK JR NITRA........ 11 ..1 ..4 ..5 +11 .53
SLOVAK, MAREK.......... SVK JR NITRA........ 11 ..8 ..8 .16 + 7 .12
SMOTRILA, RICHARD...... SVK JR SPIS NOVA VES 11 .10 .10 .20 + 8 ..6
VALABEK, RADOVAN....... SVK JR POPRAD....... .6 ..0 ..0 ..0 + 0 ..4
VYLETELKA, TOMAS....... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 11 ..4 ..4 ..8 + 5 .10
ZACHAR, KAROL.......... SVK JR TRNAVA....... .6 ..1 ..0 ..1 + 0 .14

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... BIRTHDAY HT.. WT. PS C
======================= ====== ============= ======== ==== === == =
ANDREANIN, MATUS....... SVK JR KOSICE....... 03-31-89 6-00 167 .G L
GLEVANAK, MILAN........ SVK JR POPRAD....... 10-31-88 5-09 183 .G L
HJADLOVSKY, TOMAS...... SVK JR TRENCIN...... 12-15-88 5-11 163 .G L
KOTVAN, ZDENKO......... SVK JR SKALICA...... 08-12-89 6-01 192 .G L
ZIMA, JAKUB............ SVK JR MARTIN....... 02-07-89 ---- --- .G L

NAME................... LEA... TEAM......... GP MINS GA. GAAV SAV %
======================= ====== ============= == ==== === ==== =====
ANDREANIN, MATUS....... SVK JR KOSICE....... .3 .180 ..8 2.67 0.926
GLEVANAK, MILAN........ SVK JR POPRAD....... 11 .618 .32 3.11 0.894
HJADLOVSKY, TOMAS...... SVK JR TRENCIN...... .4 .207 ..5 1.45 0.949
KOTVAN, ZDENKO......... SVK JR SKALICA...... 10 .587 .18 1.84 0.940
ZIMA, JAKUB............ SVK JR MARTIN....... .2 .120 ..3 1.50 0.954

"Game Time" -- Is There A Future Macinnis Among Blues' Defense Prospects?

2006-10-23T07:48:00.000-05:00

(Originally published April 9, 2006)

Tonight, the St. Louis Blues and their fans pay tribute to a true legend and a sure-fire Hall of Famer, raising the #2 of Al Macinnis to the Savvis Center rafters. Few players are more deserving of such an honor than "Chopper," even though much of his career was spent, and many of his greatest achievements made, in a Calgary Flames uniform. As we honor the passing of the old guard, however, the question arises: Is there a "new" Al Macinnis among the Blues' current crop of defense prospects? In this edition of "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll try to answer that question.

Trevor Byrne, 6'3", 210, 07 May 80, Peoria (AHL): Byrne has size, strength, durability and leadership ability in his favor. His offensive upside at the NHL level, however, is limited. Byrne has been in the system longer than any other current d-prospect (drafted in 1999), but it says something that he couldn't get so much as a cup of coffee with the Blues this year, even with all the injuries on the blueline. Byrne's time may well have come and gone.

Zack FitzGerald, 6'2", 210, 16 Jun 85, Peoria (AHL): When drafted, FitzGerald was touted as a young Scott Stevens. He certainly has the size and mindset to play the physical game like Stevens did, and he has shown leadership potential in junior and in this, his first pro season, but his offensive upside has yet to develop at the pro level. Comparisons to Al Macinnis are probably not in FitzGerald's future, but he certainly shows signs of becoming a solid NHL defenseman.

Mike Gauthier, 6'4", 185, 26 Mar 87, Prince Albert (WHL): Gauthier set personal highs in games played, goals, assists, points, and penalty minutes this season, but does not project to be an offensive threat at the pro level by any stretch of the imagination. Gauthier's forte is physical, stay-at-home defense, and if he can stay off the injured list, he can develop into a solid NHL third-pairing defenseman.

Scott Jackson, 6'4", 203, 05 Feb 87, Seattle (WHL): Jackson is a big kid with a very projectable frame, and his respectable assist totals indicate that he has a good, accurate point shot that teammates can redirect for goals on a regular basis. Jackson was the last Blues' prospect standing in the major junior playoffs, but his season was ended by Portland last Thursday night. He won't be a Macinnis-type scoring threat, but should eventually become a second-pairing defenseman for the Blues for a long time.

Robin Jonsson, 6'2", 184, 10 Dec 83, Färjestads (Swe): Jonsson is something of a wild card in the Macinnis replacement sweepstakes. He has decent size and some offensive skill, and his complete return from cancer three seasons ago leaves no question about his heart and character. The question in Jonsson's case is, does he have the "want-to" to come to North America and pay his dues in the AHL for a season? If the answer is yes, Jonsson could be a player to watch.

Doug Lynch, 6'3", 214, 04 Apr 83, Alaska (ECHL): As a rookie in Edmonton's system two years ago, Lynch had a very respectable season in both ends of the rink, and made the AHL's All-Rookie Team. He has regressed somewhat this season, and his point totals have decreased each year since his 11-25-36 rookie totals in 2003-04. Still, he is young enough at 23 to still have time to make an impact, and he has size and leadership ability in his favor.

Tomas Mojzis, 6'1", 192, 02 May 82, Peoria (AHL): The Czech native was an offensive threat in junior (42 goals, 142 points, plus-70, 350 PIM in 198 career WHL games), and his working his way towards similar numbers in the AHL. He will reach age 24 in a few weeks, so time is not his friend right now, but the Blues thought highly enough of him to request him specifically in the Eric Weinrich trade with Vancouver last month.

Nikita Nikitin, 6'3", 176, 16 Jun 86, Avangard Omsk (Rus): Blues' chief scout Jarmo Kekalainen, and European scout Ville Siren, gushed about this kid when the Blues drafted him in the fifth round in 2004, praising his talent level as worthy of a much higher pick. He has become a regular in the Russian Superleague at age 19, which says something about his talent, but getting players out of Russia these days is like trying to carry water in a fishnet, and getting up-to-date information about their progress is even harder.

Andrei Pervyshin, 5'9", 165, 07 Jun 85, Ak Bars Kazan (Rus): Pervyshin has all the skill and hockey sense necessary to make an impact in the NHL. At five-nine and 165 pounds, however, he has the proverbial snowball's chance in Hell of ever making it big at this level, especially on defense. It's not likely that he'll ever come over and try his luck in North America, and is probably better suited to the less-physical European game anyway.

Roman Polak, 6'1", 198, 28 Apr 86, Vitkovice (Cze): After being drafted 180th overall by the Blues in 2004, Polak came over and enjoyed a respectable North American debut in 2004-05. Appearing in 65 games for Kootenay (WHL), he managed 5-18-23 point totals, a plus-19, and 85 PIM. He was enticed to return to the Czech Republic by a promise of a spot with the Extraliga club in Vitkovice, and has played acceptably well there, but would be better served returning to North America and paying his dues in the AHL next year.

Simon Skoog, 6'2", 218, 17 Feb 83, IF Malmö Redhawks (Swe): Skoog is a big kid who plays an effective physical game without taking an outrageous number of penalties. The downside, unfortunately, is that he's so offensively challenged that he'd probably miss if he tried to shoot a puck into the Mississippi River from the middle of the Chain of Rocks Bridge. There's no question he has the size to be an effective seventh defenseman in the NHL, but he's also not likely to ever come over.

Mike Stuart, 6'0", 194, 31 Aug 80, Peoria (AHL): Stuart got a cup of coffee with the Blues in 2003-04, but like Byrne, didn't get a call this year despite all the injuries on the Blues' defense. He has also spent some time at right wing this year, with Peoria and Alaska, but has not demonstrated any ability to put the puck in the net. He's a stay-at-home guy on defense, which is probably the best position for him, but his chances of making an impact in the NHL are slim to none at this point.

Patrick Wellar, 6'3", 210, 12 Apr 83, Alaska (ECHL): Wellar is another player who has size going for him, but not a lot else. The former 3rd round pick (77th overall) of the Capitals has spent most of this year with Alaska, and has decent numbers there, but he seems to be settling in as an ECHL-level player. He wasn't a big scorer or PIM guy in junior, and hasn't been able to establish himself as a full-time AHL player in this, his second pro season.

Dennis Wideman, 6'0", 200, 20 Mar 83, St. Louis (NHL): Wideman was signed as a free agent by the Blues the same day Wellar was, and Wideman was a much later pick (8th round, 241st overall) when originally drafted. He has, however, blossomed as a power-play specialist and offensive catalyst for the Blues as a rookie NHL'er. He still has a lot of work to do as a defensive player, but his offensive skills and surprising grit and toughness will buy him the opportunity to develop at the NHL level instead of in the minors.

Jeff Woywitka, 6'2", 209, 01 Sep 83, St. Louis (NHL): The former first round pick (27th overall in 2001) of Philadelphia, Woywitka has been involved in two very high-profile trades in his young career, and will always have the baggage with Blues' fans of being one of the guys that Chris Pronger was traded for. In this latest callup, which unfortunately coincides with the current losing streak, Woywitka has two points and is "only" a minus-5. He won't be 23 until training camp, and has the time and basic skill level to still make an impact at this level.

To sum up, there doesn't appear to be a defense prospect in the system at this time that combines in one package the skills, leadership, and defensive capabilities of the legendary Al Macinnis. There are several with the leadership ability, several more with the potential to develop the requisite skill level, and several others who play sterling defense... but no one puts it all together quite like the man from Inverness, Nova Scotia did.

Wideman appears to be closest of all the Blues prospects to reaching that level, as he has the shot (right-handed, even) and the offensive prowess, and has shown a willingness to stand up for his teammates and lead by example. Defensively, Wideman is still a work in progress, but if he can develop that aspect of his game and improve on this season's dismal minus-24 rating, Wideman can be something special. Whether or not he can be as special as Al Macinnis remains, of course, to be seen.

In the next edition of "Tomorrow's Blues," we'll focus on the Blues' crop of European prospects, including Jonsson, Nikitin, Polak and Skoog. Until then, remember... "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- 2006 Entry Draft Review, Part Two

2006-10-23T07:21:00.000-05:00

(Originally published October 14, 2006)

In the last issue of "Game Time," we looked at the Blues' top two picks in last June's Entry Draft: Erik Johnson and Patrik Berglund. We turn our attention now to the rest of the Blues' picks in June.

Tomas Kana, center, shoots right. 6'0, 202 pounds, born November 29, 1987 in Opava, Czech Republic.

A personal favorite of the "Game Time" prospect department , Kana is a center in the Michal Handzus mold -- decent size (though not as big as Handzus), good skater, committed to defense first, but possessing enough offensive upside to be a legitimate threat.

At the tender age of 18, Kana was a regular with HC Vitkovice Steel in the ultra-competitive Czech Extraliga (elite league), where he racked up 5-9-14 totals, with a plus-3 and 50 PIM in 42 games. NHL Central Scouting had Kana in their top five among Czechs and Europeans in every report last season, and praised his skill level, hockey sense, and overall attitude. The Blues liked all of those attributes, too, and chose him with the first pick of the second round (31st overall) in June.

Kana came to St. Louis in July for the Prospect Camp, and looked like he belonged. He was paired most often with fellow Czech Michal Birner, now toiling for the Blues in Peoria, and the two seemed to mesh fairly well. Kana and Birner were slated to work together again at the Traverse City Prospect Tournament in August, and then Kana would follow Birner's path by reporting to the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL and competing in major junior. Kana, however, did an unexpected about face, and opted to remain in the Czech Republic for at least the upcoming season.

Kana is back with Vitkovice (13 GP, 1-2-3, minus-2, 14 PIM), and the Blues are continuing to work to get Kana back to the States within the next season or two. The word is that they do not see his contract with Vitkovice as an insurmountable obstacle, so hopeful Blues' fans can look forward to seeing this highly-regarded prospect back in camp before too much more time has passed.

Jonas Junland, defense, shoots left, 6'2, 198 pounds, born November 15, 1987 in Linköping, Sweden.

Junland is a player with good size and a ton of offensive upside. He rang up impressive 17-23-40 scoring totals in only 32 games last year with his hometown Linköping squad in the Swedish J-20 Superelit circuit, and ten of those goals came on the power play. He was also a plus-3, and had a modest 44 minutes in penalties before a shoulder injury and surgery ended his season in late January.

After being chosen 64th overall by the Blues in June, he reported to the Prospect Camp and showed no ill effects from the shoulder injury. Junland is back in Sweden now, picking up where he left off with 3-4-7 totals, 20 PIM, and a plus-8 in five games for the Linköping juniors so far this season. He's also seen action in 8 games with the Elitserien club, and has two assists, 8 PIM, and a plus-4 in those games.

After the draft, Blues' European scout Ville Siren praised Junland's size, shot, and focus, and indicated that the national team coach in Sweden already "has plans for him." He could be the big-time offensive defenseman the Blues have been looking for, and is definitely a player to keep an eye on.

Ryan Turek, forward/defense, shoots right, 5'11, 170 pounds, born September 22, 1987 in Southfield, Michigan.

No relation to the former Blues' goaltender, this Turek is a versatile American who can play both forward and defense, and did so in fine fashion for Omaha of the USHL in 2005-06. Turek rang up 17-11-28 totals, with a plus-2 and 71 PIM in 52 games for the Lancers, drawing the eye of the Blues and Midwestern scout Mike Antonovich.

Antonovich, NHL Central Scouting, and all of the other scouting services, were universal in their praise of Turek's skating, balance, defensive skills, and passing. All of the scouts surveyed also gave him high marks for aggressiveness, especially for a player of his size. Central Scouting in particular noted that Turek is "the first one to loose pucks in the corners or along the boards," that he "plays with an edge and with self-assurance," and "does not back down from any kind of confrontation -- (he) comes to play."

In an interview with Larry Wigge after the Blues' draft, Antonovich noted that Turek would be playing defense exclusively at Michigan State, where he has enrolled and will be playing for the next few years. Junland and Turek look to provide the Blues with a pretty solid one-two punch on defense in years to come.

Reto Berra, goaltender, catches left, 6'4, 189 pounds, born January 3, 1987 in Bulach, Switzerland.

Berra was ranked 7th among European goaltenders by NHL Central Scouting in 2005, but went unclaimed. For 2006, his ranking moved up to third thanks to a solid performance at the World Juniors, and the Blues swooped in on the big Swiss at 106th overall this year.

The Blues are apparently trying to corner the market on goaltending prospects having names beginning with the letter "B," with no less than five players in the system right now fitting that description. Berra, one of the two Europeans in that category, attended the Blues' Prospect Camp in July, and displayed several of the attributes that Central Scouting noted about him last year: "handles the puck well with his stick ... good, quick glove ... technically already quite sound, no real flaws in his game ... quick legs, uses them very well ... difficult to beat down low ... a good, composed competitor with fine concentration ... works hard ... a mature player."

Berra is currently playing behind Finnish import Ari Sulander on the ZSC Lions club in Switzerland, and has only appeared in one game thus far at the Nationalliga-A level. The most likely scenario is that he will compete again this season for the GCK Lions at the Nationalliga-B level when their season commences in November, and the Blues will work to get him to North America in 2007 to get some playing time at the ECHL level.

Andrew Sackrison, left wing, shoots left, 6'1, 178 pounds, born November 12, 1987 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Described by Mike Antonovich as "a highly-skilled goal scorer and raw athlete," Sackrison popped home 41 goals in 26 games with St. Louis Park HS last season before being chosen by the Blues with the 124th pick in June. He attended the Blues' July Prospect Camp, is committed to Minnesota State-Mankato (alma mater of Blues' prospect David Backes) for the 2007-08 season, and is currently toiling for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, where he has a goal and an assist, and is a plus-2 with no PIM in two games thus far.

Matthew McCollem, left wing, shoots left, 6'0, 185 pounds, born May 6, 1988 in Somerville, Massachusetts.

McCollem also attended the Blues' Prospect Camp in July after being chosen 154th overall in June, and created some buzz among the fans in attendance with his speed, grit, and nose for the net. The solid winger was listed at six feet, 185 pounds, but Blues' scouts put his size at closer to 6'2, 210 pounds as of now. McCollem put up point-per-game totals in prep school last year (17-11-28 in 28 games, with an eye-opening 48 PIM, for Boston's Belmont Hill School), and will return there for his senior year before moving on to Harvard in 2007-08.

Alexander Hellström, defense, shoots left, 6'2, 207 pounds, born April 17, 1987, in Falun, Sweden.

Another 1987-born player who was ranked by Central Scouting in 2005 (80th European), and passed over, the big stay-at-home blueliner rounds out the Blues' 2006 Entry Draft as the 184th overall selection. Hellström isn't an offensive dynamo by any means (a goal and an assist in 45 games over the last two seasons in Sweden), and that coupled with concerns about his skating led the Blues to pass on him in 2005, despite liking many of his other attributes. The skating issue was addressed to Kekalainen's satisfaction between 2005 and last season, and Hellström joined the Blues' organization because, as Ville Siren noted in an interview with Larry Wigge this summer, "He competes like hell ... every shift." Hellström has also returned to Europe after attending the Prospect Camp, and is currently 0-1-1 with a plus-3 and 6 PIM in four games for IF Björklöven in the Allsvenskan (second division).

Overall, the "Game Time" prospect department grades this draft an A-minus for the Blues. Of course, Johnson was a no-brainer, and the Berglund and Kana picks also look to be very solid, although there is concern about Kana's commitment after returning to Europe. Junland and Turek are an up-and-coming pair, each bringing different and valuable skills to the table, and Berra gives further depth and quality to the Blues' pool of goaltending prospects. Sackrison and McCollem have several years of development ahead at the NCAA level, but look to bring skill and character to the Blues' organization. Hellström is the kind of no-nonsense, competitive, stay-at-home defenseman that every organization can always use.

There is also some concern about having so many Europeans to get signed, but the Game Time prospect department stands by our motto, "In Jarmo We Trust." Certainly, Kekalainen and the Blues have taken this into consideration before picking these guys, and they've drafted these players with at least some idea of their intentions as far as getting over here within that dreaded two-year window.

Until next time, then, remember, as always -- "If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

"Game Time" -- 2006 Entry Draft Review, Part One

2006-10-23T07:15:00.000-05:00

(Originally published October 12, 2006)

Greetings and salutations, "Game Time" readers, and welcome back after one of the most eventful and discussion-worthy summers in recent memory where the 'Note is concerned.

The big off-season news, of course, is the purchase of the Blues by Dave Checketts, and the return of John Davidson to The Gateway To The West. Checketts' purchase of the club from the Laurie family, finalized just before the Entry Draft in late June, lifted a titanic albatross from around the necks of the Blues' staff, players, and fans. Davidson, one of the most widely-known and universally-respected hockey minds in the game, made an immediate impact in terms of the media attention given to the Blues in St. Louis, and in terms of the players brought in as free agents because of Davidson's presence and contacts around the league.

And then, there was the Entry Draft... the Blues had two picks in the first round of this year's draft, including the first overall pick, for the first time in franchise history. Assistant GM and Director of Amateur Scouting Jarmo Kekalainen would finally have his chance to select a genuine blue-chipper for the Blues, and all indications are that he delivered in spectacular fashion.

When your club finishes dead last in the entire league, and the developmental system has been -- fairly or not -- a foil for every wanna-be comedian on an Internet message board for the last decade or more, you can take it as a given that there are holes to be filled in almost every area. Kekalainen and his scouts -- Ville Siren, Mike Antonovich, Craig Chanel, Rick Meagher, and the part-timers -- beat the bushes on three continents to find players to plug into those holes, and found at least one player at every organizational "need" position in this draft.

Every player chosen by the Blues in 2006 was ranked in the top 100 in either Europe or North America by Central Scouting, save for two -- a player ranked 133rd in North America (and chosen 154th overall by the Blues), and a player not ranked on the CSS final listing, but 85th in Europe at mid-term.

In this issue, and the next, we'll take a more in-depth look at the players chosen by the Blues in the 2006 Entry Draft, and see were they fit into the organization both now and in the future. As always, the beginning is a pretty good place to start, so we'll jump right in with a look at...

Erik Johnson, defense, shoots right. 6'4, 222 pounds, born March 21, 1988 in Bloomington, Minnesota. Chosen first overall by the Blues in 2006.

What else is there to say about this kid that hasn't already been said a hundred times? Future "franchise" defenseman - check; exceptional skater for a big man - check; aggressive and physical - check; excellent passer, good hockey sense, focused and intense - check, check, and check.

The consensus number one pick in last summer's draft, Johnson made the decision early on that he would fulfill his commitment to his home state, and attend the University of Minnesota for at least one season. That's just another indication of the character of the big kid, his willingness to forego a lucrative contract at age 18 and instead keep his word to the coaches and staff who recruited him, as well as keeping a promise he made to himself. The Blues supported that decision, and Johnson will take the ice for the Gophers in a few weeks wearing number 4, as his more familiar number 6 is already claimed by sophomore R.J. Anderson, a 2004 draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Johnson's position, origins, and decision to go the college route make him unique in several aspects. He's the first player in the 44 years of the NHL Entry Draft to go to college after being drafted first overall, and the first Minnesotan to be selected first overall.

In 47 games for the US National U-20 Team last year, Johnson racked up 16 goals (9 PPG, 4 game-winners) and 49 points, with 88 minutes in penalties. In World Junior competition, Johnson was 1-3-4 with an even plus-minus and 18 PIM in seven games for the U-20 team in British Columbia at Christmastime, and 4-6-10 with a plus-6 ands 27 PIM in six games in April for the U-18 squad in Sweden.

Patrik Berglund, center, shoots left. 6'4, 187 pounds, born June 2, 1988 in Västerås, Sweden. Chosen 25th overall by the Blues in 2006.

Berglund was a player that the Blues traded up for, moving their 30th-overall and 77-th overall picks to New Jersey on draft day for the chance to select the lanky Swede in the 25th spot. Jarmo Kekalainen, in an interview with Larry Wigge posted on the Blues' web site, noted that Berglund was high on the Blues' unique 100-player priority list, and was the last of the players they had identified with first- or second-line scoring potential, who hadn't been drafted up to that point.

It's likely that Berglund caught the Blues' collective eye early on in the season. After zooming out of the gate to an 11-8-19 mark with a plus-7 and 26 PIM in is first 19 games with Västerås' U-20 club, Berglund moved up to the senior team in his home town, where he finished the season with three goals (two PPG) and four points in 21 games against players who, in some cases, were 10-15 years older than he. Berglund also went back to the junior club in February, and finished the year there with 17 goals (five PPG), 27 points, a plus-12 mark, and 36 PIM in 27 games at that level. Adding luster to his draft year, he managed four goals and five points in six games at the U-18 tournament in April.

NHL Central Scouting called Berglund a "creative, cool playmaker with a good understanding of the game," and McKeen's Hockey Prospects website (http://mckeenshockey.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=4&pr_key=37532) noted that Berglund "has a two-way mindset and really knows how to take care of his own end as well."

The latest word on Berglund is that he expects to play at least two more years in Europe, so the Blues will have to hustle to get him signed and ready to come over after the 2007-08 season before they lose his rights.

In the next issue of "Game Time," we'll look at the rest of the players drafted by the Blues this past summer, and make note of a couple of those players who have already gotten a brief look at St. Louis during the July prospect camp at the Mills. Until next time, then, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Blues To Return To Traverse City Prospect Tourney

2006-08-24T21:27:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first update of this blog in two months...

First, here's a link to the PhotoBucket site where I dropped a bunch of pictures from the Blues' Prospect Camp in mid-July:

http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l17/Reality_Czech/

To your left, you'll see a sample of my work, as Konstantin Zakharov waits for an opportunity to pick up a puck and skate in on Marek Schwarz.

Also, on the subject of prospect camps, the Blues will be making a return to the Traverse City Prospect Tournament this season, after a two-year absence. The Blues' prospects won the tournament three years in a row from 2002 to 2004, and look to have a team this year that can contend for all the marbles again.

The tournament is a part of the Detroit training camp, and the Red Wings have a prospect team there, of course. Also making return appearances are the prospects from Tampa Bay, Columbus, Atlanta and Minnesota. New to the tournament this year are the prospects from the NY Rangers and Dallas.

Following is the Blues' tournament roster, as posted by the tournament site at:

http://www.redwingscentral.com/camps/2006-07/

##. PS. PLAYER.............. 2005-06 TEAM... LEA.. HT.. WT. DOB.....
==. ==. ==================== =============== ===== ==== === ========
41. .C. Alexei Shkotov...... Khimik......... RUS.. 5-11 161 06-22-84
.... 32 GP, .6-10-16, .34 PM
42. RW. David Backes........ Minnesota State WCHA. 6-03 210 05-01-84
.... 38 GP, 13-29-42, .91 PM
46. LW. Evgeny Skachkov..... CSKA Moscow.... RUS.. 6-00 194 07-14-84
.... .2 GP, .0-.0-.0, ..6 PM
47. .C. Nicholas Drazenovic. Prince George.. WHL.. 6-00 172 01-14-87
.... 71 GP, 30-33-63, .51 PM
49. .D. Zack Fitzgerald..... Peoria......... AHL.. 6-02 209 06-16-85
.... 13 GP, .1-.1-.2, .47 PM
51. .D. Alexander Hellström. Bjorklöven..... SWE-2 6-02 207 04-17-87
.... 31 GP, .1-.0-.1, .45 PM
52. .C. Tomas Kana.......... Vitkovice...... CZE.. 6-00 202 11-29-87
.... 42 GP, .5-.9-14, .50 PM
53. RW. Jordan Clendenning * Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL 5-11 188 02-04-87
.... 67 GP, 23-35-58, 134 PM
54. LW. David Fredriksson... HV-71.......... SWE.. 6-02 214 10-04-85
.... 37 GP, .5-.4-.9, .34 PM
56. LW. Michal Birner....... Saginaw........ OHL.. 6-00 183 03-02-86
.... 60 GP, 31-54-85, .91 PM
59. .D. Scott Jackson....... Seattle........ WHL.. 6-03 200 02-05-87
.... 60 GP, .3-23-26, .50 PM
61. RW. Ryan Reaves......... Brandon........ WHL.. 6-01 193 01-20-87
.... 68 GP, 14-14-28, .91 PM
62. .D. Roman Polak......... Vitkovice...... CZE.. 6-01 198 04-28-86
.... 37 GP, .0-.1-.1, .16 PM
63. LW. Konstantin Zakharov. Minsk.......... BEL.. 6-01 200 05-02-85
.... 36 GP, 14-15-29, .78 PM
64. .D. Ryan Wilson *....... Toronto........ OHL.. 6-01 205 02-03-87
.... 64 GP, 12-49-61, 145 PM
65. .C. Carl Söderberg...... Malmö.......... SWE-2 6-03 198 10-12-85
.... 39 GP, 15-24-39, .45 PM
67. .D. Mike Gauthier....... Prince Albert.. WHL.. 6-03 185 03-26-87
.... 69 GP, .4-.8-12, 169 PM
68. .C. Casey Lee *......... Kootenay....... WHL.. 6-01 190 03-07-85
.... 68 GP, 20-30-50, 117 PM
72. RW. Ryan MacMurchy *.... Wisconsin...... WCHA. 6-02 207 04-27-83
.... 40 GP, .8-17-25, .90 PM
... RW. Kevin Croxton *..... Rensselaer..... ECAC. 6-03 175 09-08-82
.... 31 GP, 14-25-39, .28 PM

##. PS. PLAYER.............. 2005-06 TEAM... LEA.. HT.. WT. DOB.....
==. ==. ==================== =============== ===== ==== === ========
45. .G. Reto Berra.......... GCK............ SUI.. 6-04 189 01-03-87
.... 19 GP, 504 MIN, 26 GA, 2-7-0, 3.10, N/A
40. .G. Marek Schwarz....... Sparta Praha... CZE.. 6-00 180 04-01-86
.... 15 GP, 746 MIN, 32 GA, 7-8-0, 2.57, 0.920

* Free Agent on tryout

Of these 22 players, 14 took part in the Prospect Camp at St. Louis Mills in July (the players not at the camp, in alphabetical order, were Croxton, Fredriksson, Lee, MacMurchy, Reaves, Shkotov, Skachkov, and Söderberg). Three players -- Berra, Hellström, and Kana -- were selected by the Blues in June's NHL Entry Draft, and all of the players on the tournament roster are past Blues' draft picks except for Clendenning, Croxton, Lee and Wilson.

This lineup seems to have some scoring potential in players like Söderberg, Shkotov, Zakharov, Backes and Drazenovic. There is also potential for good two-way play from players like Birner, Kana and MacMurchy, and toughness up front from Backes and Reaves.

Clendenning and Lee may also provide scoring and toughness, and Croxton appears to have some potential as a scorer, but as they are tryout players, not much is known about them at this point.

On defense, Polak was impressive at the recent Prospect Camp in St. Louis. Fitzgerald and Gauthier were and are steady, stay-at-home types with plenty o' grit, as is Hellström. Jackson, the Blues' second pick in 2005 (37th overall) after TJ Oshie, didn't stand out at the Prospect Camp, but will look to re-establish himself as a top-notch defense prospect at this tourament.

Wilson, a three-year veteran of the Ontario League, is the wild card on defense. He has good NHL size at 6-01, 206 pounds, and managed 28 goals and 123 points in those three OHL seasons. He also showed some toughness over his 190-game OHL career, amassing 382 minutes in the sin bin.

Both Schwarz and Berra showed at the Prospect Camp why they have good futures with the Blues, and Schwarz will be making his North American pro debut this season, probably in Alaska as the number one goalie. Berra is slated to return for one more year in Switzerland, where he has established himself as the top Swiss goaltender in his age group.

The Prospect Tournament looks to be a good opportunity for the Blues to see how far they've come as an organization in terms of player development. The Blues' prospects will test themselves against their peers, such as Lauri Korpikoski and Al Montoya (NYR), AJ Thelen and former Blues' first-rounder Shawn Belle (MIN), Evan McGrath and Jim Howard (DET), Vojtech Polak and Aaron Snow (DAL), Derick Brassard and Petr Pohl (CBS), Alex Bourret and Ondrej Pavelec (ATL), and Matt Smaby and Riku Helenius (TMP), all high draft picks and top-notch prospects.

The Blues counter with their own high picks and top prospects in Schwarz, Söderberg, Backes and Jackson. Will they show themselves on a par with the other high-end prospects at this tournament? Check back here for updates as the tournament unfolds over the weekend of September 8-12.

Until next time, remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Mock Draft Selections for the Blues...

2006-06-24T15:15:00.000-05:00

Following is a summary of a mock draft I particpated in at "Hockey's Future," where I was acting as the Blues' GM.

One change: in the mock draft, I took over after the Blues' second-roiund pick. I didn't like the player that the orignal drafter had chosen for the Blues at 27th overall, so I substituted the player I would have chosen there, from the list of players still available at that point of the draft.

PICK.. RANK... PLAYER............. LEAGUE TEAM........... BIRTHDATE.... HT..... WT. POS/S
====== ======= =================== ====== =============== ============= ======= === =====
001 .. 001 NA. JOHNSON, ERIK ..... USA .. US NATL U-18 .. 03/21/1988 .. 6-04 .. 222 ..D R
STATS: 38 11-22-33 .57
POTENTIAL FRANCHISE DEFENSEMAN WITH SIZE AND MEAN STREAK

027 .. 030 NA. LEWIS, TREVOR ..... USHL . DES MOINES .... 01/08/1987 .. 6-01 .. 192 ..C R
STATS: 56 35-40-75 .69
SCORING FORWARD WITH GREAT SKATING SKILLS; HEADED TO UNIV OF MICHIGAN

031 .. 019 NA. FOLIGNO, NICK ..... OHL .. SUDBURY ....... 10/31/1987 .. 6-00 .. 188 .LW L
STATS: 65 24-46-70 146
TWO-WAY FORWARD WITH SCORING UPSIDE; SON OF FORMER NHL PLAYER

061 .. 005 EU. KANA, TOMAS ....... CZE .. VITKOVICE ..... 11/29/1987 .. 6-00 .. 202 ..C R
STATS: 42 .5-.9-14 .50
TWO-WAY FORWARD WITH GREAT WORK ETHIC AND OFFENSIVE UPSIDE

079 .. 060 NA. NODL, ANDREAS ..... USHL . SIOUX FALLS ... 02/28/1987 .. 6-01 .. 196 .RW L
STATS: 58 29-30-59 .16
SCORING FORWARD WITH GREAT SKATING SKILLS; HEADED TO ST CLOUD STATE

091 .. 066 NA. GRYBA, ERIC ....... USHL . GREEN BAY ..... 04/14/1988 .. 6-04 .. 215 ..D R
STATS: 56 .3-12-15 205
BIG STAY-AT-HOME DEFENSEMAN WITH A MEAN STREAK; HEADED TO BOSTON UNIV

103 .. 003 NAG ZATKOFF, JEFF ..... CCHA . MIAMI-OHIO .... 06/09/1987 .. 6-01 .. 150 ..G L
STATS: 20 GP 1217 MIN 41 GA 3 SO 2.02 GAA 0.928 SV%
TOP-RANKED US COLLEGE GOALIE LED TEAM DEEP INTO NCAA TOURNAMENT

121 .. 085 NA. BOHUNICKY, LUKAS .. WHL .. KOOTENAY ...... 10/30/1987 .. 6-02 .. 213 ..D L
STATS: 59 .2-.7-.9 .52
PHYSICAL STAY-AT-HOME DEFENSEMAN

151 .. 070 EU. RAMSTEDT, TEEMU ... FIN JR IFK JR ........ 12/09/1987 .. 5-11 .. 183 ..W L
STATS: 38 19-30-49 .30
SMALLER PLAYER WITH GRINDING MINDSET AND SCORER'S TOUCH

181 .. 076 NA. GILIATI, STEFANO .. QMJHL. LEWISTON ...... 10/07/1987 .. 5-11 .. 200 .LW L
STATS: 70 21-28-49 .72
PLAYMAKER AND GRINDER IN ONE PACKAGE

A Red-Letter Day In Blues' History...

2006-03-25T09:46:00.000-06:00

March 24, 2006 may well go down in history as the day the St. Louis Blues took the first real steps towards the "elite" levels that the franchise has been flirting with since its inception in 1967.

On the previous night, March 23, the Blues were mathematically eliminated from the NHL playoffs for the first time in almost three decades. A 25-season run of playoff appearances officially ended that night, but as one door closed, a new one opened.

The following day, Dave Checketts was announced as the new owner of the Blues, pledging to build a Stanley Cup winner for the fans, who, as he noted, "never let the Bluenote hit the floor."

That night, 2003 draftee David Backes made his pro debut, scoring his first professional goal in the third period of a 3-0 Rivermen win over San Antonio. While this was going on, 2005 first-round pick T.J. Oshie was notching the game-winning goal on the power play in North Dakota's 5-1 victory in the NCAA Midwest Regional semi-final.

Later that evening came the first reports of a strong rumor that 26-year-old Magnus Kahnberg, a premier scorer with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite league (Elitserien) for the last three years, was close to signing a contract with the Blues. Kahnberg, acquired from Carolina in the Doug Weight trade, looks to be skilled enough for a scoring-line wing slot with the 2006-07 Blues.

A vision for the future in Checketts. A solid pro debut for a potential power forward. An unheralded first-round pick continuing to establish himself as a premier player. And a skilled young European apparently on the verge of making St. Louis the place where he launches an NHL career. All of this bodes very well for the future of this franchise, and I think I can safely say in the name of all those who never let the Bluenote hit the floor... it's about damn time!

More to come. Remember... "if we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil." Auf wiedersehen.

Prospect List for "By The Numbers" Feature in "St. Louis Game Time"

2006-03-23T20:41:00.000-06:00

As mentioned in the March 23, 2006 issue of "St. Louis Game Time," following is the list of the Blues' "Fab Future Fifty," the fifty prospects whose vital stats are analyzed for the "By The Numbers" feature in that issue.

Let's start by quickly establishing the parameters used in this analysis. The criteria that all 50 prospects in the Blues' system were evaluated upon are as follows: Position, height, weight, age in years as of 15 March 2006 (the day I created the spreadsheet to crunch all these numbers), country of origin, and playing level for 2005-06 season.

Players like Chris Beckford-Tseu (a.k.a. "The Hyphenator") and Patrick Wellar are considered as ECHL players because that's where they've spent the majority of their playing time this year. Jesse Boulerice, Mike Glumac, and Trent Whitfield were considered as NHL players mainly due to their age, and due to the fact that they're all on the Blues' active roster as of this moment.

Source for height, weight, and position info is the 2006 edition of the NHL Guide and Record Book.

AALTONEN, Juhamatti .... (RW, 5-11, 163, 20.78, Fin, Europe)
ALEXANDROV, Viktor ..... ( C, 5-11, 183, 20.21, Rus, Europe)
BACASHIHUA, Jason ...... ( G, 5-11, 175, 23.48, USA, NHL)
BACKES, David .......... ( C, 6-02, 210, 21.87, USA, College)
BARULIN, Konstantin .... ( G, 6-00, 180, 21.53, Rus, Europe)
BECKFORD-TSEU, Chris ... ( G, 6-03, 196, 21.73, Can, ECHL)
BIRNER, Michal ......... ( C, 6-00, 183, 20.04, Cze, Junior)
BISHOP, Ben ............ ( G, 6-07, 217, 19.31, USA, College)
BOULERICE, Jesse ....... (RW, 6-02, 203, 27.60, Can, NHL)
BYRNE, Trevor .......... ( D, 6-03, 210, 25.85, USA, AHL)
DiSALVATORE, Jon ....... (RW, 6-00, 180, 24.96, USA, AHL)
DRAZENOVIC, Nicholas ... ( C, 6-00, 160, 19.17, Can, Junior)
FITZ GERALD, Zack ...... ( D, 6-02, 210, 20.75, USA, AHL)
FREDRIKSSON, David ..... (LW, 6-02, 214, 20.44, Swe, Europe)
GAUTHIER, Mike ......... ( D, 6-04, 185, 18.97, Can, Junior)
GLUMAC, Mike ........... (RW, 6-02, 205, 25.94, Can, NHL)
HEMINGWAY, Colin ....... (RW, 6-01, 185, 25.59, Can, AHL)
JACKSON, Scott ......... ( D, 6-04, 203, 19.11, Can, Junior)
JONSSON, Robin ......... ( D, 6-02, 184, 22.26, Swe, Europe)
KAHNBERG, Magnus ....... (LW, 6-01, 185, 26.05, Swe, Europe)
KING, D.J. ............. (LW, 6-00, 200, 22.13, Can, AHL)
LEMTYUGOV, Nikolai ..... (RW, 6-00, 176, 20.16, Rus, Europe)
LYNCH, Doug ............ ( D, 6-03, 214, 22.95, Can, ECHL)
MacMURCHY, Ryan ........ (RW, 6-02, 208, 22.88, Can, College)
McCLEMENT, Jay ......... ( C, 6-01, 198, 23.04, Can, NHL)
MOJZIS, Tomas .......... ( D, 6-01, 192, 23.87, Cze, AHL)
NIKITIN, Nikita ........ ( D, 6-03, 176, 19.75, Rus, Europe)
NISSINEN, Tuomas ....... ( G, 6-00, 176, 22.66, Fin, Europe)
OSHIE, T.J. ............ ( C, 5-11, 182, 19.23, USA, College)
PERVYSHIN, Andrei ...... ( D, 5-09, 165, 20.77, Rus, Europe)
POLAK, Roman ........... ( D, 6-01, 198, 19.88, Cze, Europe)
RAMSAY, Ryan ........... ( C, 5-11, 200, 22.83, Can, AHL)
REAVES, Ryan ........... (RW, 6-02, 204, 19.15, Can, Junior)
RIDDLE, Troy ........... ( C, 6-00, 175, 24.81, USA, AHL)
SANFORD, Curtis ........ ( G, 5-10, 185, 26.44, Can, NHL)
SCHWARZ, Marek ......... ( G, 6-00, 180, 19.95, Cze, Europe)
SEJNA, Peter ........... (LW, 5-11, 198, 26.44, Svk, AHL)
SEMIN, Dmitri .......... ( C, 5-11, 176, 22.59, Rus, Europe)
SHISHKANOV, Timofei .... (LW, 6-01, 203, 22.76, Rus, NHL)
SHKOTOV, Alexei ........ (RW, 5-10, 176, 21.73, Rus, Europe)
SKOOG, Simon ........... ( D, 6-02, 218, 23.07, Swe, Europe)
SÖDERBERG, Carl ........ ( C, 6-03, 198, 20.42, Swe, Europe)
STEMPNIAK, Lee ......... ( C, 6-00, 195, 23.11, USA, NHL)
STUART, Mike ........... ( D, 6-00, 194, 25.54, USA, AHL)
WELLAR, Patrick ........ ( D, 6-03, 210, 22.93, Can, ECHL)
WHITFIELD, Trent ....... ( C, 5-11, 204, 28.74, Can, NHL)
WIDEMAN, Dennis ........ ( D, 6-00, 200, 22.99, Can, NHL)
WOYWITKA, Jeff ......... ( D, 6-02, 209, 22.54, Can, AHL)
ZAKHAROV, Konstantin ... (RW, 6-01, 185, 20.87, Bel, Europe)
ZIGOMANIS, Mike ........ ( C, 6-01, 189, 25.16, Can, AHL)

Breaking the prospects down by position, we have 13 prospects listed as centers, five listed as left wings, 10 listed as right wings, 15 listed as defensemen, and seven goaltenders.

Revised Format for Prospect Split Stats

2006-02-18T09:28:00.000-06:00

Here is version 2 of the prospect split stats I'll be posting later in this blog.

I'm planning to do all of the Blues' prospects this way, so any feedback from my readers will be appreciated.

DiSalvatore, Jon
RW/R, 6-01, 200, 03-30-81, Bangor, ME
SJO 2/104 (2000) -- STL FA 06-30-04
Peoria (AHL)
.................. GP G. A. Pts +/- PIM PP SH FG GW GT IG
================== == == == === === === == == == == == ==
Sep Totals ....... .0 .0 .0 ..0 ..0 ..0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
Oct Totals ....... 10 .1 .6 ..7 - 2 .12 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .1
Nov Totals ....... .8 .2 .3 ..5 ..1 ..6 .0 .1 .0 .0 .0 .2
Dec Totals ....... 14 .6 12 .18 - 2 ..4 .4 .0 .2 .0 .0 .0
Jan Totals ....... .7 .3 .5 ..8 ..1 ..2 .1 .0 .1 .2 .0 .0

YtD Totals (Sep).. .0 .0 .0 ..0 ..0 ..0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
YtD Totals (Oct).. 10 .1 .6 ..7 - 2 .12 .0 .0 .0 .0 .0 .1
YtD Totals (Nov).. 18 .3 .9 .12 - 1 .18 .0 .1 .0 .0 .0 .3
YtD Totals (Dec).. 32 .9 21 .30 - 3 .22 .4 .1 .2 .0 .0 .3
YtD Totals (Jan).. 39 12 26 .38 - 2 .24 .5 .1 .3 .2 .0 .3

Key:

"RW/R" means that DiSalvatore is a right wing, and that he shoots from the right side.

"6-01, 200" is his height and weight. "03-30-81" is his birthday, in the North American style (meaning March 30, 1981. European conventions would show his birthdate as 30-03-81; it's easy to figure out if the player's date of birth is the 13th of the month or after, but a player born on August 10, 1980 would have his birthday shown in Europe as 10-08-80, and in the US as 08-10-80).

"Bangor, ME" is DiSalvatore's birthplace -- Bangor, Maine.

"SJO 2/104 (2000)" means that DiSalvatore was the second pick, 104th overall, of San Jose in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. "STL FA 06-30-04" means, obviously, that DiSalvatore was signed by the Blues as a free agent on June 30, 2004.

GP: Games Played
G: Goals
A: Assists
Pts: Points
+/-: Plus/Minus
PIM: Penalties In Minutes
PP: Power Play Goals
SH: Shorthanded Goals
FG: First Goals
GW: Game-Winning Goals
GT: Game-Tying Goals
IG: Insurance Goals (the first goal scored by the winning team after the game-winning goals has been scored)

First Test Entry -- Prospect Split Stats by month

2006-02-12T20:34:00.000-06:00

Here's my first test entry on the player splits that I've been working on all season.

These are Carl Söderberg's splits with his Swedish second-division team. If I like the way this looks, I'll start posting more of these so that you can get some idea of how the prospects have progressed from month to month.

Team IF Malmö Redhawks
Player Statistics
Name........... Ps GP G. A. Pts PIM PP SH GW GT +/-
=============== == == == == === === == == == == ===
Söderberg, Carl CE .9 .6 .7 .13 ..4 .3 .0 .0 .0 + 7 ... Oct
Söderberg, Carl CE 16 .8 13 .21 .35 .3 .0 .1 .0 +12 ... Nov
Söderberg, Carl CE 20 10 15 .25 .35 .3 .0 .2 .0 +15 ... Dec
Söderberg, Carl CE 31 12 19 .31 .39 .3 .0 .4 .0 +19 ... Jan

Thoughts on European draft picks...

2006-02-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

As I posted at the STLToday Blues board, the provisions of the new CBA allow a team to retain the rights to drafted Europeans for only two years after their draft year, unlike in the past where teams retained the rights to drafted Europeans indefinitely.

In my mind, this represents an unfair advantage to the big-market, big-revenue clubs -- the Detroits, Torontos, Rangers, etc. A mid-market team like the Blues can draft a top-notch European player, and if they can't pay that player NHL money right off the bat, and/or "guarantee" that player an NHL roster spot, the player is free to hold out for two years and then sign as a free agent with another team who can afford to give them a one-way contract, paying them NHL money while having them play for their AHL affiliate.

For that reason, I think I can safely say that you won't see teams like the Blues drafting as many Europeans in the future without guarantees from the player that they'll be coming right away over to try their hand in North America. It just doesn't make sense to spend a high pick on a player only to have him hold out for two years and go elsewhere with no compensation whatsoever coming back your way.

This will probably keep the Blues away from drafting a Nicklas Backstrom with their first-round pick, and that's a shame, because Backstrom is the kind of "complete" player that this team needs to spend their high picks on.

There are a few Europeans that I'd like to see the Blues go after, however... and I'll discuss them in more detail in the next post to this blog.

We The People...

2005-11-17T21:44:00.000-06:00

...of Blues' Nation, in order to better acquaint ourselves with the future of the franchise for which we all Bleed Blue; to provide a convenient centralized location for news and views on all players who may one day wear the Bluenote; and to discuss amongst ourselves the progress of these players; do ordain and establish this blog in order to provide the conveniences and services detailed above.

More to come as I have time and energy to work on it. For now, welcome to "Future 'Notes," which I hope to establish as your "one-stop shop" for all the news that's fit to print on Blues' prospects, without the blatant anti-Blues' bias so evident at "other" prospect sites.