Love talking draft and think the thread's a good idea. That said, it's tough to predict. Volatile in that Blues likely pick 21-30 where late risers/fallers tend to populate the ranks, plus so many talented prospects have incompletes with all the injuries.
What I will say (and said in the prospect thread) is the Blues need natural centers with a higher skill ceiling. They need to find someone with high-end potential late in the first IMO.
I am a BPA believer, don't get me wrong, but if there's ever a time when you tilt toward organizational need it's probably right now, given how much loaded talent is on the wing and already in the NHL, plus how many young and upside defensemen are in the pipeline.
1. Top-two center
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2. Defense (just because of how special the defense class is this year)
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3. Wing
4. Goalie (total crapshoot of goalie trumped by BPA element of wing)
BPA all the way. The Blues are likely on the cusp of a several year run of playoffs and hopefully being a serious contender their young players and picks are more likely to be part of a package to upgrade a position in a trade. Better to have a more valuable player than one that fits team needs specifically.
A lot of this can change depending on the philosophy of a new owner (internal salary cap, etc).
Interesting, as that's who I have us aiming for as well exec. Kid looked good in the WJC, and is Jaskin's team mate. If my favorites fall, we could also hope for Galchenyuk and Reinhart.
Let's not pretend that there's some huge separation between prospects where the Blues will be picking. Of course BPA. There's BPA center, BPA wingers, BPA defensemen. In the past Jarmo acknowledged ties and said he'd tilt toward the defensemen. All I'm saying is with a deep draft and lots of upside prospects, I hope they understand where the organization's needs stand. If some Tarasenko quality winger is sitting there after 24 or so and there's no comparable center, sure, of course. Framing it either/or is not reality.
Nicholas Kerdiles of the NTDP is the best center I've seen live this year of the guys who will likely fall in the late first round area.
Good size, good puck skills and some jam to his game.
Committed to Wisco next year though I'm sure their will be a war with the CHL team that owns his rights.
I would love to grab Gergensons who I've seen a ton over the last two years but he will likely go top 15. Kid is legit with an NHL body, good skills and a huge motor while playing for the Clark Cup Champions (under former Blue Jim Montogmery...their President of Hockey Ops is also Joe Micheletti's son) in Dubuque of the USHL.
I think this draft isn't as sick as it was projected to be a year ago but it's still impressive.
Love talking draft and think the thread's a good idea. That said, it's tough to predict. Volatile in that Blues likely pick 21-30 where late risers/fallers tend to populate the ranks, plus so many talented prospects have incompletes with all the injuries.
What I will say (and said in the prospect thread) is the Blues need natural centers with a higher skill ceiling. They need to find someone with high-end potential late in the first IMO.
I am a BPA believer, don't get me wrong, but if there's ever a time when you tilt toward organizational need it's probably right now, given how much loaded talent is on the wing and already in the NHL, plus how many young and upside defensemen are in the pipeline.
1. Top-two center
.
2. Defense (just because of how special the defense class is this year)
.
.
.
3. Wing
4. Goalie (total crapshoot of goalie trumped by BPA element of wing)
Totally agree with your priorities. Because we are stacked with right-handed young NHL d-men, I would lean to left-handed d-men.
But I also agree that our pipeline is full enough so that BPA is the way to go. There is no glaring need to fill.
Also would like to see Army trade for some extra picks. I think we have Tampa's (?) third pick.
Totally agree with your priorities. Because we are stacked with right-handed young NHL d-men, I would lean to left-handed d-men.
But I also agree that our pipeline is full enough so that BPA is the way to go. There is no glaring need to fill.
Also would like to see Army trade for some extra picks. I think we have Tampa's (?) third pick.
That is kind of funny, I was thinking about trading a couple of picks to move up in the draft. Go after a player line Griffin Reinhart or Jacob Trouba. We have a lot of depth at almost all positions, now it is time to move some picks to move up.
I really feel that we could use a big dman. I am just not sold on any of our current bigs in the pipeline. I just want us to get a big body with a high hockey IQ.
Ponich has lost so much time in the past two years due to injury and I didn't like anything about Brock B's game in Traverse City. Edmunson seems to be a project - based around skating...
Beyond that there isn't much of anything. I would like us to take a look at the Kid from the NTDP, Brady Skjei or Cody Cici.
But I do get what you are saying about some a high end center.
I think you should always take the best available player...if value meets need great. But these guys probably won't be NHL ready for two to four years then there's their NHL development by then who know what their biggest need will be.
You can never go wrong with having to many good prospects, so take the best available athlete and that's still not a sure thing.
I personally think we will end up going with a defenseman. I prefer a LH defenseman. This draft is so stacked at Defense it seems like the BPA will be a defenseman. IMO after Yakupov, Grigorenko, Forsberg and Galchenyuk the forwards quality drops a lot with Gaunce maybe still being good quality. I think someone like Ebert, Finn, Maata Or Rienhart could possibly fall to us as a playoff team. Even somone like Michael Matheson could be a pretty good quality LH Defenseman.
Maybe a better way to put what I'm saying is if you can get an Oshie/Perron vs. a Backes/Berglund at the spot in the draft where the Blues will pick, both have value but you go for the center where there's a tie. They're all quality players but the Blues just have so many wings in the organization and wingers are much easier to acquire on the free agent market or in trades.
If the difference is Rattie (W) vs. McClement (true C), you go with Rattie for the high-end upside (nothing against McClement). If the quality of D is Ian Cole vs. Oshie/Perron vs. Backes/Berglund then you go C.
If there's a Shattenkirk/McDonagh quality D available (especially on the left side) then that's hard to pass up as well.
Priorities:
Playmaking Center - Backes and Begland are good but not playmakers
LD man with size and some skill/toughnes - Jackman type but bigger and a little offense
Power Forward - hard to come by
I agreee with the BPA. The Blues have appeared to gamble in the 2nd round taking projects Ponich and Edmundson. This organization has done an excellent job of building this team, has talent on it's way and if I'm not mistaken has a 1rst, 2nd and two 3rd round picks in the upcoming draft.
Last edited by stlweir: 01-11-2012 at 09:46 PM.
Reason: Addition
BPA is a given with me, but I'd love to to come away with a talented defenseman to restock the pipeline. I'm also hoping we draft North American players in rounds 2 and 3, as I haven't liked our European picks in those rounds the last several drafts.
If we can trade up for a guy it would be worth it IMO...assuming a trade is available and the Blues like someone a lot. Were not going to be getting high draft picks for a while.
That is kind of funny, I was thinking about trading a couple of picks to move up in the draft. Go after a player line Griffin Reinhart or Jacob Trouba. We have a lot of depth at almost all positions, now it is time to move some picks to move up.
I really feel that we could use a big dman. I am just not sold on any of our current bigs in the pipeline. I just want us to get a big body with a high hockey IQ.
Ponich has lost so much time in the past two years due to injury and I didn't like anything about Brock B's game in Traverse City. Edmunson seems to be a project - based around skating...
Beyond that there isn't much of anything. I would like us to take a look at the Kid from the NTDP, Brady Skjei or Cody Cici.
But I do get what you are saying about some a high end center.
Based on the reviews this season from Finnish posters and others who watched him at the WJC, it sounds like Hakanpaa fits the mold that you're looking for. He may have jumped ahead of both Ponich and Edmundson. He's still a project, sure, but his development has apparently exceeded expectations (probably not Jarmo's, though).
He wouldn't be bad either. This draft is one of those drafts people will talk about in regards to the depth and the plethora of good defensemen IMO. In that sense we have a good chance to pick up a solid defenseman.
Koekkoek, sure, Määttä, Not so much, the guy has not really been able to adjust to the North American game, I would go after Derrick Poliot or Morgan Reilly, big bodied defencemen, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen based on the report
Kelowna's Captain has high hockey IQ, and a great three-zone game. Relentless in puck pursuit, and a wing who can project up and down the lines due to his high-energy play, slick passes, and big-time shot. Presently a first line player in Kelowna.
