Skip to main content

Blues Prospects In-Offensive?

By
The PD had a small round-up on the top forward prospects in the Blues organization.

1. T.J. Oshie

Team: University of North Dakota

Position: Center

Acquired: 1st round pick, 2005

Height: 5-feet-11 1/2

Weight: 185

Comment: Top offensive threat in college who has been slowed this season because of thumb injury.

2. Carl Soderberg

Team: Malmo (Swedish Elite League)

Position: Center

Acquired: 2nd round pick, 2004

Height: 6-3

Weight: 210

Comment: Decision to return to Sweden, after being sent to Peoria last September, could slow his progress.

3. David Backes

Team: Peoria Rivermen (AHL)

Position: Right wing

Acquired: 2nd round pick, 2003

Height: 6-3

Weight: 210

Comment: He was shuttled back to Peoria on Sunday, but not before showing that he has NHL potential.

4. Patrik Berglund

Team: VIK Vasteras (Swedish-2 League)

Position: Center

Acquired: 1st round pick, 2006

Height: 6-4

Weight: 195

Comment: A steal in last year's draft, he is tearing up his Swedish league and could be in St. Louis sooner rather than later.

5. Tomas Kana

Team: HC Vitkovice (Czech Republic)

Position: Left wing

Acquired: 2nd round pick, 2006

Height: 6-0

Weight: 200

Comment: A recent draft pick who could be several years away from playing in the NHL.


The idea that there might be some home grown talent at forward is a bit of a novel experience for a Blues fan. For the better part of twenty years the Blues had acted as if the very idea of it was a fantasy foisted upon the feeble minded. "No. The way to build a franchise," they seemed to be telling us all, "is to trade a bunch of used plumbing fixtures for Brett Hull, or to (way) overpay in the retail free agent market, ala too many to mention by name."

The reality was there didn't seem to be ownership that was interested in investing the money needed to develop the organization that way. But it looks as if that is now changing. The mere idea that a scoring forward could develop down on the farm is exciting. It hasn't happened to the Blues since the days of Joe Mullen or Doug Gilmour (or if you prefer Joey and Dougie.)

Maybe we should forget about the whole thing and try to trade for Dale Hawerchuk.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Salt Lake Follies

By
More on the saga of Real Salt Lake : On the third day, it was risen. A bill emerged Thursday on Utah's Capitol Hill that could bring a Real Salt Lake stadium to Sandy and salvage Utah's two-year-old soccer franchise, which is being aggressively courted by investors in St. Louis. If the measure passes - it was crafted behind closed doors this week with the blessing of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and legislative leadership - it would snatch at least $20 million for the project out of Salt Lake County coffers, which critics allege could result in a countywide property-tax hike. The move to revive a stadium in Sandy spells the end of talk to relocate RSL to the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City or the former Geneva Steel site in central Utah County. Late Thursday, RSL released a statement saying the Geneva location, owned by Anderson Development, is "not a viable option for our team or the stadium project." "We are no longer ent...
1 comment
Read more

Ticking Off My Friend From Salt Lake

By
Real Salt Lake seems to be holding on by the skin of it's teeth. Now you've got prominent folks out in Salt Lake bitch slapping Checketts in the press . I'm sure that is a BIG help. Then when you read things like the following : "I expect it to come together quickly or not at all," Valentine said, suggesting a deal could come within a week. All or nothing??? In a week? Sounds ominous. Or, Meanwhile, MLS sources say Checketts has received clearance from the league to explore relocating his two-year-old franchise and possibly selling it to "serious" investors in St. Louis. Salt Lake City's mayor referred to such a possible sale as reason to cancel Wednesday's council meeting. "Mr. Checketts may have sold the team by this afternoon," Anderson said. The mayor also didn't want to discuss soccer in public, saying the news media could "screw things up for us." That's right. It would be the media's fault. So Re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Early Thoughts on City 2025

By
There are few things harder to keep track of than an MLS side in their off-season, at least for me. Despite the fact it takes place roughly during the time the MLB Hot Stove season is in full swing, it is nowhere near as easy to follow along with as baseball. Part of it is how disconnected MLS is with the international soccer calendar. St. Louis City SC is still digesting the moves it made last summer even though those players have already played important games for the club. It is all weird and disjointed, and I always feel like I am playing catch-up. Happily, the moves made in the off-season this year were not numerous.  German Timo Baumgartl comes over from Europe as an option at center back, which is good because that was a position that was a little rocky for City last season. Given his own troubles over the last few seasons (cancer and uneven play in the aftermath of that), a spell with City can give Baumgartl a chance to have a re-set. Given his pedigree and the fact City si...
Post a Comment
Read more