2009 NHL Draft: St. Louis Blues Draft Review

by Tomorrows Blues on Jun 28, 2009 1:45 PM CDT in Game Time Prospect Department Comment 10 comments

"I personally believe in building a strong defense because that's where you also start your offense, when you have defensemen who can move the puck up quickly and have a good transition game, who understand the game and have good vision and puck movement skills. That's when you build strong offensive teams as well. If you have a situation where you have two players that you compare to each other and they're very close, I'd say that I would lean towards taking the defenseman if those guys are pretty much on the same level."

-- Jarmo Kekalainen on "The Bernie Miklasz Show," 101.1 FM ESPN radio, May 27

Kekalainen clung tightly to that philosophy this weekend, selecting three defensemen out of the six total picks the Blues made in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

After the break, learn everything you ever wanted to know about the six players drafted by the Blues on Friday and Saturday in Montreal.

ST. LOUIS BLUES 2009 NHL ENTRY DRAFT SELECTIONS

Rnd	Ovr	Player	Pos	Sht	Height	Weight	Birthdate	Birthplace	2008-09 Club	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PP	SH	GW
1	17	RUNDBLAD, David	D	R	6-02	189	10-08-90	Lycksele, Sweden	Skellefteå AIK (SEL)	45	0	10	10	+ 3	8	0	0	0
2	48	PONICH, Brett	D	L	6-07	205	02-22-91	Beaumont, AB	Portland (WHL)	71	1	17	18	-19	117	0	0	0
3	78	ANDRONOV, Sergei	LW	L	6-02	189	07-19-89	Moscow, Russia	Lada Togliatti (KHL)	47	8	5	13	+ 1	22	3	0	2
4	108	SHATTOCK, Tyler	RW	R	6-03	190	02-02-90	Salmon Arm, BC	Kamloops (WHL)	68	30	39	69	- 4	82	19	2	5
6	168	SHIELDS, David	D	R	6-03	216	03-28-91	Rochester, NY	Erie (OHL)	61	1	16	17	+24	28	0	0	0
7	202	TARDY, Max	C	L	5-11	170	10-27-90	Duluth, MN	Duluth East (HS-MN)	25	28	20	48	+ 2	20	6	3	4

The scouting reports below are composited from five major sources -- NHL.com, International Scouting Services' monthly "Future Stars" reports, the "McKeens Hockey Prospects" website, the "Russian Prospects.com" website, and the "Elite Prospects" website.

...	SCOUTING REPORTS	...	...
	*Rundblad Scouting Report* -- A smooth-skating defenseman ... played well during the SEL playoffs, named best d-man at the U19 4 Nations tournament in Russia ... loves to jump up in the play and moves well all over the ice ... has good vision and is able to make the first pass ... loves to push the puck, puts passes on his teammates' tape with authority ... has the patience to hold onto the puck that extra split second to give teammates time to shake free ... has good size and strength, but often can be passive in defensive coverage, especially around his net where he needs to play the body more ... his game has gotten better as the year has progressed. NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKING: 6 Europe
	*Ponich Scouting Report* -- Still needs to add some meat to his 6-foot-7, 205-pound frame ... fairly heavy slap shot when he gets all of it ... does not have leite-level stickhandling skills, but has good footwork for a player his size ... needs to develop his passing skills; outlet passes are not always on the mark, which puts the intended target in a poor position to do much with the pass ... does have the ability to carry the puck up the ice, and the mobility to elude checkers ... will pinch in from the point ... works hard along the boards for loose pucks ... size give him a long wingspan, which helps him create turnovers ... a regular on the penalty kill. NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKING: 151 North America
	*Andronov Scouting Report* -- Played on both the top line and top power play unit for Team Russia at the U-20 World Juniors ... a gifted player with very nice puck distribution skills and very good hockey sense ... has great hands and is able to weave around defenders to create space ... mot a big hitter, but he doesn't shy from contact ... has seen his draft stock rise in the second half of the season ... speed, technique and game without the puck make him a solid prospect, and experience gained in the last two seasons make him a more NHL-ready prospect ... Ranked fifth-best prospect in Russia for the 2009 Entry Draft by "Russian Prospects.com." NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKING: 24 Europe
	*Shattock Scouting Report* -- Special teams player who contributes on both PP and PK ... long reach makes him a formidable defender on the PK, as it allows him to cut off passing lanes and pressure the puckhandler ... defensive tenacity during even strength shifts leaves a lot to be desired ... appears to be more aggressive in the attacking zone, where he utilizes his 6-03, 190-pound frame on the forecheck and pursues the puck ... biggest assets are his vision and passing skills ... sees the ice well and shows the ability to make a quality wing-to-wing pass in transition ... he is most potent around the goal, where he can be precise in setting up teammates. NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKING: Not Ranked
	*Shields Scouting Report* -- Has made tremendous steps in defending but still struggles occasionally at this level (major junior) ... he has size and a maturing offensive game ... is becoming more daring with the puck, as he will make routine rushes up the ice, often finding himself as far below as the back of the opposition's net ... breakouts need to be more calculated, as they often leave his team shorthanded coming back ... an OK skater, his size and in particular his long stride swallow up the ice ... has the appearance of a laboring skater, but his speed and mobility rarely see him get beat in this league .. his game is very raw at this point. NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKING: Not Ranked
	*Tardy Scouting Report* -- Minnesota-Duluth recruit and 2009 Minnesota "Mr. Hockey" finalist ... an intelligent center that is involved and influential around the puck every shift ... has quick feet and above-average speed, and sees the ice well enough to weave past opponents while carrying the puck ... will only become faster on the puck with added leg strength ... Tardy isn't scared of traffic, but still needs to improve on his balance and enhance his muscularity; not very big, and often ends up on his back in the trenches ... patient and poised with the puck, Tardy is a cerebral player who hangs back and surveys his options before striking ... can be slippery with lateral moves. NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING FINAL RANKING: 144 North America

Poll

Grade the Blues' 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

A: Jarmo and Co. came through with flying colors once again.

42 votes

B: Some of the picks are excellent, some... meh.

84 votes

C: Average; not what we expected from the best scouts in the NHL.

37 votes

D: Below average; definitely not what we were looking for.

7 votes

F: Was im Hoelle denkst du, Herr Kekalainen?

3 votes

173 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

How about an option that says, "Can I let you know in a year or two?" :)

Such a crapshoot. Am I happy we didn’t grab Kreider or Ferraro or Schroeder? No. Do I know nearly as much as Jarmo and Co.? Of course not. But it’s tough when we fans don’t see the players draft that we wanted.

Jarmo and Co. have earned the benefit of the doubt to this point. But as of right now I’m not thrilled. And I would have liked them to have taken a chance on a goalie. O Roy maybe?

The Artist formerly known as "DenverCardsFan" .

Love me some Cards and Blues....

by HockeyHippie on Jun 28, 2009 2:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I am actually starting to allow myself to be talked off the ledge. If ever we had the depth to

swing for the fences, this would be the time. Gotta look 3-5 years down the road as an organIzation. So here’s hoping we hit a home run with one of more of those picks.

Sorry for answering own comment lol.

The Artist formerly known as "DenverCardsFan" .

"If you can get a fraction of (Boston's) Zdeno Chara, that's upside. That's what we try to aim at, rather than somebody that's average across the board. I'd much rather take a chance at something than just go for safe or average. You can pick up average players from the waivers."

--Jarmo Kekalainen, St Louis Blues Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting

by HockeyHippie on Jun 28, 2009 3:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

At first I was like hmmm...

Going into the draft I was thinking of the players that could hop into next season. Then I recalled trying to figure out how all these kids could ever be on the same roster. Then I got mad because I was thinking damn we’re loaded.

I started getting the suspicion defense was a need. Didn’t know that much about this year’s draft like other years. Knew a handful of players, mostly North American. I’m impressed by the picks. We needed big forwards so they got one. We needed some defensemen they got’em. Instead of going for the boring picks that you can’t really hope too much from Jarmo took some chances. I like that.

I like all of the forwards drafted. I have no issues there. I really like the Swedish defender we picked up. I like the idea of trying to get something from a big kid as a project. Shields seems also to be a creative project. Reading the scouting report here about him I like what it said. There’s a lot he can learn and work on that can be taught and gained with experience. He’s showing signs that he’s stepping up his game which means he has a chance to make something happen.

by Henry Miller's Used Penis on Jun 28, 2009 4:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Given where we are as an organization...

…a draft like this is OK. But the only way to evaluate it will be in a few years. Seems there is a lot of upside AND a lot of question marks. Getting bigger can be a help and we certainly have the depth to allow for a defensive “project” or two.

I’ll play wait and see.

by Rich of GASL on Jun 28, 2009 4:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I find it interesting that people thing the Blues should have "swung for the fences" with these picks

and then when they go off the board those people are like, “who are these guys they’re picking?”

Swinging for the fences with boom-or-bust selctions is pretty similar to going off the board. TJ Oshie is the best example I can come up with. He was rated 111 when the Blues took him at 24 and there were boatloads of people bashing that pick.

If your 6’7 defenseman develops and becomes what you think he can (by virtue of taking him about 100 spots ahead of his ISS ranking) then you have swung for the fences… and hit a home run. If he never plays a game in the NHL you’ve swung for the fences… and struck out.

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 28, 2009 4:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Exactly. During the draft I was thinking, "WTF?"

But now, after looking at the entire organization as opposed to each individual pick in a vacuum, things make a little more sense.

Reminds me a lot of the Denver Broncos’ recent draft. The MSM and many Bronco fans were upset they grabbed Moreno with their first pick, thinking “we need defense”. But when you look at the needs of the organization as a whole and the idea of grabbing the best player available who emodies what new Coach McDaniels’ wants in a player, it all makes sense. The folks at www.milehighreport.com helped explain it all as well.

Bottom line, I am fine with accepting Jarmo and the boys know way more than I do regarding player talent, evaluation and organizational needs and plans. I doubt any team bats 1.000 with every draft. Here’s just hoping our guys have found an impact player or two in this year’s draft.

--Jarmo Kekalainen, St Louis Blues Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting

by HockeyHippie on Jun 28, 2009 6:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Come again?

He was rated 111 when the Blues took him at 24 and there were boatloads of people bashing that pick.

What fools dared to bash the drafting of the King of St. Louis?!?

by SouthernBlue on Jun 28, 2009 11:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

On an email chain I was on, someone brought up the old emails from 2005.

And there were definitely some doubters. Doing a quick Google check I found this old thread from Hockeysfuture.com. Some definite doubters, but I’m sure if you read all 27 pages you’ll see the tide turn as his career at UND got going….

SWYD

by gallagher on Jun 29, 2009 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

This draft was something else, alright.

Certainly nothing I expected, but certainly very exciting as far as the possible hit-or-miss factor is concerned.

I’m definitely gonna keep an eye on these kids, because it appears we MAY have a few diamonds in the rough . . .

"The world is getting to be such a dangerous place, a man is lucky to get out of it alive." -- W.C. Fields

by Donut King on Jun 28, 2009 8:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I as agree.

I especially like the forward selections. Maybe not the Russian but if he stays and plays in North America it would be a tremendous pick, but given the past.

Jarmo has proven himself. Not every pick is perfect, there’s a hell of lot that has to do with any kid’s desire to play and how they are willing to put in the time.

by Henry Miller's Used Penis on Jun 29, 2009 12:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs