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Blues Wrap Up 2014 NHL Draft With Strong Suitors

I know it's long overdue, but I just joined the site, so here it is.

The St. Louis Blues wrapped up the 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a sturdy suit of potential players. The Blues, coming off the best season in franchise history, can add a strong list of candidates to their prospect depth.

They picked up 9 talented skaters and one goalie that competed in Finland’s top professional league last year. 5 out of 10 players came in the top 100 and the rest are definitely no sleepers either.

Robby Fabbri: C – 1st Round, 21 overall – Age 18, 5’10" 170lbs – Left Handed

Fabbri is a talented stick handler with great speed and a keen hockey sense.

This kid just completed his second year in the Ontario Hockey League for Guelph Storm posting 45 goals and 42 assists for 87 points in just 58 games, landing him 14th overall for points in the league. He added 13-15--28 in just 16 playoff games. He also helped lead his team to the 2013-14 Memorial Cup Championship – which is like the Stanley Cup of junior hockey – while posting 2-4--6 in 4 matches.

He’s notched 55 goals and 65 assists for 120 points in 117 OHL games with Guelph Storm. He also suited up in red and white to represent the Canada U18 team at the Hlinka Memorial tournament in 2013-14.

He’ll most likely end up back on Guelph Storm’s roster as a team leader during the 2014-15 campaign due to the American Hockey League’s policy that states Canadian Hockey League players – including the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL) – are ineligible to participate in the professional minor leagues until they are 20 years old (by December 31st of that year) or have completed four years of major junior hockey. This prohibits participating in the AHL, and ECHL (East Coast Hockey League). However, players can enter the National Hockey League at 18 if they turn 18 on or before September 15th of the season in which competing.

Ivan Barbashev: C/LW – 2nd Round, 33 overall – Age 18, 6’0" 180lbs – Left Handed

Barbashev was born in Moscow, Russia and competed in his home country’s junior league in 2011-12 before joining the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL in 2012-13. Barbashev is a playmaker above everything but he has a wicked wrister to go along with top-notch skills.

He completed the 2013-14 campaign second on the Wildcats in scoring posting 25 goals and 43 assists for 68 points in just 48 games. He led the team in assists during the regular season and sat atop the roster in points during their short-lived postseason, adding 4-6--10 in just 6 contests.

Overall, Barbs has amassed 43 goals and 87 assists for 130 points in 116 QMJHL games. He’s represented Russia 5 times in his junior career and will likely be returning to Moncton as the teams Captain during the 2014-15 season.

Maxim Letunov: C – 2nd Round, 52 overall – Age 18, 6’2" 155lbs – Left Handed

Letunov hails from Moskva, Russia, has slick hands and a great wrist shot to go along with prime defensive skills.

He just completed his first year in the United States Hockey League (USHL), which is the top junior hockey league in the United States, for the Youngstown Phantoms putting up 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 43 games which was good for third on the team. It was a disappointing season in Youngtown as they finished 14th out of 16 teams while accruing only 17 wins in 60 games.

While Letunov will be returning for the 2014-15 season, he has committed to powerhouse Boston University for 2015-16. He will join the Terriers storied hockey program and hopefully develop great strength, adding to his 6’2" 155lb frame, which will prepare him for the NHL when he graduates.

Jake Walman: D – 3rd Round, 82 overall – Age 18, 6’1" 170lbs – Left Handed

Walman is pest to opposing players on defense with his size, strength, and sheer ability to play quality hockey.

He was ranked 47th overall among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting reports for the 2014 draft and was also the second highest skater that didn’t play in a top junior hockey league.

Walman, who is from Toronto, Ontario, suited up in 43 games for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) in 2013-14 racking up 7 goals and 26 assists for 33 points to go along with 87 penalty minutes.

He’s spent his career in the Toronto but has committed to Providence College for the 2014-15 season where he will suit up for the Friar’s in NCAA Division I hockey. Walman will be a big part of the team and will certainly develop into a top defenseman who could possibly make a transition into the NHL by his junior season, if he wants to.

Ville Husso: G – 4th Round, 94 overall – Age 19, 6’3" 205lbs – Left Catching

Husso is a solid brick wall hailing from Helsinki, Finland. He is a much needed addition in the Blues system with the promotion of Jake Allen to the big time club.

He just finished his first professional season in Finland playing for IFK Helsinki in Finland’s top pro league (Liiga). Even though the team finished 9th out of 14 teams in the regular season, Husso had a very strong year posting a 1.99 goals allowed average to go along with a .923 save percentage. He saw the ice in 41 of 60 games while winning 19, losing 14 in regulation, and losing another 5 in overtime.

Husso is a strong contender in the Blues system and even though he’s only 19, he’ll be eligible to play for St. Louis’ AHL affiliate, Chicago Wolves, in 2014-15 if he decides to bring his game overseas to North America.

Austin Poganksi: RW – 4th Round, 110 overall – Age 18, 6’1" 198lbs – Right Handed

Poganski has a strong physical presence to go along with abundant speed; this kid can really get up and go.

He stuck it out in the United States High School (USHS) league until his junior year when he joined the USHL’s Tri-City Storm in 2012-13 for their two final games. He put up a goal and an assist for them.

In 2013-14, his first full season with Tri-City, he managed to accumulate 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points in 55 games. He also posted 57 penalty minutes but had a rating of minus-27. Although he played for the third worst team in the league, he finished second on the team in goals as well as fourth in points.

Poganski has committed to The University of North Dakota for the 2014-15 season and will round out a prized recruiting class for the Sioux.

Jaedon Descheneau: RW – 5th Round, 124 overall – Age 19, 5’9" 186lbs – Right Handed

Descheneau was overlooked in the 2013 draft and was finally picked this year. He’s a great addition to the Blues and was a sleeper pick going 124 overall. He’s got great hands, playmaking abilities, and total ice vision that let him anticipate plays perfectly before they happen.

He just wrapped up his third year in the WHL with Kootenay Ice, finishing second on the team in points with 44 goals and 54 assists to give him 98 points in 70 games. He’s played with line-mate Sam Reinhart (2nd overall, 2014) the past two years in Kootenay and has amassed 74-102--176 in 139 games. He also added 10-10--20 in 13 playoff games during 2013-14.

Descheneau’s success has been linked strongly to Reinhart’s amazing abilities but this kid proved he’s got what it takes to be a strong NHLer. He’ll most likely go back to Kootenay for his final year during the 2014-15 season and move up to the pro’s in 2015-16.

Chandler "C.J." Yakimowicz: RW – 6th Round, 172 overall – Age 18, 6’2" 198lbs – Right Handed

Yakimowicz is a big guy and a force to be reckoned with. He’s physical, stands up for his teammates, and is not afraid to drop the gloves.

He switched from the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) of the USHL after four games and joined the OHL’s London Knights in 2013-14. He dressed in 33 games and in the process managed only 3 goals and 4 assists for 7 points while dropping the gloves 5 times to add to his 45 penalty minutes.

He was the 153rd-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting and frankly, I’m surprised the Blues selected him as early as they did. This kid’s got potential to be a pest on the ice for opposing teams but so far it’s only potential.

Samuel Blais: LW – 6th Round, 176 overall – Age 18, 5’10" 164lbs – Left Handed

Blais is a good skater with great potential. He’s a playmaking left winger who can find the back of the net when he needs to.

He is coming off his first season in the QMJHL with the Voctoriaville Tigres after making the switch from the Quebec AAA league midway through the 2013-14 season. He managed 4 goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 25 regular season games.

The Blues will keep a close eye on him during the 2014-15 campaign as he competes in his first full season in the QMJHL.

Dwyer Tschantz: RW – 7th Round, 202 overall – Age 19, 6’5" 209lbs – Right Handed

Tschantz is a big, skilled forward with a knack for winning. He’s can score goals all day, find open ice to pick up an assist, and drop the gloves if need be.

Tschantz finished his first full year in the USHL with Indiana Ice and managed to skate away with the Clark Cup after defeating Waterloo to win the playoffs. He notched 24 goals and 20 assists for 44 points in 52 games while skating his way to third overall in points on his squad.

Tschantz has committed to Cornell University for 2014-15 and nicely rounds out the 2014 Blues draft.

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