By Brian Weidler, "Game Time" Prospect Department
St. Louis Game Time PROSPECT SUNDAYS
In a slow period for Blues' news, prospects have been the story for the organization more often than not in recent weeks. Prospects have gone deep into the playoffs in all three of the major junior leagues, and won championships in two of them, and several recent draftees have signed their first contracts with the Blues, preparing to start their pro careers.
Currently, the Blues have 25 players under contract for next season, and 13 of those players are likely to see time in Peoria next year, including former first-round picks Ian Cole, Lars Eller, and Alex Pietrangelo. Eller, in his first North American pro season, was named to the AHL's mid-season All-Star Team, was named AHL Rookie Of The Month for March 2010, was named to the 2010 AHL All-Rookie Team, and is currently one of the scoring leaders for Team Denmark in the IIHF World Championships.
Six of the thirteen contracted players who are likely bound for Peoria, will follow in in Eller's footsteps and skate in their first pro seasons in 2010-11, giving the Rivermen a half-dozen potential candidates for the 2011 Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's Rookie Of The Year. Junior scoring standouts Tyler Shattock and Philip McRae, CHL 2010 Goaltender of the Year hopeful Jake Allen, and OHL playoff and regular season plus-minus leader Mark Cundari should lead the Rivermen's freshman class this fall.
2008 draft pick (third round, 70th overall) James Livingston is the sole remaining player from that draft who must be signed by June 1, or else the Blues will lose his rights. Fellow 2008 draftees Allen, McRae, Nigro, Pietrangelo and Schultz have already signed; Jori Lehtera (65th overall) and Kristofer Berglund (125th overall) are still under contract to European clubs in Finland and Sweden respectively; and David Warsfosky (95th overall) and goalie Paul Karpowich (185th overall) still have two years of NCAA eligibility remaining at Boston University and Clarkson, respectively.
Check out the Lucky Thirteen, as well as the scoop on free agents who have yet to sign, after the jump.
| ST. LOUIS BLUES 2009-10 PROSPECT STATS |
| Lines with GREY backgrounds denote players above "prospect age" of 25 years. |
| Lines with BLUE backgrounds indicate statistics for players in the NHL at any point in the 2009-10 season. |
| Acq'd | Player | Ps/Sh | Ht | Wt | Birthdate | Birthplace | 2009-10 Club/Lea | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW |
| 1 (18) '07 | COLE, Ian | D/L | 6-01 | 211 | 01-18-89 | Ann Arbor, MI | Peoria (AHL) | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | + 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Notre Dame (CCHA) | 30 | 3 | 16 | 19 | -16 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| F/A '08 | CUNDARI, Mark | D/L | 5-10 | 200 | 04-23-90 | Toronto, ON | Windsor (OHL) | 63 | 8 | 46 | 54 | +45 | 139 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 1 (13) '07 | ELLER, Lars | F/L | 6-00 | 198 | 05-08-89 | Rodovre, DMK | St. Louis (NHL) | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | + 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Peoria (AHL) | 70 | 18 | 39 | 57 | - 1 | 84 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |||||||
| Trade '08 | FAST, T.J. | D/L | 6-01 | 190 | 09-02-87 | Calgary, AB | Peoria (AHL) | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alaska (ECHL) | 46 | 10 | 21 | 31 | -16 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| 2 (33) '08 | McRAE, Philip | C/L | 6-03 | 191 | 03-15-90 | Apple Valley, MN | London (OHL) | 33 | 11 | 26 | 37 | + 4 | 43 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Plymouth (OHL) | 19 | 5 | 9 | 14 | - 1 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| OHL Totals | 52 | 16 | 35 | 51 | + 3 | 64 | 5 | 1 | 5 | |||||||
| USA (U20 WJ) | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 6 (155) '08 | NIGRO, Anthony | C/L | 6-00 | 189 | 01-11-90 | Woodbridge, ON | Ottawa (OHL) | 61 | 16 | 46 | 62 | +14 | 49 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 (160) '07 | PELUSO, Anthony | RW/R | 6-04 | 235 | 04-18-89 | King City, ON | Peoria (AHL) | 22 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - 2 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alaska (ECHL) | 27 | 4 | 7 | 11 | + 1 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| 1 (4) '08 | PIETRANGELO, Alex | D/R | 6-03 | 206 | 01-18-90 | King City, ON | St. Louis (NHL) | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | - 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barrie (OHL) | 25 | 9 | 20 | 29 | +20 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| Canada (U20 WJ) | 6 | 3 | 9 | 12 | + 9 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| F/A '07 | PORTER, Chris | LW/L | 6-01 | 205 | 05-29-84 | Thunder Bay, ON | Peoria (AHL) | 80 | 13 | 18 | 31 | - 4 | 53 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 (87) '08 | SCHULTZ, Ian | RW/R | 6-02 | 200 | 02-04-90 | Calgary, AB | Calgary (WHL) | 70 | 24 | 31 | 55 | + 6 | 150 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 (108) '09 | SHATTOCK, Tyler | RW/R | 6-03 | 190 | 02-03-90 | Salmon Arm, BC | Kamloops (WHL) | 42 | 22 | 28 | 50 | - 1 | 65 | 8 | 0 | 5 |
| Calgary (WHL) | 30 | 8 | 20 | 28 | + 4 | 26 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |||||||
| WHL Totals | 72 | 30 | 48 | 78 | + 3 | 91 | 13 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 3 (85) '07 | SONNE, Brett | C/L | 6-00 | 187 | 03-16-89 | Maple Ridge, BC | Peoria (AHL) | 77 | 11 | 13 | 24 | -15 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Acq'd | Player | Ps/Ct | Ht | Wt | Birthdate | Birthplace | 2009-10 Club/League | GP | Mins | GA | SO | GAA | W-L-OT | Shts | Sv % |
| 2 (34) '08 | ALLEN, Jake | G/L | 6-02 | 175 | 08-07-90 | Fredericton, NB | Montreal (QMJHL) | 23 | 1241 | 55 | 1 | 2.66 | 11-11-0 | 624 | 0.912 |
| Drummondville (QMJHL) | 22 | 1271 | 37 | 3 | 1.75 | 18-3-0 | 550 | 0.933 | |||||||
| QMJHL Totals | 45 | 2512 | 92 | 4 | 2.20 | 29-14-0 | 1174 | 0.922 | |||||||
| Canada (U20 WJ) | 5 | 291 | 10 | 2 | 2.06 | 3-0-0 | 102 | 0.902 |
| ST. LOUIS BLUES 2009-10 PROSPECT STATS -- FREE AGENTS UNSIGNED AS OF 16 MAY 2010 |
| Lines with GREY backgrounds denote players above "prospect age" of 25 years. |
| Lines with BLUE backgrounds indicate statistics for players in the NHL at any point in the 2009-10 season. |
| Acq'd | Player | Ps/Sh | Ht | Wt | Birthdate | Birthplace | 2009-10 Club/Lea | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW |
| F/A '09 | CRACKNELL, Adam | RW/R | 6-03 | 215 | 07-15-85 | Prince Albert, SK | Peoria (AHL) | 76 | 17 | 21 | 38 | + 2 | 40 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 (171) '05 | DRAZENOVIC, Nick | C/L | 6-01 | 200 | 01-14-87 | Prince George, BC | Peoria (AHL) | 58 | 19 | 20 | 39 | - 7 | 40 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| F/A '07 | FLETCHER, Justin | D/L | 5-11 | 180 | 03-30-83 | Maryville, IL | Peoria (AHL) | 42 | 3 | 14 | 17 | + 1. | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trade '09 | GUENIN, Nate | D/R | 6-02 | 210 | 12-10-82 | Sewickley, PA | W-B/Scranton (AHL) | 41 | 3 | 2 | 5 | - 3 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peoria (AHL) | 27 | 2 | 11 | 13 | +14 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| AHL Totals | 68 | 5 | 13 | 18 | +11 | 98 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| Trade '10 | LABRIE, Pierre-Cedric | LW/R | 6-02 | 212 | 12-06-86 | Baie-Comeau, QC | Manitoba (AHL) | 45 | 5 | 1 | 6 | -13 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Peoria (AHL) | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| AHL Totals | 61 | 5 | 2 | 7 | -13 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| 3 (70) '08 | LIVINGSTON, James | RW/R | 6-02 | 213 | 03-08-90 | Halifax, NS | Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) | 36 | 14 | 12 | 26 | +12 | 47 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| Plymouth (OHL) | 24 | 3 | 6 | 9 | + 3 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| OHL Totals | 60 | 17 | 18 | 35 | +15 | 104 | 6 | 0 | 3 | |||||||
| F/A '08 | PADDOCK, Cam | C/R | 6-00 | 180 | 03-22-83 | N. Vancouver, BC | Peoria (AHL) | 80 | 15 | 12 | 27 | -18 | 95 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Trade '09 | PELLETIER, Pascal | RW/L | 5-11 | 197 | 06-16-83 | Labrador City, NL | Syracuse (AHL) | 25 | 3 | 13 | 16 | - 7 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Peoria (AHL) | 55 | 14 | 28 | 42 | + 2 | 41 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |||||||
| AHL Totals | 80 | 17 | 41 | 58 | - 5 | 64 | 5 | 0 | 4 | |||||||
| 5 (156) '05 | REAVES, Ryan | RW/R | 6-02 | 200 | 01-20-87 | Winnipeg, MB | Peoria (AHL) | 76 | 4 | 7 | 11 | -16 | 167 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| F/A '08 | STRACHAN, Tyson | D/R | 6-03 | 225 | 10-20-84 | Melfort, SK | St. Louis (NHL) | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | + 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peoria (AHL) | 65 | 5 | 21 | 26 | - 7 | 75 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| F/A '07 | TALBOT, Julian | C/L | 6-00 | 185 | 03-24-85 | Wahnapitae, ON | Peoria (AHL) | 76 | 17 | 15 | 32 | - 7 | 34 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| Acq'd | Player | Ps/Ct | Ht | Wt | Birthdate | Birthplace | 2009-10 Club/League | GP | Mins | GA | SO | GAA | W-L-OT | Shts | Sv % |
| 3 (85) '05 | BISHOP, Ben | G/L | 6-05 | 205 | 11-21-86 | Denver, CO | Peoria (AHL) | 48 | 2793 | 129 | 0 | 2.77 | 23-18-4 | 1302 | 0.901 |
| Trade '10 | FALLON, Joe | G/L | 6-03 | 210 | 02-01-05 | Bemidji, MN | Rockford (AHL) | 29 | 1545 | 68 | 1 | 2.64 | 15-10-1 | 770 | 0.912 |
| Peoria (AHL) | 10 | 532 | 31 | 0 | 3.50 | 4-6-0 | 280 | 0.889 | |||||||
| AHL Totals | 39 | 2077 | 99 | 1 | 2.86 | 19-16-1 | 1050 | 0.906 |
| ST. LOUIS BLUES 2009-10 PROSPECT STATS -- PLAYERS ON AHL CONTRACTS |
| Acq'd | Player | Ps/Sh | Ht | Wt | Birthdate | Birthplace | 2009-10 Club/Lea | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW |
| Trade '10 | BOYLE, Darryl | D/R | 6-01 | 200 | 02-24-87 | Sparwood, BC | Rockford (AHL) | 52 | 4 | 16 | 20 | - 3 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Peoria (AHL) | 20 | 4 | 5 | 9 | + 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| AHL Totals | 72 | 8 | 21 | 29 | + 5 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 4 (94) '06 | TUREK, Ryan | D/R | 6-00 | 185 | 09-22-87 | Southfield, MI | Alaska (ECHL) | 60 | 3 | 7 | 10 | - 6 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 2 |