By Brian Weidler, "Game Time" Prospect Department
AT TIMES LIKE THIS:
...one wants to put things into perspective a little bit.
"The Dark Knight Rises" is an awesome movie. What happened in Aurora is awful.
Thoughts and prayers to all affected by this tragedy, that happened in a city not far at all from where I grew up.
Now, back to your regularly-scheduled hockey coverage.
SUMMER 2012 "GAME TIME" BLUES' PROSPECT RANKING CONTINUES:
The results are in, and in a two-horse race, 2011-12 AHL All-Rookie Team member Cade Fairchild nosed out 2012 first-round pick Jordan Schmaltz by six votes for the seventh seed in the 2012 "Game Time" Blues Prospect Ranking.
Fairchild earned 29 votes, while Schmaltz garnered 23. Between them, the two American-born defense prospects picked up 41% of the total vote in this week's poll.
Coming in a surprising third was Swedish forward Sebastian Wännström; the native of Gavle picked up 13 votes in anticipation of his North American debut at training camp, and with Peoria in the fall. Wännström, defenseman Joel Edmundson, and center Ryan Tesink were the only other prospects in this week's poll to earn vote totals in double figures.
Added to this week's poll is yet another defense prospect, 2012 Entry Draft selection Nicholas Walters, and another Western League player who will be making his pro debut this fall, winger Cody Beach. Let me know in the comments if you feel that it's time for the organization's other goaltending prospects -- the likely Alaska-bound Paul Karpowich, OHLer Jordan Binnington, QMJHL 'tender Francois Tremblay, and Swede Niklas Lundström -- to be included in the conversation as well.
Cast your vote and make your voice heard, "Game Time" fans...
ST. LOUIS BLUES TOP 20 PROSPECTS (1 THRU 8):
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1. | Vladimir TARASENKO | |||||||||
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| RW, shoots L. 5' 11, 210 lbs. Born 12-31-91, Novosibirsk, RUS. | STL 2nd pick (16th overall) in 2010 Entry Draft. |  |
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| 2011-12 | Sibir/SKA (KHL) | 54 GP, 23-24-47, plus-18, 15 PM, 7 PPG, 0 SHG, 6 GWG. 0.870 Pts/Gm. | |||||||||
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2. | Jaden SCHWARTZ | |||||||||
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| LW, shoots L. 5' 10, 180 lbs. Born 06-25-92, Melfort, SK. | STL 1st pick (14th overall) in 2010 Entry Draft. |  |
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| 2011-12 | Colorado College (WCHA) | 30 GP, 15-26-41, plus-6, 18 PM, 5 PPG, 0 SHG, 4 GWG. 1.367 Pts/Gm. | |||||||||
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3. | Ty RATTIE | |||||||||
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| RW, shoots R. 5' 11, 170 lbs. Born 02-05-93, Airdrie, AB. | STL 1st pick (32nd overall) in 2011 Entry Draft. | |
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| 2011-12 | Portland (WHL) | 69 GP, 57-64-121, plus-23, 54 PM, 26 PPG, 4 SHG, 9 GWG. 1.754 Pts/Gm. | |||||||||
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4. | Ian COLE | |||||||||
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| D, shoots L. 6' 01, 225 lbs. Born 02-21-89, Ann Arbor, MI. | STL 2nd pick (18th overall) in 2007 Entry Draft. |  |
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| 2011-12 | St. Louis (NHL) | 26 GP, 1-5-6, plus-7, 22 PM, 0 PPG, 0 SHG, 0 GWG. 0.231 Pts/Gm. | |||||||||
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5. | Jake ALLEN | |||||||||
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| G, catches L. 6' 02, 195 lbs. Born 08-07-90, Fredericton, NB. | STL 3rd pick (34nd overall) in 2008 Entry Draft. | |
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| 2011-12 | Peoria (AHL) | 37 GP, 2088 Mins, 99 GA, 1203 SA, 2.84 GAA, 13-19-2, 1 SO, 0.918 Sv %. | |||||||||
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6. | Philip McRAE | |||||||||
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| C, shoots L. 6' 02, 200 lbs. Born 03-15-90, Apple Valley, MN. | STL 2nd pick (33rd overall) in 2008 Entry Draft. | |
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| 2011-12 | Peoria (AHL) | 71 GP, 23-16-39, minus-10, 26 PM, 7 PPG, 0 SHG, 2 GWG. 0.549 Pts/Gm. | |||||||||
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7. | Cade FAIRCHILD | |||||||||
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| D, shoots L. 5' 11, 190 lbs. Born 01-15-89, Duluth, MN. | STL 7th pick (96th overall) in 2007 Entry Draft. | |
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| 2011-12 | Peoria (AHL) | 68 GP, 8-26-34, plus-26, 32 PM, 2 PPG, 0 SHG, 3 GWG. 0.500 Pts/Gm. | |||||||||
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8. | Jordan SCHMALTZ | |||||||||
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| D, shoots R. 6' 02, 189 lbs. Born 10-08-93, Verona, WI. | STL 1st pick (25th overall) in 2008 Entry Draft. | |
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| 2011-12 | Sioux City/Green Bay (USHL) | 55 GP, 10-31-41, plus-11, 29 PM, 5 PPG, 1 SHG, 2 GWG. 0.745 Pts/Gm. | |||||||||