Opening "The '15 File:" Silver Seven

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Your "Game Time" Prospect Department proudly presents an in-depth look at the players comprising this year's "Silver Seven," or the seven players at the top of this year's version of our "Hot List."

As things currently stand, the Blues will not pick until 58th overall in the second round, so these players are the ones we think are most likely to still be on the board at that point. Any one of these players would fill a need in the system, and probably represents the "best player available" at 58th overall.

After reading the profiles and scouting reports for each of the "Silver Seven," don't forget to vote in the poll below for which of these players you'd like to see added to the Blues' system at the draft. Sorry, there's no "all of the above" option.

	BLUES' SELECTIONS IN 2015 DRAFT
ROUND	OVERALL	NOTES
2ND	058	...
4TH	094	FROM EDM (Perron Trade)
4TH	118	...
5TH	127	FROM NEJ (D'Agostini Trade)
5TH	148	...
6TH	178	...

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	1.	FILIP AHL
	POSITION	Left Wing	CSS Preliminary			EU "B"
	SHOOTS	Left	CSE Midterm			EU 008
	HEIGHT	6' 03.25"	CSS Final			EU 009
	WEIGHT	211 lbs	...			...
	BORN	June 12, 1997	WHERE			Jönköping, Sweden
SEASON	CLUB/LEAGUE		GP	GL	AS	PT	+-	PM	PP	SH	GW
2014-15	HV71 Jönköping (SHL)		15	0	2	2	- 2	2	0	0	0
	HV71 U20 (SWE Jr)		34	20	22	42	+ 5	53	11	0	3
	... Playoffs		6	3	2	5	- 3	4	3	0	0
	Sweden (U18 WJC)		5	0	3	3	- 6	16	0	0	0

SCOUTING REPORT

Ahl already has a pro frame to work with and plays a powerful game. He’s a powerful skater who has great puck protection along the wall, and he’s tough to move from the front of the net. He’s not a speedster but when he hits his top speed off the wing he’s tough to handle for defensemen. He won’t hesitate at taking the puck to the net; he’s strong as a bull, and tough to knock off his skates. Ahl is a skill player with the puck, and capable of pulling some off some nice dekes around opposing defensemen. He plays a power forward game, and in 24 games against older competition in the SuperElit league (in 2013-14) he had 10 goals and 19 points. At the U17 hockey challenge he had 4 points in 5 games, and during the season also made his debut in the Swedish hockey league playing his first game in the top league in Sweden. (Hockey Prospect.com 2014 Black Book, 2015 Draft Profiles)

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	2.	CHRISTIAN FISCHER
	POSITION	Right Wing	CSS Preliminary			NA "B"
	SHOOTS	Right	CSE Midterm			NA 040
	HEIGHT	6' 01.00"	CSS Final			NA 037
	WEIGHT	212 lbs	...			...
	BORN	Apr. 15, 1997	WHERE			Wayne, IL
SEASON	CLUB/LEAGUE		GP	GL	AS	PT	+-	PM	PP	SH	GW
2014-15	USNTDP U18 (USHL)		25	15	15	30	+16	10	3	1	1
	Tournaments/Exhibition		34	15	11	26	N/A	12	3	0	1
	United States (U18 WJC)		7	1	7	8	+ 2	0	1	0	0

SCOUTING REPORT

One of the most physically ready players in the entire draft, highly competitive center Christian Fischer is a coach’s dream. A quiet leader on and off the ice, Fischer is a dependable two-way player with good offensive upside and is a very coachable player. Willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win, Fischer is a 200 foot player that may be a future NHL captain. Projects on the high end as a second line center in the NHL, but may be best suited in a third line/support type role. The type of player you want on your team when the meaningful games are on the line. (Curtis Deem, alongtheboards.com 2015 Midterm Draft Prospect Rankings)

Powerful forward who is a scary cog in the Fighting Irish pipeline, gets to scoring areas and holds his ground, plays at a high speed especially for his size. Doesn’t seem like the type of player who will thrive in this type of more wide-open game but he can definitely score. (Jasper Kozak-Miller, overtheboards.net, Sep. 25, 2014)

I think I differ from the conventional wisdom a little bit on Fischer too. I've seen some people rank him late first round to early second round, and I haven't had him quite that high on my list. He's every bit of the 6-1 212 lbs. that he's listed at and uses it well. He hits, he protects the well along the boards. But the part that really intrigued me was that I thought he showed some really nice vision on a couple of passes. Still more of a second round-type pick for me, but I can see why people like him. (Chris Dilks, sbncollegehockey.com, Nov. 25, 2014)

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	3.	ROOPE HINTZ
	POSITION	Left Wing	CSS Preliminary			EU "C"
	SHOOTS	Left	CSE Midterm			EU 011
	HEIGHT	6' 02.50"	CSS Final			EU 014
	WEIGHT	185 lbs	...			...
	BORN	Nov. 17, 1996	WHERE			Tampere, Finland
SEASON	CLUB/LEAGUE		GP	GL	AS	PT	+-	PM	PP	SH	GW
2014-15	Ilves Tampere (Liiga)		42	5	12	17	+ 8	10	0	0	1
	... Playoffs		2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Finland (U20 WJC)		5	0	2	2	+ 3	2	0	0	0

SCOUTING REPORT

A highly intelligent Finn who can play the role of scorer or playmaker; has killer instincts and a keen eye for scoring opportunities. Very high hockey-IQ and has incredible awareness on the ice; is able to play the puck creatively, all the while creating space for his adjoining teammates. Creates separation, not through physical play, but through outskating the opposition. His proactivity, recognizing and taking advantage of scoring chances, makes him a valuable teammate and offensive catalyst for whoever he plays with. A very good skater that is able to create chances through his speed. Possesses a hard, accurate release on his shot, as well as good hands and overall puckhandling ability. All-in-all, a prolific scoring threat that continuously plays with jump and provides energy for teammates. (Curtis Joe, Elite Prospects website, 2014)

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	4.	NIKITA KOROSTELEV
	POSITION	Right Wing	CSS Preliminary			NA "B"
	SHOOTS	Right	CSE Midterm			NA 041
	HEIGHT	6' 01.25"	CSS Final			NA 050
	WEIGHT	195 lbs	...			...
	BORN	Feb. 8, 1997	WHERE			Moscow, Russia
SEASON	CLUB/LEAGUE		GP	GL	AS	PT	+-	PM	PP	SH	GW
2014-15	Sarnia (OHL)		55	24	29	53	+ 4	18	3	1	4
	... Playoffs		5	1	2	3	- 1	4	0	0	0

SCOUTING REPORT

Nikita was selected in the first round by the Sarnia Sting and due to joining a young team was able to exhibit his excellent offensive upside right from the start with his outstanding first career OHL goal. Nikita has an NHL level shot right now and is extremely dangerous when given any chance to shoot the puck from anywhere that could be considered a decent scoring area. He is also dangerous on breakaways and in shootouts because of his excellent hands combined with his powerful shot. What goes underrated about Korostelev is, much like (2014 pick Nikita) Goldobin who also has strong finishing ability, Nikita is capable of making creative and intelligent passes and has created a wealth of scoring chances as well as goals for his linemates. Korostelev will challenge defenders one on one and is usually successful. His forecheck can be a little inconsistent but when he’s on he shows great determination and is capable of forcing turnovers. His physical play is also inconsistent, but when he’s in the mood for it, he can hit fairly hard. His skating is effective for someone his size and age but has room for improvement, particularly his first few steps. Nikita will need to improve on his consistency with his forechecking and physicality in addition to improving his first few steps. However with that said, he is among the most pure offensive talents expected to come out of the OHL at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and possesses more size than those who are ahead of him at the moment. (Hockey Prospect.com 2014 Black Book, 2015 Draft Profiles)

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	5.	JULIUS NÄTTINEN
	POSITION	Center	CSS Preliminary			EU "B"
	SHOOTS	Left	CSE Midterm			EU 021
	HEIGHT	6' 01.75"	CSS Final			EU 015
	WEIGHT	191 lbs	...			...
	BORN	Jan. 14, 1997	WHERE			Jyväskylä, Finland
SEASON	CLUB/LEAGUE		GP	GL	AS	PT	+-	PM	PP	SH	GW
2014-15	JYP-Akatemia (Mestis)		39	11	18	29	+ 9	8	1	0	0
	... Playoffs		6	0	0	0	- 3	2	0	0	0
	Finland (U18 WJC)		7	2	2	4	- 1	2	1	0	0

SCOUTING REPORT

Nättinen is a big center who we first saw (in 2012-13) in the province of Quebec for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge when he played as an underager. He showed flashes of a potential there with an already impressive frame for a 15-year-old. This year (2013-14) we got another look at him at the Macs midget tournament in Calgary. He’s a hard working center who plays well at both ends of the rink, and can be used in all situations during a game. He’s a good skater with a nice and heavy shot. He has good offensive instincts, strong playmaking skills, and a good vision. Nättinen is the younger brother of Canadiens prospect Joonas. He played for the JYP U20 team, and had 27 points in 32 games in 2013-14. (Hockey Prospect.com 2014 Black Book, 2015 Draft Profiles)

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	6.	RYAN PILON
	POSITION	Defenseman	CSS Preliminary			NA "B"
	SHOOTS	Left	CSE Midterm			NA 031
	HEIGHT	6' 02.00"	CSS Final			NA 024
	WEIGHT	206 lbs	...			...
	BORN	Oct. 10, 1996	WHERE			Prince Albert, SK
SEASON	CLUB/LEAGUE		GP	GL	AS	PT	+-	PM	PP	SH	GW
2014-15	Brandon (WHL)		68	11	41	52	+36	40	4	0	3
	... Playoffs		15	1	8	9	+ 1	8	0	0	0
	NOTE: Still active in WHL Playoffs.

SCOUTING REPORT

Ryan is a big defender who plays a gritty defensive game while also having some puck-moving skills. He has a late 1996 birthday. He makes a good outlet pass and likes to join the rush. With the puck on his stick, he thinks the game at a high level. He makes safe, simple plays in his end and saves his creativity for the offensive zone. Ryan has seen found some success on the powerplay by both making smart decisions to either distribute the puck with an accurate pass or by using his cannon of a shot from the point. The shot is quite hard, but he’ll have to improve his release as he has a big windup.

Ryan shows good defensive awareness and he plays a reliable enough defensive game that he truly is a twoway player that can play in all game situations. That isn’t to say he is a perfect player. Ryan can be guilty of making bad pinches from time to time and his footwork is sloppy. His skating is below average and will need to improve in all aspects as he can be beaten wide and he sometimes struggles to maintain a tight gap with shiftier players. (Hockey Prospect.com 2014 Black Book, 2015 Draft Profiles)

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	7.	JACK ROSLOVIC
	POSITION	Center	CSS Preliminary			NA "B"
	SHOOTS	Right	CSE Midterm			NA 052
	HEIGHT	6' 00.50"	CSS Final			NA 039
	WEIGHT	182 lbs	...			...
	BORN	Jan. 29, 1997	WHERE			Columbus, OH
SEASON	CLUB/LEAGUE		GP	GL	AS	PT	+-	PM	PP	SH	GW
2014-15	USNTDP U18 (USHL)		25	11	27	38	+19	8	3	0	2
	Tournaments/Exhibition		33	10	20	30	N/A	16	3	0	2
	United States (U18 WJC)		7	6	5	11	+11	4	2	0	0

SCOUTING REPORT

He shows a bit of jump in his game as he can skate well and has some decent puck skills as well to go along with that speed. He posted some decent numbers with NTDP-17 this past season (2013-14) with 15 goals and 16 assists in 54 games played. (Hockey Prospect.com 2014 Black Book, 2015 Draft Profiles)

Another dynamic, very smart and skilled forward headed to Miami whose development is going just swimmingly. He looked like one of the best players on the ice for the NTDP during the USHL Atlantic Challenge. (Jasper Kozak-Miller, overtheboards.net, Sep. 25, 2014)

Roslovic has always been a player with great hands. Last year, he hadn't quite filled out enough to make a big impact with the U17 team. This year, he's added a little weight and made a bigger impact in some of the USHL games I've seen the NTDP play, but wasn't much of a factor against older, bigger NCAA competition. He's on the path, but he's not quite there yet. He still needs a few years to develop, but his playmaking ability is an exciting asset. (Chris Dilks, sbncollegehockey.com, Nov. 25, 2014)