St. Louis Blues: Top 10 Prospects
7. Nolan Stevens
Last season stats: 17 GP, 10 G, 12 A, 22 P, 12 PIM.
Stevens has put up more points than games for the last two years now, the last coming on a terrific pace. Unfortunately, last season, Stevens also got hurt. Which is why he’s so low – it all depends on how he bounces back from the injury. Luckily, he’s still super young and will be captaining the Northeastern team this year. That’s a leadership role and it means he’ll be freed up for next season.
If Stevens can bounce back, expect him to be able to play with the big boys and to be able to manufacture points. He’s looked like a really good player and might be one of the better Blues centers in a few years.
6. Tage Thompson
Last season stats (with University of Connecticut): 34 GP, 19 G, 13 A, 32 P, 24 PIM. University of Connecticut, NCAA.
Last season stats (with Chicago Wolves): 16 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 P, 2 PIM. Playoffs: 10 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 P, 4 PIM.
A first round pick just last year, Thompson’s development has been… slow, to say the least. I get that not everybody is going to be over a point-per-game in college (but they guy behind Thompson is) but Thompson’s AHL play also leaves a lot to be desired. 16 games played and just 2 points is a whole lot of “meh”.
Again, this is not to say that Thompson is a bad prospect yet. It’s just that the St. Louis Blues expect (and rightfully so) more out of Tage. They’ll look to get that this year, as it’s likely Thompson plays most of the year with AHL affiliates Chicago Wolves and/or San Antonio Stampede.
5. Robert Thomas
Last season stats: 66 GP, 16 G, 50 A, 66 P, 26 PIM. 14 PGP, 3 G, 9 A, 12 P, 6 PIM.
Thomas was the earliest of the Blues’ first round picks of this year’s draft class for the Blues. He’s also a whole lot cleaner than many of the Blues prospects – his 26 PIM are on the low end for the Blues.
Thomas is a better playmaker than goal scorer, and that’s a perfectly fine thing – Joe Thornton made a top 100, Hall of Fame career out of it. If Thomas can do anything close to that, the Blues will be extremely satisfied. Over the last 2 years, including more than 100 games, Thomas has just 19 goals.
But with the vision, hockey sense, intelligence, and playmaking ability that are in Thomas’s tool set surround him with finishers and watch him succeed. Hopefully for the Blues, that’s where Kostin comes in.