St Louis Blues

When Ken Hitchcock took over the St. Louis Blues as head coach early in the 2011-12 season, the club had a record of six wins and seven losses. From that point on, Hitchcock guided a young and talented group to a 43-15-0 record and raised expectations for the future.

He has been living with those expectations ever since 2011-12.

Any discussion of Hitchcock as a coach has to include a major nod to the defensive side of the game. This article by NHL Whiteboard from early 2013 does an outstanding job of describing the strong attention to defensive detail involved in Hitchcock's scheme.

That defensive acumen remains to this day, with the Blues currently second overall in shots against per game this year.

The major issue for Hitchcock in St. Louis has been scoring enough goals to keep pace in the Western Conference. In 2011-12, the Chicago Blackhawks scored 2.94 goals per game compared to the Blues' 2.51. The gap remained strong in the 2012-13 season before St. Louis improved in 2013-14 to 2.92 goals per game.

The results in the postseason have remained the same, with the Blues bowing out in Round 1 twice and Round 2 once since Hitchcock took over in St. Louis.

The personification of the stifling style might be David Perron, who was a role player with St. Louis until being dealt to the Edmonton Oilers, where he blossomed and scored 28 goals in 2013-14.

Hitchcock told Norm Sanders of the Belleville News-Democrat (h/t Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal) about Perron's ability and the challenges faced by the player fitting into the system:

He was a dangerous player offensively, so the other team was always on edge against him.

I don’t look at top skilled players as anything else than there’s some risk with those players — and as long as those players are working hard and competing, then the risk is worth it. The times that I was disappointed in him was when he stopped playing reckless and he started to play careful.

When he played careful or tried to play and put the skill in ahead of the work, he knew that the coaching staff wasn’t going to be happy with him.

The problem with Hitchcock in St. Louis is the club's hard work often fails the team at the wrong time, an example being its lack of power-play success in the 2013-14 postseason.

His preference for hard-working role players—expressed above in the Perron comment—leaves the Blues so far behind teams like the Chicago Blackhawks that they have to play perfect defensive hockey to compete.

The Hitchcock era has been long on defense and short on postseason results in St. Louis.

During the summer, the Blues added free agent Paul Stastny in an effort to give the team a top offensive option to help counter the vaunted offensive output of the Blackhawks. The idea was that if the Blues could deliver more than one scoring line at even strength and improve the power play, they would be less vulnerable to short-term slumps than in the past.

So far the Blues aren't having a lot of success offensively, as injuries are impacting the team. They are averaging 2.4 goals per game, which ranks outside the top 20 overall this season.

All is not lost, as Hitchock's team appears to be developing some important secondary options while the elite gunners are out of action.

The slow start and injuries could be a blessing in disguise. Stastny and last season's top Blues scorers—Alex Steen, T.J. Oshie and Backes—are not scoring at established levels, but a younger group is taking advantage of the opportunity.

Vladimir Tarasenko, Jaden Schwartz and newcomer Jori Lehtera are all enjoying impressive starts, and when the veterans get healthy, St. Louis should have better scoring depth.

The big issue short-term is injuries, with Stastny, Backes and Oshie all having issues that kept them—or are keeping them—out of action in recent weeks.

Once everyone returns, things should get interesting. The final step in success may come when Hitchcock is forced to ice two or even three offense-first lines later in the year. His buttoned-down style will remain, but the addition of Stastny is a strong move and the increased offensive depth gives the Blues an intriguing set of options.

Backes and Oshie have been successful together over several seasons and can play a tough, physical style. Stastny had excellent chemistry early in the season with Steen, and that duo could form an outstanding top line when everyone is healthy.

Schwartz and Tarasenko are creating magic on their own and have been a nice landing spot for newcomer Lehtera this season. That trio could be something special if it remains together for the rest of the season.

There's also evidence that Hitchcock and his coaching staff are thinking outside the box.

An article by NHL.com's Dan Rosen published on November 3 discusses the possibility of Backes moving to right wing on a line with centered by the currently injured Stastny. Rosen notes that could happen as early as November 6.

A Hitchcock team with Stastny, Backes, Steen and a quality complementary group of scoring forwards may give St. Louis fans a formidable team to cheer for as the season wears on.

It will be interesting to see what happens with a completely healthy Blues lineup later in the year.

Stats courtesy of NHL.com and Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com.

Updates from Saturday, Nov. 1

The St. Louis Blues provide an update on David Backes' injury:

Backes will be in the lineup tonight. #stlblues #OurBlues

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 1, 2014

Updates from Friday, Oct. 31

Andy Strickland of 550 KTRS Radio has an update on David Backes' status:

David Backes skating and looking strong. Still needs clearance to play #stlblues

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) October 31, 2014

The Blues had more on Backes:

Hitchcock on Backes: "Obviously if he feels 100% (tomorrow), then he'll be able to play. If not, we'll keep moving forward." #stlblues

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 31, 2014

Original Text

The St. Louis Blues have struggled out of the gate this season, and things won't get any easier with captain David Backes set to miss some time.

According to the Blues' official Twitter account, both Backes and fellow forward T.J. Oshie will be forced to sit out Thursday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks due to concussions:

Both Backes and Oshie won't play tonight. Hitchcock says both have been diagnosed with concussions. #stlblues

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 30, 2014

Backes' injury was suffered during St. Louis clash with the Dallas Stars Tuesday. It seemed to occur when the American forward was hit by Stars defenseman Trevor Daley, per Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest:

Trevor Dayley interferes David Backes....no call #stlblues

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) October 29, 2014

After that collision, Backes was removed from the game:

David Backes has an upper-body injury and will not return to tonight's game. #stlblues #OurBlues

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 29, 2014

According to Steve Hunt of NHL.com, head coach Ken Hitchcock was initially uncertain of Backes' status following the contest.

"He's going to be re-evaluated tomorrow," Hitchcock said. "It was precautionary. We're just going to have to see what the doctors say tomorrow."

It was ultimately determined that Backes is concussed, which obviously complicates matters moving forward. Everyone recovers from head injuries differently, so there is no telling when Backes might return.

With the Blues sitting at just 4-3-1, though, they are certainly hoping that their leader isn't in the press box for long.

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Updates from Thursday, Nov. 6

Lou Korac of NHL.com has an update on Paul Stastny:

Stastny confirms he's in the lineup tonight vs. #NJDevils. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) November 6, 2014

Updates from Tuesday, Nov. 4 

The St. Louis Blues provide an update from coach Ken Hitchcock, who spoke about Paul Stastny's status:

Hitchcock on Stastny's status: "I would say he's days away, not weeks. We'll see when he gives us the green light."

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 4, 2014

Updates from Thursday, Oct. 30

Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register has an update on Paul Stastny:

Hitch also ruled Stastny (shoulder) out. Blues missing top two pivots.

— Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) October 30, 2014

Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 29

Lou Korac of NHL.com provides an update on Paul Stastny's status:

Hitch has not ruled Stastny out for tomorrow. Said he is close. #stlblues

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 29, 2014

Original Text:

St. Louis Blues center Paul Stastny suffered a shoulder injury and has been placed on injured reserve by the team.

The Blues' official account passed along the news of Stastny's ailment:  

The Blues have recalled Dmitrij Jaskin from the Chicago Wolves and placed Paul Stastny on injured reserve. >>> http://t.co/vadIyKgXtY

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) October 24, 2014

After spending eight seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, Stastny was expected to be an integral part of the Blues' success this season. Through four games this season, Stastny had already registered one goal and three assists.

Prior to being placed on IR, Stastny was skating with the team, but in a limited fashion, per Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Stastny has skated the past two days but hasn't shot pucks. #stlblues

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) October 24, 2014

The move leaves a spot open for Dmitrij Jaskin from the Chicago Wolves. Jaskin had a limited role with the Blues last season, notching one goal and one assist in 18 games played. His production won't fill the void of Stastny, but it can add some production to other lines.

Losing Stastny is a huge blow for St. Louis, which is already off to a slow start at 2-3-1 this season. In order to get the offense and the team as a whole back on track, Stastny's health and production will be crucial.

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The St. Louis Blues are one of two Western Conference teams to have reached 100 points (prorated for 2013) the past three seasons. In the NHL's superior conference, only the Chicago Blackhawks have matched that level of play since 2011-12.

Hmmm. What is the small, subtle difference between the teams when it comes to measuring success? What could it be? 

Oh, of course. The Blackhawks have won six playoff series (and a Stanley Cup in 2013) over the past three seasons while the Blues have one series victory in 2012 and are 8-13 in playoff games.

The Blues have been an excellent regular-season team since Ken Hitchcock took over as coach early in the 2011-12 season, but the postseason has been an unmitigated disaster.

With a new season approaching, those things seem unlikely to change.

What We Learned in 2013-14

On the surface, last season's Blues seemed a lot like the teams from two years prior: play well in the regular season, pile up points, get dispatched with relative ease by the Blackhawks or the Kings (in this case, it was the Blackhawks). 

But what made it different than the shortened 2013 season or the 2011-12 season was the Blues seem to have been tricked into believing they were an offensive juggernaut that needed goaltending help when nothing could have been further from the truth.

In 2013, the Blues averaged 2.58 goals per game; in 2011-12, they averaged 2.51 goals per game.

Despite having virtually the same lineup in 2013-14, the Blues averaged 2.92 goals per game, the seventh-best mark in the league. When the Blues made their big deadline move of trading Jaroslav Halak for Ryan Miller, they were averaging a whopping 3.20 goals per game.

Instead of identifying that goal total as fluky, one based mostly on luck and inordinately high shooting percentage, the Blues decided to address an area that didn't need addressing (goaltending) and watched as their offense submarined yet another successful season.

The Blues scored 50 goals over their final 23 games (2.17) then lost in six games in the first round to the Blackhawks, scoring six goals in the four losses. It was a correction the Blues should have seen coming, yet they paid no mind to the math and were sent home early once again.

It didn't help that Miller posted a .903 save percentage in 19 regular-season games and an .897 in six postseason appearances. But again, since he arrived in St. Louis with a .923 save percentage in Buffalo and a career .918 mark, it should have been expected that a 34-year-old goaltender would regress to his lifetime numbers.

A different trade deadline move could've meant a different result for the Blues.

This summer, the Blues finally addressed the need to fortify their forward group, although the goaltending situation may not get any better than it was down the stretch last season with Miller.

Outlook for 2014-15

Hey, check it out, the Blues realized they needed forward help this summer!

Four years and $28 million is what it cost to land free-agent center Paul Stastny, a top-line center who is good for 20-plus goals, 60-plus points and terrific possession numbers. He's the player the Blues have needed for years, and now, they finally have him. They rule.

So just how much better and deeper does the addition of Stastny make the Blues?

Left wing	Center	Right wing
Alex Steen	David Backes	TJ Oshie
Jaden Schwartz	Paul Stastny	Vladimir Tarasenko
Patrik Berglund	Jori Lehtera	Dmitrij Jaskin
Magnus Paajarvi	Maxim Lapierre	Steve Ott
Chris Porter, Joakim Lindstrom, Ryan Reaves

Those top two lines are interchangeable, but the bottom-six isn't exactly a strength. The Blues' decision to re-sign Steve Ott and allow Vladimir Sobotka to walk over a few hundred thousand dollars wasn't a prudent one, mainly because Sobotka is much better at hockey than Ott. 

The scoring depth of the Blues was also depleted with the loss of Chris Stewart (he was part of the hilarious Ryan Miller trade) and the departure of Brenden Morrow, who is far from in his prime but delivered 13 goals in 71 games last season. Stewart had 15 goals in 58 games, and Sobotka had nine goals in 61 games.

Individually, those don't seem like major losses, but together, that's some significant depth the Blues lost this summer.

Left defense	Right defense	Goaltenders
Jay Bouwmeester	Alex Pietrangelo	Brian Elliott
Carl Gunnarsson	Kevin Shattenkirk	Jake Allen
Jordan Leopold	Barret Jackman
Ian Cole, Chris Butler

There may not be a better team in the NHL along the blue line than the Blues, and they may have gotten a little better by dealing the slow-footed Roman Polak to the Leafs for the much quicker Carl Gunnarsson. Considering the Blues' situation in net this season, a decline in performance in this area could be devastating.

The Blues are hitching their goaltending wagon to Brian Elliott and Jake Allen. Elliott was deemed not good enough to start over either Halak or Miller last season while Allen had a very impressive .928 save percentage in the AHL last season, but he has just 15 games of NHL experience.

The Blackhawks have proven that as long you're icing an excellent team in front of a goaltender, the goaltender doesn't matter quite that much. But can it be said that either Elliott or Allen is better than Corey Crawford at this stage of their careers?

Elliott hasn't made as many as 48 starts in a season once in his seven-year career and has an .898 save percentage in 18 career playoff games. He is a career .911 goaltender, and while he is coming off a season in which he posted a .922 save percentage, it would be foolhardy to believe he could match that over at least half a season.

The fortunes of the Blues will likely come down to how well two young players perform this season: Allen and Vladimir Tarasenko.

If Allen, 24, proves he can be close to the goaltender he was in the AHL last season—though he was at .904 the previous season, so who knows what he will be at the NHL level—it would mitigate the loss of Halak. But if he's just average and Elliott doesn't perform up to the expectations, the Blues could be in serious trouble.

One thing that could offset shaky goaltending is more offense, and that could come from the 22-year-old Tarasenko in his third season. He had 21 goals in 64 games last season and four goals in six playoff games. He seems to be getting more comfortable, and a 30-goal season isn't out of the question.

The Blues seem to be a no-brainer as a preseason pick to make the playoffs, but there are some question marks hovering around them. Secondary scoring could be an issue, as could goaltending, and with the rest of the West improving around them, a miss of the playoffs wouldn't be as surprising as many would think.

This is year four of Hitchcock in St. Louis. In year four with the Flyers, he was fired after a 1-6-1 start in 2007. In year four with the Blue Jackets in 2010, he was fired during the season after going 22-27-9. In both cases, Hitchcock's teams suffered first-round losses the previous season.

Just some food for thought if you're thinking Hitchcock is on the hot seat in St. Louis.

All statistics via NHL.com.

Dave Lozo covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter: @DaveLozo.

If there are any reservations anymore about the approximate talent of the St. Louis Blues, it all lies with their goaltending.

It did last year, when Blues’ general manager Doug Armstrong boldly traded for Ryan Miller near the trade deadline. With Miller in their system, the Blues’ weaknesses seemed absent. But as every gambler knows, great risk does not always translate into great reward.

The Blues faltered in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. Ryan Miller’s goals-against average was a paltry 2.70, with a save percentage south of .900.

Miller’s tenure with the St. Louis Blues was tragically average, and the blockbuster trade that sent him to St. Louis will likely pan out historically as a dud. Perhaps the hardest pill to swallow is the fact that the Blues are now back to square one.

Neither Brian Elliott nor Jake Allen are accepted as NHL-caliber starting goaltenders. Brian Elliott has had great success as an alternate starter with Jaroslav Halak for the last three seasons, but he’s always settled behind Halak on the Blues’ depth chart and many feel that he has not yet proven with certainty that he can be the undisputed No. 1 guy in the crease.

Jake Allen had the best season of his professional career last season with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. He had a career-high 33 wins in 52 starts and his 2.03 GAA led the entire American Hockey League. He’s also had reasonable success at the NHL level, and it seems like the Blues have him pegged to be their future in net.

But despite Allen’s emergence, Head Coach Ken Hitchcock has stated that the No. 1 job now exclusively belongs to Brian Elliott. And anyone who has watched Elliott and the Blues come to form in the last few seasons knows that no one in the organization has earned the opportunity for a bigger role more than Brian Elliott.

Elliott signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Blues in 2011 with no guarantee of a roster spot. After outdueling Ben Bishop for a spot at the end of the bench, Elliott went on to win 11 of his first 12 starts, allowing two goals or fewer in all of them—a feat that had not been accomplished in the league for 70 years.

Elliott ended the 2011-12 NHL season with a league-leading 1.56 GAA, a .940 SV percentage, 9 shutouts and an All-Star nod. He and Halak tied a modern-day NHL record by recording a combined 15 shutouts during the regular season, and—as a result of having the lowest goals-against average in the entire league—also shared the William M. Jennings Trophy.

That’s quite the recompense for a signing that was meant to be—at its base—a low-risk insurance policy.

Elliott’s heaviest critics will point to the fact that he has had little playoff success, and they’re right. In 18 playoff games with the Ottawa Senators and the Blues, Elliott has a 6-10 record and sports a 2.55 GAA along with a .898 SV percentage. And those of us with long memories still recall the Slava Voynov overtime goal that put the Kings up 3-2 in the 2013 NHL playoffs and the Dustin Penner buzzer beater that won the series for the Kings that same year.

But Elliott’s playoff sample size is small, and his numbers have gradually improved. Just as Ryan Miller was this past postseason, Elliott has been almost-but-not-quite good enough to get the Blues over the hump. 

Elliott has composed a wonderful 55-24-7 in 93 games for the Blues. His patches of inconsistency are no more glaring than that of the everyday NHL starter, and as he continues to gather more experience at the NHL level, he could be the dark horse that leads the St. Louis Blues to that ever-elusive Stanley Cup.

In one sense, the St. Louis Blues were big winners on July 1. In Paul Stastny, the team signed the top forward available in the summer's free-agent market, a player that a lot of general managers would have been willing to pay dearly for.

And while the Blues did have to pay in a fairly big way, they were able to add Stastny without giving him a massively long-term deal:

As exciting as it is to win the race for one of the summer's most sought-after players, the real question is what this does to the St. Louis Blues' Stanley Cup chances.

For three consecutive seasons, the Blues have entered the postseason as Cup contenders, only to run straight into either the Los Angeles Kings or Chicago Blackhawks and suffer an early exit.

The acquisition of Stastny is aimed at addressing that and does so in two significant ways—one direct and one indirect.

First, it adds an offensive centreman capable of playing against any opposition to the mix, which will help ease the load on No. 1 pivot David Backes. Second, it creates a logjam down the middle, which frees the Blues up to move one of their other excellent centres for help somewhere else.

Stastny broke into the league as a top-flight offensive talent, posting 78 points in 82 games as a rookie in 2006-07 and then topping the point-per-game mark in 2007-08. His scoring has dropped off in a nontrivial way since, and the 60 points he recorded in 2013-14 was the most he'd scored in four seasons.

But while the scoring dropped off, Stastny was taking on an increasingly heavy load defensively. With Joe Sakic's retirement, Stastny was the default power-vs.-power centre for the Avs. Colorado won the shots and goals battles with Stastny on the ice, but his personal scoring levels at five-on-five dropped off dramatically, and his strong power-play work was not enough to offset that reduction.

The beautiful thing for the Blues is that while Stastny is capable of playing against top opposition, he shouldn't need to do so regularly in St. Louis. Backes is one of the best two-way pivots in the NHL, and he's not likely to relinquish that role to the newcomer.

Instead, Stastny will almost certainly be used in a second-line role, which should—even under Ken Hitchcock's suffocating defensive system—free him up to provide additional scoring.

It also gives the Blues a second line capable of playing against anyone. While St. Louis was already blessed with a number of great two-way centres, Vladimir Sobotka and Patrik Berglund simply aren't in the same class as Stastny offensively.

The great complaint about the Blues in the 2014 playoffs was their inability to go chance for chance with Chicago because the Blackhawks had better finishers. Stastny doesn't even up the gap with Kane, but he helps out a lot in that area.

St. Louis also has an opportunity here to further bolster its team. After Backes and Stastny, the Blues have Sobotka and Berglund, both easily capable of holding down the third-line centre job, and then Max Lapierre for the No. 4 position.

Sobotka, a 26-year-old restricted free agent, isn't a high-end scorer, but he is a brilliant penalty-killer, won more than 60 percent of his faceoffs last year and managed 33 points in 61 games. That's a pretty nice package for a third-line pivot, particularly for one who posts brilliant Corsi numbers year after year.

Berglund, recently re-signed to a three-year deal at a $3.7 million cap hit, is also 26 years old and, at 6'3", 217 pounds, brings the size that teams love to see at the centre position. He once topped the 50-point mark but has mostly settled in as a lesser offensive threat. Like Sobotka, he's an excellent penalty-killer.   

Either player should command an excellent return in trade, and the Blues could move one and still have a better group of pivots in 2014-15 than they did in 2013-14.

With a dramatically improved second line and significant ammunition still to extend, the Blues' Cup hopes improved significantly the moment they announced the Stastny deal.

Jonathan Willis covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for more of his work.

Statistics courtesy of NHL.com, ExtraSkater.com, BehindtheNet.ca and CapGeek.com unless otherwise noted.

One of the top NHL free agents available is now off the board as Paul Stastny reached a deal with the St. Louis Blues on a four-year deal.

The Blues announced the signing on Tuesday:

Lance Hornby of the Ottawa Sun has financial details:

Following the signing, Stastny spoke to the media about his move to St. Louis (via Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Blues):

Stastny also spoke about the free agency process and the decision to sign with the Blues (via Rutherford and the Blues:

Stastny is an interesting case. He averaged nearly a point per game during his first four seasons in the NHL, which is when most players are just getting acclimated to the competition level. Then, when most players typically hit their prime, his numbers actually fell off.

The 28-year-old center hasn't topped 60 points since the 2009-10 season. Yet, given the lack of top offensive centers around the league, he was still a valued commodity. A strong playoff run for Colorado with 10 points in seven games also helped his cause.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ63VGFsAk

Since the Avalanche are one of the few teams with depth up the middle, they had more flexibility to move forward without him than most teams would have. They weren't in a position where they had to overpay just to make sure he didn't get away.

Stastny admitted to Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post during the playoff run that he sometimes thought about it being the last time he put on an Avalanche jersey:

You don't know. I don't know, either. Sometimes you think about it a little bit. […]

This year, for me, was a fresh start. It was a new team, with new coaches, new management. It was almost like a tryout. And you wanted to see how it went.

He went on to talk about wanting to stay in Colorado to help push the team toward a Stanley Cup, but obviously the sides weren't able to reach an agreement before he hit the open market.

Although he was always going to command plenty of attention, his playoff performance really helped solidify him as perhaps the top player available. Along with the 10 points, he also pulled off a unique feat, per Elias Sports Bureau, via ESPN Stats & Info:

Now that he has landed with a new team, the only question mark is what version of Stastny fans will see: the one who was on the verge of superstardom a handful of years ago, or the player that's been good but not great for Colorado in recent years.

The deal doesn't have much bust potential because Stastny has scored at least 20 goals in a each of his full seasons. That said, for it to truly pay off he must get back to those previous scoring levels, which represent a true No. 1 center.

Perhaps the change of scenery will help reinvigorate his game. If so, he will provide a major boost both at even strength and on the power play. That, of course, is exactly what a team is seeking when it shells out big money on a free agent.

If nothing else, Stastny is now one of the top players to watch heading into new season to see whether he lives up to the hype.

Player: Ivan Barbashev

Drafted By: St. Louis Blues (33rd overall)

Position: Left Wing

Final Central Scouting Ranking: No. 18 North American skater

Height/Weight: 6'0", 181 lbs

DOB: December 14, 1995 (18 years old)

Most Recent Affiliation: QMJHL, Moncton Wildcats

Background

Ivan Barbashev has a polished offensive game. He is a determined scorer, and he can make a number of moves and plays with the puck to either create an opening for himself or his teammates. Barbashev had two solid seasons for Moncton, scoring 18 goals and 62 points in 2012-13 and 25 goals and 68 points this year.

Full Scouting Report

Barbashev is a solid, all-around prospect because he can bang bodies and play defense in addition to having the offensive skills that scouts are looking for from top-end talent.

Barbashev played on the checking line for the Russians at the World Junior Championships, and that was an eye-opener to show he could play defense as well as offense against high-level competition. That should help him when he gets to the next level, and it gives him an edge on many of the other draft-eligible players who have not demonstrated that ability.

Barbashev will have to work on polishing his offensive skills before he goes to the next level. He is a good shooter, passer and puck-handler, but that's not quite enough to make it in the NHL. 

Per NHL.com, NHL director of central scouting Dan Marr thinks Barbashev has high-end potential. "Ivan is a strong skater," Marr said. "He reaches top speed quickly and is a very good playmaker with quick hands. He's not afraid to mix it up, competes one-on-one and battles for pucks. He can be a gamebreaker."

NHL Player Comparison

Tough, hard-hitting and physical with solid offensive skills brings Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Brown to mind.

That's a great compliment to the young Russian forward, because Brown is a game-changing player who will go into the dirty areas, take the hit and make a game-changing play. Barbashev has the same kind of makeup and skill set, and now he has to go out and prove it.

NHL Timetable

Give Barbashev one more year to develop at the junior level before he gets his opportunity to play consistently at the NHL level. His defensive skills and willingness to hit should show scouts and coaches he is quite close to being NHL-ready right now, and one more year of development should be all he needs before he can play in the NHL.

Top-End Potential

Barbashev's strong all-around play should give him the opportunity to play in the NHL fairly quickly. However, if he makes a quick entry into the league, it's likely to be a in a third- or fourth-line capacity because of his defensive strength. That could get him pigeonholed as a third-line-type player. However, if he can improve his offensive play, he could average 25-30 goals and become a top-five player on his team.

Player: Robby Fabbri

Drafted By: St. Louis Blues (21st overall)

Position: Center

Final Central Scouting Ranking: No. 21 North American skater

Height/Weight: 5'10", 170 lbs

DOB: January 22, 1996 (18 years old)

Most Recent Affiliation: OHL, Guelph Storm

Background

Robby Fabbri had an impressive run in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. He scored 13 goals and 15 assists in 16 games and earned MVP honors for his postseason performance. Fabbri's postseason play demonstrated his continued development, as he scored 45 goals and 42 assists in 58 regular-season games. Fabbri has an array of offensive moves and is a slick skater.

Full Scouting Report

Fabbri seems to have all of the elements it takes to become an impact player, other than size. He is an excellent skater who can attack the defense, and he also has the instincts that make his speed and quickness even more dangerous factors.

Fabbri can also sneak into the offensive zone, find the soft spots and then quickly attack the net with his excellent wrist shot or slick moves. Fabbri can score in bunches and take over a game when he has gained some momentum.

Despite his lack of size, Fabbri is a competitive player who will work hard to get possession. He may not win the battle against bigger opponents, but he is not going to give up. He also has an excellent pair of hands that allow him to pick out the corners when shooting or hit his teammates with precise passes.

NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards likes Fabbri's offensive capabilities. "Robert has been very noticeable and extremely productive," Edwards said. "He is an excellent playmaker and has good puckhandling ability. He's very effective on the power play, elusive and quick."

NHL Player Comparison

Fabbri opened a lot of eyes with his strong showing in the OHL playoffs. His quickness, desire and ability to finish plays may remind fans of Philadelphia's Claude Giroux. Fabbri clearly has a lot of work to do to reach Giroux's level, but he has the kind of quick-strike ability and talent that could allow him to reach a similar level.

NHL Timetable

Give Fabbri one more year to develop his talent and potentially put on some more muscle. It's likely he will always be undersized, but he does not shy away from contact. If he gets the time to get stronger, he could be formidable once he gets to the NHL.

Top-End Potential

Considering comparisons are being made to a player with the high-end skill of Giroux, Fabbri should have an opportunity to develop into a productive NHL player. While it may take him some time to work his way into a regular position, he should be able to show off his talent as a scorer and gain a coaching staff's trust over time. If he can get off on the right foot, he has star potential.

An out-of-his-prime Ryan Miller obviously wasn’t the answer in net for the St. Louis Blues, so they went with the next best thing: goaltending coach Jim Corsi, who developed Miller into a Vezina Trophy winner in Buffalo.

The Blues signed Corsi last week and, while he might be better known as the namesake for the advanced possession metric he developed to keep track of shot attempts on goaltenders, the most relevant facts about him revolve around other names.

Having previously worked with Sabres goaltenders for 16 years, according to NHL.com, those names include not just Miller, but Dominik Hasek—another (six-time!) Vezina Trophy winner—as well.

Granted, one has to believe there’s little Corsi, or any other North American coach for that matter, could teach the Dominator based on his unconventional style (and lack of grasp on the English language). And, according to hockeydb.com, Corsi only officially became Buffalo’s goaltending coach in 2001-02, one season after Hasek won his last trophy.

There’s still little denying Corsi’s credentials.

The Blues are obviously hoping Corsi brings the 24-year-old Jake Allen along in the same manner he did Miller in Buffalo after Blues general manager Doug Armstrong made it clear Allen would play in the NHL next season, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Jeremy Rutherford.

Whether that’s just to complete the team’s goaltending tandem with Brian Elliott or compete against him is anyone’s guess. However, after Allen posted a .928 save percentage, 2.03 goals-against average and 33-16-3 record last season with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League, it’s clear he’s ready for the big leagues.

After all, he did win the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the AHL’s best goalie last season, just like current NHL starters Jonathan Bernier, Cory Schneider and, yes, Ryan Miller before him. There’s not much room to go up after that, unless the “up” is the NHL.

Elliott is no slouch either.

He has a 1.86 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage as a Blue. That’s overall.

Conversely, former Blues starter Jaroslav Halak never managed a save percentage above .926 in any single season (2011-12). That’s not meant to say Halak is a bad goaltender, just that Elliott is a good one who’s only guilty of having one bad season in his career.

Sure, that 2010-11 season split between the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche was really bad (15-27-9, with a 3.34 GAA and .893 save percentage), but every goalie has an off year. That was his.

While it remains to be seen if Elliott will be able to keep up his stats over the course of an entire season as a No. 1, it should be noted his 55-24-7 record as a Blue totals 86 games, meaning all signs point to him being able to.

That’s assuming, of course, he wins the job over Allen. Despite his experience, it’s not exactly written in stone. Probably not even on an Etch A Sketch.

It seems no matter what Elliott does, he can’t get any respect. Even his new three-year contract, worth $7.5 million, which will end when he’s 32 years old and for all intents and purposes out of his prime like Miller is now, seems like a backhanded compliment. It points to the organization seeing him as nothing more than an above-average backup.

Of course, it’s also the most he’s ever made, so he’s likely not complaining all that much. Seeing as he could have become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and instead chose to stick around, he likely knows his place in the organization: He's not the guy, but he is the guy until Allen is ready, even if it’s as soon as this season.

After trading eventual-Vezina Trophy-candidate Ben Bishop for a mere second-round pick, the Blues simply cannot afford to let Allen slip through the cracks either. He’s poised to become the first goaltender to be developed by St. Louis and then a legitimate No. 1 for the Blues since Curtis Joseph back in the early 1990s.

At least it’s clear St. Louis is giving him every opportunity to following the Corsi hiring. All things considered, one can make a good case that the Blues’ goaltending will take a slight step back next season, but a step back with a firm eye on the future.

That’s maybe not what fans of a team thought to be a Stanley Cup threat this past season want to hear, but it’s for the best.

The fact is St. Louis can do a lot worse in general. Look no further than this past season for proof. Armstrong opted to trade away Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick to get Miller (and Steve Ott).

All that, despite Halak being just 29 years old and having been to a conference final much more recently than Miller (2010 versus 2007). Almost predictably, Miller could not keep up with the Chicago Blackhawks’ speed in the first round and the Blues got eliminated prematurely largely due to the goalie’s .897 save percentage in six games.

So, the Blues clearly aren’t above making bad decisions and this one can just as easily come back to bite them too.

However, in not bringing back Miller, they’re not afraid of admitting those mistakes either. Said Armstrong, according to The Canadian Press via TSN.ca: “We gave up quite a bit. We took a swing. It certainly was a lot to give up for 20-some odd games and six playoff games.”

Needless to say, these moves—re-signing Elliott, promoting Allen and hiring Corsi—are about getting a lot more in than six playoff games. Patience clearly isn’t the only virtue the Blues have in mind. Only time will tell if they end up winning a Stanley Cup as a result, though.

Chances are good they won’t next season. Of course, if they don’t, neither will have 28 other teams, so it won’t necessarily constitute a failure, or at least not much as this year when expectations were so high. At least now the Blues are tempering them to more realistic levels, so as not to feel pressured or be tempted to go after a Ryan Miller again.

That might just be the move that ends up paying the most dividends, especially if they end up flying under everyone’s radar as a result.