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Notes & Observations from St. Louis Blues Prospect Camp, July 7

By Patrick Karraker

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Conner Bleackley puts on a team sweater after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Conner Bleackley puts on a team sweater after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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St. Louis Blues prospects hit the ice Thursday for the second-to-last day of their four-day development camp.

The St. Louis Blues’ prospect camp continued on Thursday, as a group made up mostly of junior and collegiate players took part in on-ice drills and scrimmages, structured around a more extensive set of off-ice workouts, meetings, instructional seminars, and team bonding activities. On Day 3, it’s already pretty clear who the standout players are, but here are a few observations from Thursday’s practice:

  • The lack of burst from 2016 fifth-rounder (and former Colorado Avalanche first-rounder) Conner Bleackley over the past three days has been somewhat troubling. He’s clearly one of the least-skillful skaters taking part in this week’s camp. Luckily for Bleackley, if he can put the puck in the net like he’s done on a rather consistent basis this week, his lack of skating ability won’t be that huge of an issue. Bleackley’s skating style is actually rather similar to that of current Blues winger Dmitrij Jaskin, who has had success as a scorer in the past despite a lack of elite skating ability. With that said, the 6-foot, 195-pounder isn’t going to be able to bring the same physical element to his game that the 6-foot-2, 217-pound Jaskin does.
  • Finnish defenseman Niko Mikkola, who has looked good all week, was impressive again on Thursday. Mikkola’s puck movement skills were particularly evident during this scrimmage, as he was able to navigate the puck through the neutral zone even as a slew of opposing players surrounded him., He also displayed more physicality in his own zone than he’s done over the previous two days. Unfortunately, Mikkola limped off with an apparent lower-body injury during the scrimmage and did not return.
  • 2015 second-rounder Vince Dunn, who has been a standout performer all week, was noticeable again on the third day of camp. He showed off very good stick handling skills during the scrimmage.

Next: Observations from Blues Prospect Camp, July 7

  • Nolan Stevens, a center who was selected in the fifth round this year, continued to be the most surprising performer in camp. He displayed a relentless attitude when given chances in front of the net, and once again, he displayed a propensity for the breakaway play. Courtesy of the Blues’ Vine account:

Camp will conclude with one final day of team activities and on-ice workouts on Friday. The players will then head off to their respective destinations–though some will stay in St. Louis to train–until informal workouts begin in late August.

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