Prospects who could intrigue St. Louis Blues in 2017 NHL Draft

Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Tage Thompson puts on a team jersey after being selected as the number twenty-six overall draft pick by the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

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Adam Ruzicka, C, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

Blues scouting director Bill Armstrong has shown an affinity for European-born forwards who play amateur hockey in North America, having selected both Dmitrij Jaskin and Ivan Barbashev since he took over in 2011. Ruzicka, a native of Slovakia, profiles similarly to Jaskin, as he’s a strong, versatile player who uses his 6-foot-4, 209-pound frame to his advantage and can play all three forward positions. He had 25 goals and 21 assists over 61 games in his first OHL season this year, but he’ll need to refine his offensive skills a bit if he expects to be a top-six forward in the NHL.

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