After ranking the top 100 NHL prospects for 2015-16, and ranking each team by organizational depth, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman ranks the top 10 prospects for each NHL team. Here is his entry for the St. Louis Blues. Extended write-ups on prospects ranked in the top 100 can be accessed here.
The highlight of the Blues' system is a pair of high-end forwards. They have great depth on defense, though I wouldn't categorize any of the prospects as truly high-end at this point.
Petteri Lindbohm got several stints with the Blues this past season -- he was recalled or sent back to the AHL a grand total of 15 times. He's not a flashy player, but he is a smart positional player with solid mobility and a great physical game. Joel Edmunson's counting numbers are not flashy, but when I saw Chicago play this past season, I was blown away by him. He has size, skates well, plays the body and makes defensive stops. While his offense hasn't been gaudy, he looked fine on an AHL power play.
There are few defensemen who are better at leading a rush in the OHL than Vince Dunn. His great skating allows him to make up for defensive miscues, as I've seen him catch guys like Connor McDavid when they had a step on him. He's great on the power play given his creativity and puck skills. The drawback? His defensive play is certainly a work in progress.
Ville Husso doesn't wow you in goal with flashy athletic saves, but this is a goalie who has been impressive versus men the past two seasons, and shows NHL-level hockey sense in goal. He's also pretty good at playing the puck.
Colton Parayko was very good in college, and turned some heads in a brief amount of time in the AHL this past season. You don't often find 6-foot-5 defensemen who can skate like him in terms of their speed and refined technique. His decisions and defense will need to improve if he's going to progress, however.
Noteworthy prospect
Jake Walman's stock has risen during the past 12 months after a great showing as a freshman at Providence, where he played in all manpower situations. He's a fantastic skater, but his hockey sense and pace was what really stood out, given that he was in his first year of high-level hockey.
2015-16 impact
Robby Fabbri, Ivan Barbashev and Ty Rattie are all potentially ready, but if it's down to two of those three, Barbashev may end up being the odd man out, requiring some AHL time. Lindbohm could play in the league right away if there's a spot for him. Fabbri won't get in unless St. Louis feels he's ready, but if he's on the team past November, he could be a difference-maker.