St. Louis Blues' Prospects in the CCHA and WCHA

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 25, 2009 4:42 PM PST Comment 3 comments

(Thanks to Brian Weidler for an excellent FanPost. It's worthy of a bump to the front page. --Ed.)

By Brian Weidler, "St. Louis Game Time" Prospects Columnist

Here's a quick look at the six St. Louis prospects currently toiling for CCHA and WCHA schools. All stats current as of Jan, 24, 2009.

Andrew Sackrison (Minnesota State) directs Aaron Palushaj (Michigan) into position as Jay Barriball (Minnesota) sets up for the faceoff in the St. Louis Blues' 2008 Development Camp (Photo by Brian Weidler for "St. Louis Game Time").

1. Jay Barriball, Minnesota - WCHA (F, shoots L, 5-09, 170, May 27, 1987, Prior Lake, MN). Acquired by the Blues from San Jose at the trade deadline in 2007, Barriball is a feisty winger who plays bigger than his size. He's having a solid year with the highly-ranked Gophers.

19 GP, 7-14-21, 42 PIM, plus-3, 1 PP, 0 SG, 1 GW

2. Ian Cole, Notre Dame - CCHA (D, shoots L, 6-01, 211, February 21, 1989, Ann Arbor, MI). Drafted by St. Louis in the first round (18th overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Cole is a sturdy defensive defenseman with a big shot. He skated for Team USA in the recent U-20 World Junior Championships.

23 GP, 3-10-13, 34 PIM, plus-14, 1 PP, 0 SH, 1 GW

U-20 WJC: 6 GP, 2-2-4, 4 PIM, even, 2 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW

3. Cade Fairchild, Minnesota - WCHA (D, shoots L, 5-10, 186, January 15, 1989, Duluth, MN). Chosen by St. Louis in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 2007 Entry Draft, Fairchild does not have ideal size for an NHL defenseman, but he is a dynamic offensive catalyst. He also skated for Team USA at the World Juniors.

20 GP, 5-16-21, 42 PIM, plus-3, 4 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW

U-20 WJC: 6 GP, 1-3-4, 2 PIM, minus-3, 1 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW

4. Trevor Nill, Michigan State - CCHA (C, shoots R, 6-01, 185, April 11, 1989, Detroit, MI). A seventh-round (190th overall) selection of the Blues in 2007, the son of Detroit assistant GM Jim Nill developed in the Compuware system and at Penticton (BCHL) before entering Michigan State this past fall.

21 GP, 1-1-2, 4 PIM, minus-6, 0 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW

Two of the Blues' top prospects, Ian Cole (Notre Dame) and Aaron Palushaj (Michigan) take five at the Blues' 2008 Development Camp (Photos by Brian Weidler for "St. Louis Game Time").

5. Aaron Palushaj, Michigan - CCHA (RW, shoots R, 5-11, 187, September 7, 1989, Livonia, MI). Arguably the top forward prospect in the St. Louis system at the moment, Palushaj was a second-round selection (44th overall) in a strong 2007 Entry Draft for the Blues. Like Cole and Fairchild, Palushaj also skated for Team USA at the recent World Junior Championships.

23 GP, 8-20-28, 16 PIM, plus-11, 2 PP, 0 SH, 2 GW

U-20 WJC: 6 GP, 2-3-5, 10 PIM, plus-2, 1 PP, 0 SH, 0 GW

6. Andrew Sackrison, Minnesota State - WCHA (C, shoots L, 6-01, 180, November 12, 1987, St. Louis Park, MN). A former Minnesota high school "Mr. Hockey" finalist, Sackrison was drafted by the Blues at the top of the fifth round (124th overall) in 2006. He's an excellent faceoff man with a strong work ethic.

19 GP, 1-4-5, 16 PIM, minus-3, 1 PP, 0 SH, 1 GW

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Comments

Gopher fan here. Jay Barriball is at least two inches shorter than his listed height. He also appears to be highly dependent upon the quality of his line mates. He led the team in scoring as a freshman, getting a lot of time with Kyle Okposo and Blake Wheeler. Last year, he completely disappeared. He was a complete non-factor. When he’s not scoring, he’s not doing much to help the team, as he’s a mediocre back checker and, despite his PIMs, not a factor in physical play. I’ll be very surprised if his game translates to the NHL.

Cade Fairchild has a lot of potential, but he’s also got a long way to go. He’s improved a lot since last year, but he still makes too many mistakes. I like his chances to adjust and make it as a pro more than I do Barriball’s.

Of these guys, I like Palushaj the most. He impresses me every time I see Michigan play. Last year, the Rust/Hagelin/Palushaj line provided a very effective second unit.

I haven’t seen much of Cole, but I did like the little I have. He’s a solid defenseman. Jeff Jackson’s system demand a lot of discipline, so I’m not sure how much natural talent Cole brings to the table. It’s a fun team, though.

I know nothing about Nill. I’ve Sackrison play a few times, against Minnesota, but I’ve never really noticed him. Make of that what you will.

by J. Michael Neal on Jan 25, 2009 12:08 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Appreciate the feedback, sir...

I’ve seen only a little but of each of these guys, so I welcome the input of anyone with more in-depth and extensive knowledge.

Re: Barriball. I’ve heard the same concerns from others who see him play more often than I do. I base my opinion of him from the times Ive seen him go at the Blues’ Development Camp, playing against his peers in the organization. In those viewings, Barriball has been pretty dynamic and energetic, and I didn’t notice any deficiency in backchecking or physical involvement.

He’s not going to rock anyone with a big hit, but he hasn;t shown any dis-inclination to get his nose dirty when I’ve seen him playing with his peers in this organization.

The photo above is a pretty good indication of the kind of linemates he’s been given at the Development Camps, so I’ve seen him with another dynamic offensive guy on the opposite wing, and a good faceoff man without a lot of offensve flair (at least, at this level) in the middle. If the Peoria Rivermen threw out a line of Sackrison centering Barriball and Palushaj next year, or in 2010-11, I think I could live with that.

Brian

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://www.tomorrowsblues.net

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 25, 2009 10:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs