First-round picks: None (first selection is in second round, 54th overall)
2000-01 record: 43-22-12-5, 103 points (6th overall)
What they need
After not having enough young defensemen in their system, the Blues now find themselves thin in terms of youth on the front line after dealing prospects for immediate help in deadline trades for Keith Tkachuk and soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Scott Mellanby. A goaltender is also not out of the realm of possibility following Roman Turek's struggles in the Western Conference finals against Colorado.
In the system
A pair of free-agent signings had solid seasons at Worcester of the American Hockey League last season. Defenseman Mike Van Ryn (signed in June '00), a first-round pick of New Jersey (26th overall in '98) saw 37 games of AHL action, recording 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists), while goalie Cody Ruskowsky (free agent signee in March '99) went 13-8-3 in 25 appearances with a 2.68 GAA.
Another solid player at Worcester was center Eric Bogunecki, a former Florida draft pick (193rd overall in '93), who had 30 goals and 70 points in 73 games, including 45 points in 45 games after coming to Worcester from Louisville.
At the NCAA level, goalie Phil Osaer (203rd overall in '99) won just nine of his 25 outings for Ferris State (NCAA-CCHA), but had a respectable 2.36 GAA and .909 save percentage. In Europe, defenseman Christian Backman (24th overall in '98) played in 50 games for Swedish club Vastra Frolunda, posting 11 points and a minus-6 rating. Also in the Swedish League, Norwegian-born center Torre Vikingstad (180th overall in '99) had 10 goals and 25 points in 41 games for Polluxgt 32.
Recent draft history
That the Blues do not have a first round selection is not a surprise. Since the current entry draft system was first used in 1969, St. Louis has had just 17 first round picks. In 1983, when the team's ownership status was in flux and the franchise was nearly moved to Saskatoon, they didn't make any
draft selections.
|
|
|
