The St. Louis Blues’ annual prospect camp ended on July 14 – just as NHL Free Agency was heating up.
The 32 prospects at Centene Community Ice Center that week each had their own takeaways. For some, it was their first taste of what professional training would entail, and for others it was a chance to impress the organization and make a push for an NHL roster spot.
With a couple of weeks now passed to step back and reflect, here are five things we learned from 2022 Blues Prospect Development Camp:
1. Neighbours is ready to use his experience and growth to make it in the NHL
One of the biggest names at Prospect Camp was Jake Neighbours, the Blues first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (No. 26 overall). Though his on-ice time was limited after a long season, Neighbours was a clear presence in the facility.
“You don’t see too many young players come in at that age and really challenge for a spot,” said Tim Taylor, who was recently promoted to Director of Player Personnel. “It’s important for him to see what the next level is, and he got to see that.”
After nine games with the Blues last season, Neighbours went back to the Edmonton Oil Kings as team captain, where he led the way to a WHL Championship.
“That was the message from the Blues when they sent me back: ‘Go win, have a good season and win a championship,'” said Neighbours. “I’m glad we accomplished that; it was huge for the (playoff hockey) experience.”
Hungry to expand his nine games into a full NHL season, Neighbours has a packed tool chest of experience and relationships to continue to achieve his goals.
2. Kessel’s love of hockey, work ethic showed in his ‘two-for-one’ season
Another member of the 2020 NHL Draft class that made waves this season was defenseman Matthew Kessel, selected No. 150 overall by the Blues in 2020.
After a full college season at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Kessel went directly from the NCAA Tournament to the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds – continuing with them through their run to the Calder Cup Finals. In total, Kessel played 37 college games, 15 AHL regular-season games and 18 Calder Cup Playoff games – 70 games across two very different developmental levels.
“He took huge strides,” said Taylor. “It was a great stepping stone for him, to get that experience – not only from the AHL but then the AHL Playoffs. He’s got a real good taste of what to expect from training camp this year; he improved dramatically.”
Kessel then scored his first goal as a professional at the perfect time – to win in overtime in Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals. Despite the long, ‘two-for-one’ season, he had no trouble using his love of hockey and desire to win to keep his energy up.
“I was having fun, and we were obviously playing big games which helps a lot, so I think I still had some more in the gas (tank),” said Kessel.
3. Local talent and camp growth highlights the Blues’ impact
The Blues take a lot of pride in their impact on the local hockey community, inviting several players from the area to a Prospect Camp that has shown a lot of growth over the years.
“When we’re looking for guys to bring in, there’s so many St. Louis kids now,” said Taylor. “This is who they love, the St. Louis Blues. They’re all really good players, all college kids that are playing around the area and around the country… It’s great for our organization to do that, and it’s good for those kids to get that experience.”
The growth in St. Louis hockey pairs with the growth in Prospect Camp to paint an optimistic picture for the future of the team and of the sport.
“When I first started, we had five guys come in,” said Taylor. “We think we’ve really grown it, to a point where we can bring in college free agents and show them the city, show them what our organization is all about. A new facility too, it really enhances their picture of where they might want to come when they turn pro.”
Besides the development and the training that these players go through, the Blues are investing in making the first professional experience for these young players – local and otherwise – into a positive one.
4. Bolduc carries confidence and swagger into on-ice presence
Zachary Bolduc (2021, No. 17 overall) is the highest-drafted Blue since Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko (2010, Nos. 14 and 16, respectively), and last season he looked the part.
Scoring an impressive 63 goals in 77 games for the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, Bolduc brought with him the speed, skill and confidence he displayed in juniors to Prospect Camp.
“It comes from every goal scorer – they have that swagger and they believe in themselves,” said Taylor. “They believe they can score goals, they believe that they’re really good hockey players. That didn’t come from all of a sudden having 60-some goals last year, that comes from his personality and who he is.”
Bolduc displayed an impressive array at Prospect Camp, at times looking well beyond his years as a skater and goal scorer. In the final day’s scrimmage, Bolduc capped off his hat trick with an impressive backhand shot, making it look easy at every go.
Whether Bolduc sees the NHL or not this year is up in the air, but his confidence will be immensely valuable as he develops his physical tools and rounds out his game.
5. Perunovich still reigns as go-kart G.O.A.T.
Scott Perunovich, drafted by the Blues in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, was able to break through and play 19 regular-season and seven playoff games this season in the NHL.
In addition to his on-ice development, Blues prospects set their sights on another Perunovich accomplishment: his 38.8-second lap record in the annual go-kart race.
Between all the training and development sessions for the young players, the Blues made sure there was time for some fun and bonding activities. They attended a St. Louis Cardinals game, played paintball and raced the tracks at Gateway Kartplex in Madison, IL.
An evening of several races culminated in a one-on-one showdown for the title belt: Neighbours vs. Bolduc.
Bolduc took a narrow victory over Neighbours with a time of 41.5 seconds, and Ryan Roth won the overall group race, but none were able to surpass the Greatest Of All Time, all coming up short of Perunovich’s record.
While this chance to make history may have passed, there is nothing but opportunity ahead for these young players to chase their on-ice dreams.
