St. Louis Blues 2017 Draft Picks: Alexei Toropchenko

The St. Louis Blues had an eventful 2017 NHL Draft. While the biggest move was a trade, they still picked up some nice pieces via the traditional route of the day.

The St. Louis Blues got their bang for the buck when it came to their first round in the 2017 NHL Draft. They had two selections and made some big trades.

The Blues definitely addressed some needs via their first round picks. They got a talented, two-way center in Robert Thomas. They also got one of the highest rated prospects in Klim Kostin.

Once Kostin was selected, however, it would be another three rounds before the Blues would get the chance to select again. They did not look too far from their previous pick to make their next one.

Mother Russia came calling again as the Blues took another player from out east. This time the selection was 18 year old, right winger, Alexei Toropchenko.

The two players will be quite familiar with each other. Both of them came through the Dynamo Moscow youth system and then briefly played together with Balashikha.

Like Kostin, Toropchenko has yet to do a ton in his career. Unlike Kostin, he does not come with much hype behind him. That does not mean that he has no talent.

Last season, Toropchenko scored 19 goals and had 31 points in 45 games. Those stats cannot be overvalued since they came in the MHL, which is the Russian equivalent of top-tier junior hockey.

Still, in a way, his stats are perhaps more reliable. While European stats don’t always translate to North America, you can still get a better sense of what a player is capable of when they are merely consistent.

Sometimes we get awed by guys who score 60-90 points in juniors and they never translate. Someone who can score 19 goals can usually come up with similar totals even at the next level. Clearly, it does not always carry over, but Toropchenko has the kind of game that could fit in well in the future.

What will be very interesting come a few years from now is whether the Blues still have all these pieces. It is way too early to predict any of their talents, but it would be intriguing to see an all-Russian line in St. Louis similar to what the Detroit Red Wings had back in the 90’s.

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That’s way down the road. Still, it’s fun to think about. Really it wouldn’t work though since Kostin, Toropchenko and Vladimir Tarasenko are all wingers. C’est la vie (such is life).

As far as Toropchenko goes though, it’ll be interesting to see if/when he comes over. His North American rights are owned by the Guelph Storm of the CHL.

If the Blues had their way, Toropchenko would come to North America and get used to playing on the smaller rinks. However, there has been no indication of this happening yet. Russians always seem to stay in Russia longer than North American fans would like.

Nevertheless, he’s a talented winger with strong skating. He’s got some good hands and is not afraid to shoot or get in front of the net.

At this stage, he seems destined to be a third liner. That does not mean he cannot improve and become more, but he seems like one of those guys that has the talent there, but not enough to be in the upper echelon.

There’s nothing wrong with that either. Despite what fans wish was the case, you cannot have a team comprised of all elite players.

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Early on in that highlight reel we see two goals where Toropchenko was right in front of the net. That has been something the Blues have desperately needed and a void he could fill rather soon if he fills out and continues to improve.

Having a center with the intangibles like Thomas and a winger like Toropchenko who seems unafraid to get his hands dirty would really improve the Blues when their time comes. How long it takes is more up in the air.