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Pietrangelo was selected 4th overall in the NHL entry draft.

Prospect Profile : Alex Pietrangelo

By Randall Ritchey on January 5, 2010

Welcome to the third edition of Prospects Profile. Today we center in on the defensemen, Alex Pietrangelo.

THE BEGINNING

Alex Pietrangelo, born January 18th, 1990 in King City, ON, Canada. The kid was born to play hockey. He grew up playing for the Richmond Hill Stars, Toronto Jr. Canadiens and the Vaughan Kings. He won a championship with the Vaughan Kings in 2003 and one with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in 2005. Pietrangelo plays some high school hockey at a private school in King City at St. Thomas of Villanova College.

Pietrangelo was selected third overall by Niagara.

Pietrangelo was selected third overall by Niagara.

Going into the OHL draft in 2006, Pietrangelo was a candidate to go first overall. That honor eventually went to Steven Stamkos who was drafted by the Sarnia Sting. When it was time for the Oshawa Generals to pick second overall, Pietrangelo’s name could have been called, but the Generals went with another  offensive defensemen, Michael Del Zotto.

Finally it was time for the Mississauga Ice Dogs to pick third overall, and it was time that Pietrangelo heard his name called. The Ice Dogs made Pietrangelo their highest drafted defensemen in more then ten years.

Pietrangelo jumped right into the OHL that next season with the Ice Dogs and after playing 59 games, he finished with 52 points (7 goals, 45 assists). In his first season in Niagara, he didn’t see much power-play time, and in the time he did see, only notched three points. It was a very successful rookie season.

The next year, Pietrangelo saw his stock rise by having another successful season. In 60 games with Niagara in the regular season, Alex recorded 13 goals, 40 assists for 53 points. The most considerable jump in his stats was probably his penalty minutes. In 59 games a season before, Pietrangelo recorded just 45 penalty minutes. During his 2007-08 season, he recorded 94 penalty minutes. A significant jump from his prior year. Most of these formed as his physical play increased and he became harder to play against as he could beat you with his skills and his body as well.

Pietrangelo played six games for the Icedogs in the playoffs, recording five goals and four assists for nine points! A very successful six games for the soon-to-be draftee.

THE DRAFT

Moving into the draft, many suspected that Pietrangelo would go fairly high in the draft. Most people had the offensive powerhouse Steven Stamkos going first overall, which he did. After him, it was a toss up of the big five defensemen in the draft, Zach Bogosian, Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo, Tyler Myers and Luke Schenn, or the highly skilled Russian, Nikita Filatov could go be taken 2nd overall an on.

It was the L.A. Kings who selected second overall and they picked the kid who grew up a Kings fan, Drew Doughty with their pick.

Following the Kings, it was time for the Atlanta Thrashers to pick the second of the big five, defensemen, Zach Bogosian.

Pietrangelo was selected 4th overall in the NHL entry draft.

Pietrangelo was selected 4th overall in the NHL entry draft.

Next up was the St. Louis Blues. Out of the big five, only three were left. Tyler Myers, Luke Schenn and Alex Pietrangelo. Coming into the draft, they were rated in that order. Pietrangelo being the lowest ranked of the defensemen. But that didn’t stop the St. Louis Blues from selecting Pietrangelo with the fourth overall pick.

After being selected by the Blues, Pietrangelo took some time and spoke with reporters, he spoke on being drafted by St. Louis, “It feels great. I think I’m kinda still overwhelmed by everything that’s happening but its great to be apart of a great organization and I know they are certainly going in the right direction so I’m happy to be a part of it.” It’s obvious the kid is excited being drafted, but many questioned his ability to stick in the NHL the next season.

POST DRAFT AND PRO HOCKEY

They turned out to be correct. After an eight game trial with the St. Louis Blues, he was sent back to his OHL team, the Niagara Icedogs for a third season. Some believe that this is because of an injury Pietrangelo received after being boarded in his second NHL by the Toronto Maple Leafs then goon, Ryan Hollweg. He missed quite a few games and eventually was sent back to Niagara.

Pietrangelo wearing the 'C' in Niagara

Pietrangelo wearing the 'C' in Niagara

Pietrangelo only played 36 games for the Icedogs in the regular season, but he had a lot more placed on his shoulders as he was named captain.

Pietrangelo finished with eight goals, 21 assists for a total of 29 points in those 36 regualar season games. Into the playoffs, Pietrangelo played 12 games, recording a goal and five assists which ended his OHL season.

After the Icedogs were eliminated from postseason play, Pietrangelo signed a PTO with the Peoria Rivermen. Pietrangelo played in one regular season game and seven playoff games for Peoria. He recorded one assists in one of his seven playoff games as Peoria was eliminated by the Houston Areos.

Coming into the 2009-2010 season, many suspected that Pietrangelo would stick full time with the Blues. But after playing hit and miss games in which Pietrangelo would play one game, then sit the next three, his total finally came to nine, the magic number for players who can’t play in the AHL. It was either keep Pietrangelo on the Blues roster, or send him back to the OHL. The Blues we’re to keen on sending him back to Niagara as they were one of the worst teams, and remain one of the worst teams in the OHL. He sat during games, but remained for NHL practices. A name on the roster and a seat in the press box wa the fate for Pietrangelo. But finally a release, Pietrangelo was selected by team Canada for the World Junior Championships. Four other Blues prospects were named to teams playing in the WJC (Jake Allen – Canada, Philip McRae – USA, David Warsofsky – USA, and David Rundblad – Sweden).

Pietrangelo playing for Team Canada.

Pietrangelo playing for Team Canada.

Pietrangelo has played very well for team Canada. He’s played in five games throughout the tournament and has recorded three goals and eight assists, the most amount of points by a defensemen all tournament long.

He, along with team Canada is set to face off against team USA in the gold medal game of the WJC. In the last meeting between Canada and the USA, Pietrangelo scored the game tying goal, short handed to help lead Canada to a win in the shootout over USA.

We do not know the future of Alex Pietrangelo as of now. Will he return to the OHL or will he stick in St. Louis as they are heading in a new direction under a new coach in Davis Payne? Only time will tell, but one thing we can be sure of, Alex Pietrangelo has a very bright future ahead of him.

Thanks for reading,

Randall Ritchey

randallritchey@gmail.com

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WJC Update: USA vs Canada

By Jeff Quirin on January 1, 2010

What a game that was. I hope Blues fans got a chance to see this, because it was a vastly more entertaining game than the game we were treated to last night.

Here is a pretty good recap from TSN.

Here is a quote that I think summed the game up the best.

“Maybe people will say we didn’t play well, but we did, it’s just that the U.S. played unreal,” Canadian coach Willie Desjardins told the Canadian Press. “We were lucky tonight.”

Team USA did play an outstanding game. Both teams dominated the flow of play several times in the game. It was up and down, fast and furious. You could see that both teams wanted the game. I will leave the game recap stuff to TSN and alike. Here is what I saw impacting the Blues.

Phil McRae
Played his second best game to date. He was aggressive and pressing and opened the scoring in the first period. Banging in a goal point blank to give the US a 1-0 lead. He didn’t see tons of ice-time, but he played well in the time he had. Nothing earth shattering for Blues fans other than he didn’t look out of place. As Red Wings GM Ken Holland said during the game (paraphrasing), that if you can compete at this level in the WJC you can be pretty close to NHL ready. McRae can certainly make it and make an impact. He worked well within the flow of the game.

Warsofsky

Image via blues.nhl.com

David Warsofsky
I think he looks good. He still is prone to a few mental mistakes, but he can usually make up for them on a later play. He is quick with the puck and still showing good poise at the offensive blue line. Hall of Famer Ray Bourque had nothing but good things to say about David during a period break. Again, he understands the game and is mentally capable of playing the game. Its just fine tuning he needs. That comes with age and experience. Even at 5′9 he was holding his own against stronger talent players like Taylor Hall.

Jake Allen
Beat 5-Hole twice but held his own under sustained pressure by Team USA. He made the save Campbell couldn’t in the shootout.

Image via blues.nhl.com

Image via blues.nhl.com

Alex Pietrangelo
Failed his first real test of the tournament. He was burned for three goals and only accounted for one. Grant it, his one goal was a good read shorthanded that was the game tying goal, but his play was just not that good. HE didn’t see much even strength ice time and when he did it wasn’t that impactful. Not any rushes, pinches, lugs. A few good passes, but nothing major.

This many not be popular with many Blues fans, but unless he really turns it on in the medal round, he should go back to juniors. Putting up 8 points in three games against weak teams doesn’t mean much when you cannot pu tup a solid game against an equal opponent.

Non Blues Players
I was impressed by Cam Fowler, his game is heads above everyone except Carlson on the blue line. Ryan Ellis is good on the power play for Canada. He is going to be just a pain in the butt next to Shea Weber for the four other Central Division teams. Jason Zucker had a solid game, similar to McRae. The Original 6 line of D’Amigo-Stepan-Kristo was put back together and did ok. Stepan is going to be a real good player for the Rangers. John Ramage was ok, more of the same. Which is a good thing considering the level of competition was raised exponentially. Donovan was ok, but not as good as against the weaker teams. Carlson really seems to tailor his game well depending on the opponent. He will be a great compliment to Mike Green in the near future for the Caps. Despite Campbell’s inability to stop an attempt in the shootout, he had a solid game for Team USA. Hopefully he (as well as Zucker and Ramage) is on the Blues radar come draft day.
*The Medal Round begins Saturday. Team USA takes on Finland and Canada has the day off. David Rundblad will not be in action Saturday as Sweden has the day off as well.


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US forward Jason Zucker

WJC Update: Countdown to the Big Game

By Jeff Quirin on December 31, 2009

When I last left off I had taken in the first two US games and the second Canadian game for an update on four of the Blues prospects participating in the IIHF World Junior Championships.

I am now caught up on both teams through three games. Here is an update on all four players.

Team USA vs. Latvia

Team USA had a better first period than they had in the previous two.  Overall eam USA was good, but not completely lights out like Canada has been.

Warsofsky has had a solid tourney, but has suffered from a few mistakes. He made more in the Latvia game than I think he has made in the previous two. In the third he allowed a player to get behind him for wide open chances on net. Grant it, they were up by about 8 goals at that point. However, you need to see players hold mental focus in those games. Warsofsky did lose a little in this game.

Where I was impressed with David was the same spots as before. He has good patience under pressure and seems to see the play forming in front of him. He likes to join the play and create weak side pressure. He has shown deft hands moving the puck off the offensive blueline to a player down in the slot. He seems to be able to find the open player from the point. Mainly because his hockey IQ is very high and he understands the play unfolding in front of him. He has shown a quick shot through on the point.

He made up for his mental lapse in the third by later taking a Latvian attacker one on one. He saw no one else but him and the forward. He cut off the forward and gave him no angle but to the wall. He was down low and prevented a pass to poen space and ended the scoring chance. The frame work is there for a mentally capable NHL player. I just worry about his size.

Phil McRae had his best game of the tourney. He was working hard again and seemed to find the holes and get pucks through the open lanes. Pass or shoot, he made the quick, smart play. I thought he worked well with Kristo who was on a new line after the “Original 6″ trio was split up. McRae also made a skilful move oan  2 on 1 break to create a chance that was rather impressive.

I continue to be impressed with the offensive “giddy-up” shown by Matt Donovan. He may not be the greatest defenseman out there, but he shows iniative with the puck. He wants it and he wants to take chances. The Islanders 4th Rd pick in 2008 is having a solid tournament.

US forward Jason Zucker

US forward Jason Zucker

I really hope the Blues take a long look at Jason Zucker in the draft this summer. The kid has a knack for being in the right place. He plays hard and has a good shot. His style reminds me of Geoff Courtnall mixed with some David Booth. If he is available, I want this kid in our organization. John Ramage is doing well and he was not drafted in 2009. I would love to see the Blues add him as well. Think of Mike Weaver meeting Roman Polak. He can use his stick and body positiong very well to take players off the puck or protect it. I am really interested to see how Ramage and the other US defenders do against Canada.

Canada vs Slovakia

Jake Allen did not get the start in net. I am assuming to get time off before the big game tonight.

Alex Pietrangelo was what he has been, impressive. He shows what being with the Blues for extended periods the last two years has meant to him. When playing with skilled players, he can match their level and bring more. He stepped up for a big hit and was moving the puck well. Really just more of the same in regards to Canadian dominance. Pietrangelo now has 2 Goals and 6 Assist to go with his Plus-6 rating.

Team USA takes on Canada tonight for a New Year’s Eve rumble. This will be the best game of the WJC so far. Tune in on NHL Network at 7pm Central. Will it be more exciting than the Blues game? There is a strong possibility. At the very least, make sure this game is set to record on the DVR.

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WJC Update: Team USA After Two Games

By Jeff Quirin on December 28, 2009

Through two games Warsofsky has 2 Assists and has a Plus-4 Rating.

Through two games Warsofsky has 2 Assists & a Plus-4 Rating.

So I was finally able to watch my two recorded Team USA games. I did not get to the Canadian blowout of Latvia or the Sweden game, so no in depth news on Allen, Pietrangelo, or Rundblad.

I can however give you some details on Warsofsky and McRae.

Game 1: USA vs Slovakia
Defensemen David Warsofsky was alright, but did have a few rough spots. He did not wear an “A”. Warsofsky failed to clear the puck twice which allowed Slovakia to maintain pressure. He also lead a forward in to a big hit twice in one shift. I will say that he showed good poise and patience working the puck around the offensive blueline and battled well for his 5′9 size. He did skate very well (the whole team can) and had a couple nice medium range passes. He made a few shifty plays on the point to get around pressure. Similar to what Russell from Columbus did to the Blues earlier this season. He made a nice move to get a passing lane to find U.S. Captain Derek Stepan open in the high slot for a nice goal.

Phil McRae didn’t see much ice time. I think he skated as well as any other US player but didn’t make much of an impact. He made a nice move with speed on his off wing to crash the net which turned out fruitless.  Hard to get a read on his game when he doesn’t play much. Physically he battles and skated hard.

The rest of the team? I was really impressed with Jason Zucker. Quick, aggressive, played with an edge. He was wrongly allowed to stay in the game after a 5-minute high sticking call was given to Tyler Johnson instead. Jordan Schroeder showed he is a man amongst boys in my opinion. His experience at this level showed. He was flying and making plays. I was also impressed with 2009 Anaheim draft pick Kyle Palmieri. Fowler and Donovan combined to be a very solid pairing who can skate and move the puck. Fowler will be a good one, watch for him in the draft this summer. I was not impressed with Goalie Mike Lee. His lateral control was poor and gave up too much open net on rebounds. I thought St. Louisan John Ramage played a solid game. He seems like he will develop in to a steady, safe defender. Overall, I was impressed with the US blueline and their ability to move up ice. John Carlson is a heck of a player and will fit in with the Caps system when he gets his chance. Warsofsky was paired with Carlson.

There was a quick pace and hellascious hitting by both teams. Lots of hits and plays on both sides that would have gone for penalties in the NHL. Slovakia went for the BIG hit every chance they had.

Game 2: USA vs Switzerland
Warsofsky did wear an “A” for this game. I think he had a much better game vs. Switzerland than vs. Slovakia. He stayed positionally sound on his man throughout the game. Chances were created by the man he covered, but they were sharp angles and low percentage chances. He was very active with his stick, think of how Roman Polak uses his stick defensibly. His defensive style was similar to Pietrangelo. He was very patient and calm on the offensive blueline again. Making good plays in tight spaces to keep the play in the zone. He carried the puck up the ice with speed and created the pressure that created the third US goal. He was good on the power play showing soft passing hands to get the puck to the slot for chances. He has also had two or three shots go through from the point with the man advantage.

McRae saw more ice time but that didn’t develop in to much offensively. He had speed and worked hard, but nothing really created. The Swiss defenders were tight on him. It’s nothing to be worried about, just other players created better chances. Phil was in more of a energy role anyways. Similar to how Brett Sonne played for Canada last year.

Overall Team USA came out slow in the first period again. The second period forward was total domination. If it wasn’t for the goaltending of Conz, the Swiss would have lost 10-0. The Fowler-Donovan pair had another good game in all facets. The “Original 6″ line of D’Amigo-Stepan-Kristo did very well all game. Schroeder wasn’t as on as he could have been.  The US blueline was the story in my opinion. They all played well, especially John Ramage on the penalty kill. Campbell had a 1st period full of work, making 14 saves. Many of which were difficult and really tested him. His game was much better than Lee’s. Watch for the Swiss goalie Benjamin Conz. The Swiss are developing a reputation for having goalies make strong WJC showings and turning them in North American Professional possibilities. He was the 8th ranked Euro Goalie in the 2009 NHL Draft, he was not drafted. He is small, but played very well.

Some quick thoughts on US players and who they reminded me of in terms of playstyle:
Palmieri – TJ Oshie
Fowler – Sergei Gonchar/ Nik Lidstrom
Donovan – Dan Boyle / Alex Goligoski
Carlson – Mike Green
Ramage – Mike Weaver

I will get to the Canada vs Switzerland game later tonight for an update on Pietrangelo and Allen.

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Blues Prospect to wear the “A” for Team USA at WJC?

By Jeff Quirin on December 26, 2009

It appears that Blues Prospect and 2008 NHL Draft 4th Round selection David Warsofsky has been named an Assistant Captain for Team USA at the 2010 World Junior Championships.

So far this has just been reported on Twitter by Tim RosenthalWarsofsky who covers BU for Inside Hockey. Rosenthal is citing The Daily Free Press (a BU Newspaper) his source although I cannot find any article or update from their website.

The Daily Free Press does have nice write up on Warsofsky and his sophomore season. The full article can be found here. Here is what BU Coach Jack Parker said of Warsofsky.

“Warsofsky didn’t even play on the power play last year. He would have been running anyone else’s power play in the nation. But he was a real good teammate about that.”

“He’s not thoroughly impressed with himself. He works hard, makes an effort school-wise, makes a great effort to be in good shape and he has a lot of pure talent.”…

“I think David Warsofsky is going to have a good chance to play in the NHL because of the way the game’s played now. If it was 10 years ago, no one would look at him. But now-a-days, you can be a small defenseman because you have to play defense with your feet and your head now, and not with your hands, muscling a guy.”

Warsofsky continues to gain experience at higher levels of competition and appears to be doing well assuming more responsibility at BU. Blues fans should keep an eye out for the East Coast puck mover.

Warsofsky’s statistics are available here. Through 13 games played he has 4 goals and 8 points.

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Blues Prospects on Team USA for World Juniors

By Jeff Quirin on December 23, 2009

You can see the full article on the Team Roster here.

Blues Forward Phil McRae (son of former Blue Basil McRae) and Defensemen David Warsofsky were named to the Team USA World Juniors Roster today.

They join Blues Defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Goalie Jake Allen who are also playing in the tournament for heavily favored Team Canada. Blues 2009 1st Round selection David Rundblad is playing for Sweden as well.

The games are being covered on the NHL Network.  A US TV Schedule is located here.

Fans can catch some highly touted players from the 2010 NHL Draft Class as well. Cam Fowler (USA) and Taylor Hall (Canada) are also participating.

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