Sunday, Jun. 28, 2009

Blues look to add size on second day of draft

Their second pick also is a defenseman

It was a big day for the St. Louis Blues at the NHL draft Saturday -- in more ways than one.

They landed 6-foot-6 defenseman Brett Ponich from Portland of the Western Hockey League with their second-round pick, then kept taking big players with the majority of their ensuing selections.

"We always try to get good players and if they're big, I think that's a bonus," said Jarmo Kekalainen, the Blues' assistant general manager and scouting director. "We're not trying to build a basketball team, it's how they play hockey. If the size is there, that's big."

Ponich, 18, had one goal, 18 points and 117 penalty minutes in 72 games last season.

He was ranked 151st among North American skaters by the Central Scouting Service, but the Blues have a much higher opinion of him.

"He's a 6-7 defenseman that can move the puck," Kekalainen said. "He's raw, obviously, but he's got a lot of potential. We feel he's got a big upside and that's what we're looking at. We're not trying to go average across the board. We're tying to find something special."

Kekalainen said the Blues weren't the only team considering the big defenseman.

"A lot of teams flew him over to test with them and a lot of teams seemed to pay close attention to the guy," he said. "We didn't want to take a risk that he might not be there later on."

The Blues made their pick and while fans on Internet message boards seemed critical, the club will stick with what the scouts who saw the player numerous time concluded.

"We pay attention to what other people say, but when it comes down to it, the determining factor is what our guys say," Blues President John Davidson said. "This kid's got great character, and our guys liked him. He's a very, very tough kid that plays with an edge and likes to go.

"He's not one of those big defensemen who just bangs it off the glass, he likes to make plays. The upside there is really good."

In 2005, the Blues caught a lot of flak for drafting Minnesota prep star T.J. Oshie in the first round. Oshie's performance as a rookie last season silenced a lot of critics.

"We thought with Oshie that if we didn't take him there, one pick later he would have been gone to Edmonton," Kekalainen said.

Ponich wasn't at the draft in Montreal; he was working on power-skating lessons back in Portland. He got the draft news from a high-placed source, Hall of Fame defenseman and Blues vice president Al MacInnis.

"Al MacInnis gave him a call and he was just thrilled," Davidson said. "He's got a lot of character and there's a good chance he'll be the captain (at Portland) next year. It's nice to have a big defenseman that can pass the puck."

With their third-round pick at No. 78 overall, the Blues chose 19-year-old Russian right winger Sergei Andronov (6-foot, 183 pounds). The 20-year old Moscow native saw his stock rise after a strong performance playing on the first line at the World Junior Championships.

He also had eight goals and 12 points in 47 games last season with Togliatti of the Russian League.

"He wants to come over and get acclimated this summer and check things out," Davidson said. "It's good stuff for us."

In the fourth round, the Blues drafted right winger Tyler Shattock (6-3, 200), known for his big shot and good hands. He had 30 goals and 69 points in 68 games last season with Kamloops of the WHL.

The Blues didn't have a fifth-round pick. They made their final selection in the sixth round (168th overall), choosing New York native David Shields, a 6-3, 216-pound defenseman with Erie of the OHL.

Shields had one goal and 17 points in 61 games last season.

Coming into the draft without a seventh-round pick, the Blues got one when they traded their 2010 seventh-rounder to Nashville. The Blues used it to select Duluth (Minn). East High forward Max Tardy, who led his team to a state title last season and was a finalist for Minnesota's prestigious "Mr. Hockey" award.

Tardy (6-foot, 168 pounds) had 28 goals and 45 points in 25 games as a senior. He is committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

"That's Mike Antonovich's baby," Kekalainen said of the Blues' scout who pushed the Blues hard to draft Oshie and David Backes. "He knows those guys very well. He's found a lot of great picks in there for us, so I have tons of reasons to believe him when he says this guy is going to be a steal, we should invest a pick in him."

The Blues used their top two picks on defense, but Davidson said they were not targeting a need.

"You can never have enough defensemen," he said. "We're not weak anywhere, so we're not in a position where we have to zero in on a puck-moving defenseman or anything like that.

"We felt like we'd just follow our grid, that's what it's about. These guys worked for months to build that thing, so we stayed with it."

Blue notes

* According to Davidson, the Blues have made qualifying offers to free-agent defenseman Roman Polak ($522,500) and free-agent forward B.J. Crombeen ($605,000). They also are close to reaching a deal with free-agent forward Brad Winchester.

"We're close to signing him, to get some size back in the lineup," said Davidson, who is trying to work out a multi-year extension for Polak. "There's negotiations with them and we've got to get it figured out where it's all going to go."

Davidson said no qualifying offer has been made to defenseman Jeff Woywitka, whose rights could be retained with an offer of $715,000.

* Davidson and Kekalainen watched as the players the Blues had in the top 50 on their draft board disappeared almost in order.

"Our scouting staff is satisfied, so that's the main thing," Davidson said. "It was really ironic how quickly the same players went off the board that we had on our top 50. They went in about 57 picks, so it was that close."

* St. Louisan Chris Wideman, a Miami (Ohio) University defenseman from Chaminade High, was selected by Ottawa in the fourth round (100th overall). He made the CCHA's all-rookie team last season with 26 points in 39 games.