Lars Steiner...If ever a sleeper pick, this is it

[STL fan in MN]

I was pumped when I saw they took Steiner. I had him ranked 46th. That’s higher than where most had him but most also had him in the 2nd to 3rd round. I’m a little surprised he lasted to the 6th rd but then again, teams continue to overvalue height.

Steiner is 5’10” but he’s solidly built and is a buzzsaw that plays through contact and goes to the hard area of the ice. He has a very nice shot and plus speed as well. Solid puck skills - NHL average.

I think why teams passed on him, besides the height, is he’s not a very good playmaker. And I think that makes some question his hockey sense. To me, I think it’s fine. He’s not ever going to be an NHL top-6 guy but he has the speed and absolutely has the tenacity to be a great bottom-6 energy player. Your team need a boost? Then send this little Tasmanian devil over the boards and let him go create chaos. And with that shot, he’s going to score some goals too.

Not going to say he’s going to definitely make it to the NHL or that he was a steal, but I like him and his chances of making it way way more than the average 6th rd pick.

He’s going to head back to Switzerland and play for Davos again.
https://swisshockeynews.ch/en/shn/men/s ... im-minder

That’ll be a great place for him to develop for the next year or two. Assuming he develops well enough for the Blues to want to sign him, I’d look for him to then come back over to N.A., head to Springfield and then we’ll see from there.

Great write up MN!

Better than the pro one for me where they all sound like first rounders.

Reading yours makes me feel like I've seen the kid play myself.

Thanks.

Since I wrote that, I have since found out the main reason why he fell isn’t because of his height or perceived hockey sense issues, it’s the 2 year contract he signed with Davos. Apparently teams were worried he wouldn’t come back over eventually? Idk. Unless the kid flat out told teams he wasn’t sure he absolutely wanted a NHL career, I just don’t see a huge risk in him playing the next 2 years for the best program in the Swiss league.

If we’re talking a Russian kid going back to Russia I could see the risk as the NHL doesn’t have a transfer agreement with the KHL/Russia but they do have one with the NL/Switzerland. So the Blues could still sign him anytime they want and just pay the transfer fee. I would assume this will prevent Steiner from attending Blues training camp as the Euro leagues start their seasons around when we start camp but that’s not really that big a deal IMO.

But these kids tend to need a good 2-3 years to develop anyway so…why not do so in a really solid pro league? Certainly a better choice than another year of Jrs and definitely a higher caliber than college hockey too.

Steiner is currently in STL at development camp so clearly he’s interested in a NHL career IMO. I think the Swiss league will be a good spot for him and then in a couple years, we can see if he’s worth signing and bringing over here. An absolute potential steal in the 6th rd.

And I just love these types of players. Vladi Sobotka was one of my favorite players back in the day (the young Tasmanian devil/little ball of hate version, not the version when he came back and wanted to abandon that persona bc he thought he was a top-6 scorer then). I see a lot of those same characteristics in Steiner but with a really good shot.

Thanks for that update.

Love these type players and their low profile draft position, like the Schairer pick in round 3 who sounds like great potential.

Finding the gems late has to be a scouts biggest thrill, I certainly love it as a fan.

Yeah, it would be great if we could hit on some of our later picks.

Here’s a video I came across of Steiner using his rocket of a shot to beat Harenstam, another one of our late rounders that’s looking good, over the shoulder at the WJC this past winter.

https://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/s/OOVyJX5qJ4

[dhsux]

Ya maan!