Ryan St. Louis
2020-21 Team: U.S. National U18 Team
Date of Birth: June 13, 2003
Place of Birth: Riverside, Connecticut
Ht: 5-foot-10 Wt: 168 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2021 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 125th (amongst NA skaters)
You don’t have to be the biggest fan of the NHL to know that the name St. Louis holds significance to the sport. As one of the true standouts from the early 2000s through his retirement in 2015, Martin St. Louis is a legend that earned his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame despite being an undersized, undrafted player coming out of the University of Vermont.
Related: Martin St. Louis, the Little Big Man
Now, decades after his father made his mark on the NHL, Ryan St. Louis will be looking to cut his own path in the league. Much like his Marty, he is a talented but undersized forward who will need to battle his way into a shot at the NHL. Unlike his father, he is 5-foot-10, meaning that he is a little bit bigger, which may help his chances of getting drafted this year.
On the ice, St. Louis is a solid forward prospect, who posted 13 goals and 31 points in 50 starts with the U.S. National U18 Team as a 17-year old. While these numbers don’t jump off the page, they do show some potential, especially for a player who has room to grow his overall game.
Other THW Draft Profiles:
Ryan St. Louis – NHL Draft Projection
It’s difficult to project where an undersized forward will fall on draft day. If St. Louis were a little bit bigger, his underlying scoring numbers would look more impressive, meaning that he would be a near-lock to be drafted in the fourth or fifth round.
Related: THW 2021 NHL Draft Guide
However, considering how often smaller players slip, one can see St. Louis falling to the sixth or even seventh round if he is even selected at all. When you look at his pedigree and skill set, though, it would be a bit of a shock if no team took a chance on him if he is still available.
Quotables
Ryan is a great passer who plays like a rink rat. It’s easy to tell he grew up around the game with some of the things he does with the puck on his stick.
Jeff Cox – sbncollegehockey.com
With the puck, St. Louis struggles a little bit with decision-making and vision, often putting himself in a difficult position on the ice to create anything (e.g. trapping himself along the boards, failing to find support on the inside).
Joey Padmanabhan – eprinkside.com
St. Louis has a knack for stepping through an opponent’s arms and taking away their ability to maintain puck control… Once he gained possession, he was explosive and shifty and willing to take pucks to the hard areas of the ice.
Shaun Richardson (From Ryan St. Louis Game Report- FCHockey, Apr. 9, 2021)
Strengths
- Top-end playmaking ability
- Smooth skater with great body control
- Sees the ice well, allowing him to make smart passes
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
St. Louis needs to improve his overall decision-making with the puck on his stick to avoid putting himself in a bad position on the ice, which can hamstring his ability to make the most out of the chances presented to him.
NHL Potential
It would be unfair to expect St. Louis to live up to the incredible standard set by his father. Marty was a one-of-a-kind player who outworked everyone around him to take over his role in the NHL.
While Ryan will have to do the same to earn a spot in the league, he appears to have his father’s drive and passion for the sport, making it is easy to imagine him finding a spot on a nightly line-up.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 2/5, Reward – 3/5
As a likely late-round pick, there’s not a lot of risk in St. Louis’ selection. He doesn’t have the highest upside, but he could become a productive mid-six forward if the team that drafts him is able to develop his toolkit. As he has already committed to Northeastern University for the 2021-22 season, he could be a candidate for a team to draft and stash in their prospect pool, giving him three to four years to develop before emerging as an AHL or even NHL-caliber player.
