My thoughts are do we really need a thread after EVERY pick?
The Blackhawks have engineered a few draft steals in recent years, finding talented young players in the latter rounds, some of whom have already made an impact at the NHL level. What often goes unnoticed, however, is the work that the organization’s amateur scouts put in year-round to identify, track and evaluate these prospects, so that Vice President/General Manager Stan Bowman and Senior Director of Amateur Scouting Mark Kelley are completely prepared to make their selections on draft day. One of those scouts is Jim McKellar, who joined the organization in the 2010-11 season and is responsible for surveying the Ontario Hockey League.
“Early in the season, you’re watching everybody to see who pops out and catches your eye,†McKellar says of the basic process. “You’re narrowing that focus on players you really like as the year goes on, but continuing to watch other guys.â€
One player McKellar zeroed in on was Andrew Shaw, who at that point had already passed through two drafts, untouched by all 30 NHL teams. Of course, Blackhawks fans know the rest—from his stellar start in the NHL to his gritty, shinpads-and-stitches performance during the 2013 Stanley Cup run. As the 2014 Draft approaches, chicagoblackhawks.com caught up with McKellar to get his reflections on the Blackhawks' selection of Shaw.
My thoughts are do we really need a thread after EVERY pick?
Thoughts?
Hopefully he can keep the goonery to a minimum. Agitators are great but not when they're taking awful penalties and getting suspended. Hopefully he can be a mini-Burish.
You think?
But it also makes you wonder how much of someone's success in hockey actually comes down to making the most of a scant few minutes of ice time in order to get a second look.
Was there anything about Shaw to differentiate him from a dozen other guys when he was breaking into the league, other than he got a chance to mesh with the right linemates and they didn't?
Is the only difference between a Shaw and all the other 5th round picks just the fact he got a chance to play? After all, there's still nothing he really does especially well on an individual basis.
But it also makes you wonder how much of someone's success in hockey actually comes down to making the most of a scant few minutes of ice time in order to get a second look.
Was there anything about Shaw to differentiate him from a dozen other guys when he was breaking into the league, other than he got a chance to mesh with the right linemates and they didn't?
Is the only difference between a Shaw and all the other 5th round picks just the fact he got a chance to play? After all, there's still nothing he really does especially well on an individual basis.
But it also makes you wonder how much of someone's success in hockey actually comes down to making the most of a scant few minutes of ice time in order to get a second look.
Was there anything about Shaw to differentiate him from a dozen other guys when he was breaking into the league, other than he got a chance to mesh with the right linemates and they didn't?
Is the only difference between a Shaw and all the other 5th round picks just the fact he got a chance to play? After all, there's still nothing he really does especially well on an individual basis.