I see where the ISS Tip 31 for January now has moved Isaac Lundestrom upto #11 ..the highest ranking I have see yet of any scouting service ...This makes Lundestrom the 2nd highest ranked C in the draft according to their ranking. Their top ranked Centre is Rasmus Kupari who ranked #9; overall. Again I think that is the highest I have seen him ranked and would make hom the only C in the top 10 if others view hom that high. .ISS has their 3rd best C at #12 in Joe Veleno ..Tgey seem to have soured on Jack McBain...the big C is only ranked at #28 on their list of top 31 but he has been higher...in thevteenscon several other lists ..So there will be differences of opinion
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I am not sure why Kupari ranks so high..Theyy probably taken into consideration his birth date being so young and think he will blossom out more next season given a bigger role ..It's a guess .. I did not see mich from him playing for Finland at tge WJHC ..but he was the youngest player o the team and it usually is a 19 year old nor blather 18 year old tournament to shine ..so perhaps Kupari has upside ..but itbis no guarantee he will be the best C from this draft class.
My own rankings for the Centers in this draft had either Lundestrom or Jack McBain as my 2 top targets for the C position given that others who were listed as C/W seem to be projected as playing wingers...in tgat category of dual pisdibke pistions was Oliver Whalstrom and Vitaly Kravtsov ...Whalstrom is definite top 10...ISS has him upto #5 but he is in the 6-9 range on many other lists ...But ISS AND Sportsnet and other lists visually show his as a RW ...if he were projected to play C and if the Hawks were a lottery team and win one if the 3 top spits..then I would draft Filip Zadina but if he was off tge board then Whalstrom no matter if he was going to play RW not C as an NHL ER. ..But if the Hawks do not get a top 3 lottery win then draft only in the 8-19 range then I still think we need a C and would take either Lundestrom or McBain ...They may not be special enough to become 1C stars in the NHL but they should be very good 2C or 3C Centers with 200 ft games and goid compete levels ..
Looking at what we have in the pipeline ebour C position is not very deep ..Kayumov maybe .But obviously we need cavity more depth coming up and we need to start drafting more C talent off the consensus A list player from round 1 rather than wait till round 3 (we do not have a round 2 or round 4 this draft).
Again..if we do get a top 3 pick..sure take the BPA over position nerd and so take a Zadina or aWhalstom ..not sure LW Brady Tkachuk fits the Blackhawks style...want the skill of Zadina's great shot or Whalstom's overall skill-set ..but IF we do not get lucky with actor 3 pick..then likely in the teens ...whether early mid or later teens ,then I think we NEED to add Centres.
But I am anxious to see the Central Scouting Mid-term Rankings which should be out soon ..I want to see wherevthebline have Kupari Lundestrom amd Jesperi Kotkaniemi who is another C , ranked on their euro skaters list and the gaps between them.
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One thing about Lundestrom...he seemed to work very well with Tim Soderlund when tgeynpjayedvon the same line..Their line was Sweden's best for 2 straight games in the preliminary rounds of the WJHC when they got to play together...They did not play together much for the Medal round games as their coach switched the lines...
I am also interested to see ifvothervranking orgs moved Lundestrom up as much as ISS did ...or not..
There is still hockey to play through the spring in thisc2ndvhalf .Still time to change the rankings forcacre-set final consensus ..As ofvnowcarcfar as centres go, I am still a bit leery if Kupari who itbisctruevmay not reveal his true potential till next season. .I am at least more certain that Lundestrom or McBain coukd be good Centres if not quite great Centers.But the deepest talent of this 2018 draft liescatcDman and wingers ..unfortunately for the Hawks where Centre is our biggest pipeline need ..Better we grab a C in the teens than our usual late 20s or end of round 1 pick when all the best C's ofvthe crop are already plucked off ..We have opportunity to get an A list first rounder C in the teens. .we need to draft a C in thay spot.
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I am not sure why Kupari ranks so high..Theyy probably taken into consideration his birth date being so young and think he will blossom out more next season given a bigger role ..It's a guess .. I did not see mich from him playing for Finland at tge WJHC ..but he was the youngest player o the team and it usually is a 19 year old nor blather 18 year old tournament to shine ..so perhaps Kupari has upside ..but itbis no guarantee he will be the best C from this draft class.
My own rankings for the Centers in this draft had either Lundestrom or Jack McBain as my 2 top targets for the C position given that others who were listed as C/W seem to be projected as playing wingers...in tgat category of dual pisdibke pistions was Oliver Whalstrom and Vitaly Kravtsov ...Whalstrom is definite top 10...ISS has him upto #5 but he is in the 6-9 range on many other lists ...But ISS AND Sportsnet and other lists visually show his as a RW ...if he were projected to play C and if the Hawks were a lottery team and win one if the 3 top spits..then I would draft Filip Zadina but if he was off tge board then Whalstrom no matter if he was going to play RW not C as an NHL ER. ..But if the Hawks do not get a top 3 lottery win then draft only in the 8-19 range then I still think we need a C and would take either Lundestrom or McBain ...They may not be special enough to become 1C stars in the NHL but they should be very good 2C or 3C Centers with 200 ft games and goid compete levels ..
Looking at what we have in the pipeline ebour C position is not very deep ..Kayumov maybe .But obviously we need cavity more depth coming up and we need to start drafting more C talent off the consensus A list player from round 1 rather than wait till round 3 (we do not have a round 2 or round 4 this draft).
Again..if we do get a top 3 pick..sure take the BPA over position nerd and so take a Zadina or aWhalstom ..not sure LW Brady Tkachuk fits the Blackhawks style...want the skill of Zadina's great shot or Whalstom's overall skill-set ..but IF we do not get lucky with actor 3 pick..then likely in the teens ...whether early mid or later teens ,then I think we NEED to add Centres.
But I am anxious to see the Central Scouting Mid-term Rankings which should be out soon ..I want to see wherevthebline have Kupari Lundestrom amd Jesperi Kotkaniemi who is another C , ranked on their euro skaters list and the gaps between them.
.
One thing about Lundestrom...he seemed to work very well with Tim Soderlund when tgeynpjayedvon the same line..Their line was Sweden's best for 2 straight games in the preliminary rounds of the WJHC when they got to play together...They did not play together much for the Medal round games as their coach switched the lines...
I am also interested to see ifvothervranking orgs moved Lundestrom up as much as ISS did ...or not..
There is still hockey to play through the spring in thisc2ndvhalf .Still time to change the rankings forcacre-set final consensus ..As ofvnowcarcfar as centres go, I am still a bit leery if Kupari who itbisctruevmay not reveal his true potential till next season. .I am at least more certain that Lundestrom or McBain coukd be good Centres if not quite great Centers.But the deepest talent of this 2018 draft liescatcDman and wingers ..unfortunately for the Hawks where Centre is our biggest pipeline need ..Better we grab a C in the teens than our usual late 20s or end of round 1 pick when all the best C's ofvthe crop are already plucked off ..We have opportunity to get an A list first rounder C in the teens. .we need to draft a C in thay spot.
