Prospect Info: All-Purpose Prospect Thread v9.0: IceHogs/Fuel/NCAA/Jr./Int'l - Too Many Cooks in Net

[TheDoorDoctor]

Merkley is a wildcard. .McKenzie pointed out the elite offensive talent he has BUT let on that some teams may be leery about his attitude issues and could present challenges for coaches ..but thata team will take a chance on that talent and hope he matures .

He has a lot of improving to do defensively. ..but at worst you coukd turn him into a forward if his defending does not come around ..offensively he can be neserizxing carrying tge puckvaroundcthevo-zone with great speed and agility and puck handling ..you cannot take the puck from him as he seems to elude alk checking attempts ..So he can rag tge puck like nobody else in this toll he fonds an open man to dish to ...he can weave around and through traffic to get to the net himself then fire in net.He has SPECIAK abilities..but his defending is ugly I'm the +/- and unless that can improve you have a lot of concerns ...So it coukd be a boom.or bust pick ...Boom if his attitude and defending issues get fixed...bust if they persist. Offensively he is just as good if not better than Dahlin or Boqvist ....Defending and attitude issues cokd drop him from a top ten to the later teens ..

Saw Dobson at the Top Prospects Game also ...I heard call the hype on him..but I did not see anything spec special to suggest we pick him .if he still is on the board.

I have posted on our pipeline need of more Centres ...Barrett Hayton had 2 assists in the Top Prospects Game
.but he is nit very flashy ..Solid 2 way type ...skating style reminds me of Toews,but I do not think he has the talent for top ten material..Even though Bob McKenzie does put him as the top Centre prospect in this draft and does put him in the top ten ,he ranks lower in the mid teens on a lot of other lists including my own (I give him.#13...even with that I am not sure if he is ever going g to be more than a 3C at the Nhl level...my gut instint is to not take him if he still is on the board when we pick. .If Isac Lundestrom is still on the board ,I think we should draft him ..He is my top-ranking Centre (I rank him at #11 ) ...Neither he nor Hayton has the elite special quality to make them top ten talents in my opinion..but McKenzie has Lundestrom ranked way too low at #20 right after another Centre,Jesoeri Kotkaniemi at #19 ...In this regard McKenzie has Lundestrom much lower on his ranking than other ranking orgs ...most in tge 11-15 range .

Anyway..if we target a Centre I woukd go for Lundestrom or Kotkaniemi
not Hayton who is solid but a bit boring ..

Bob McKenzie did mention 1 winger tgat he felt coukd be a riser by the final ranking ...DOMINIK BOKK, the German winger ..Most lists have hom mid to late 20s or early 2nd Ro under ..but there is a lot of talent and upside to project . He probably should rank mid to late teens on potential .

But we just do not know what draft spot the Hawks will get ..will it be 15-18 if we have a good run and secure a playoff spot ..or will we just be in a lottery slot out of the playoffs wuth a chance to win a lotto draw and move up to any of the top 3 picks?


If we win top pick..well Dahlin of course..If we get #2 The debate is between SVECHNIKOV or ZADINA or TKACHUK...

It woukd be a tough choice
.all 3 are different styles and abilities ..

SVECHNIKOV is the best skater and 2 -way game ..all so size and compete level ..avery good package of talent ...Zadina has that SPECIAL elitle shot ...best sniper in the draft ..uncanny ability to beat goalies .The vine -timer..the wrister inbtrafgic to hit the twine ..that shot is electric.

Tkachuk...the family bloodlines...Power Forward..Plays to the net ..Toughness ,motor,2 way game ..a complete package ..

It would be a tough choice among g the 3 at #2 ..But considering the Hawks style of play and need for a sniper of elite ability. .I would take Filip Zadina over the it her 2 ..Elite snipers are hard to find. .Beating NHL go alues is tough.You need an elite shot ..Zadina has that very special thing the bother 2 do not...They have other ways to score than just their shot ..And they bring other things he does not . But when Zadina shoots .you go wow..the shot is ELITE SPECIAL ..he scored 2 goals in the Top Prospects Game and hit a post. I would not dare pass on a player with that kind of release and shot ability ...k
But winning a lotto to move up to 1 ,2 or 3 is a longshot for us should we miss the playoffs and pick 10-15...

If we really slide down to the finish,maybe we draft 7 or 8 ...that might give us a shot at wi ger Oliver Whalstrom who shoukd go off tge board there ..

Would you go for Bouchard if he's available at #7... honestly I think we need a elite defenseman (of course I prefer to draft BPA though)

 

[CallMeShaft]

Just the type of progress you want to see from a 1st rounder.

 

[hawksfan50]

I have Bouchard ranked at #5 ..yhatbisvgenerous how good a prospect he is...Trouble is. He is Another RD which we stocked up on last draft...But still if we slide to 7th pick abd hevisvstill there heceoukd be the BPA. . I rank Oliver Whalstrom at #7 who is a winger (though some lists also have him as a C which I doubt he projects to in the NHL...Probably he projects as a winger ..but if Whalstrom is there and we draft 7th then he too would be the BPA ..

1.Rasmus Dahlin (consensus)
----------------
2. Svechnikov
3.Zadina
4.Tkachuk
5.Bouchard
6.Boqvist
7.Whalstrom
--------
In my view these are the 7 no argument BPA guys...you may quibble on the border but Dahlin is in the clear #1 and the next 6 you can agree or change the order a bit.

THINK of it this way. ..Dahlin is an A+ rating ...Svechnikov Zadina and Tkachuk are A- (alk arexwingers) ....the 3rd tier ofvthe top 7 has the 2 dmen
Bouchard and Boqvist they get B+ as does the winger Whalstrom..

From #8 on there is less consensus on ranking order and it is more difficult to identify clear BPA talent..I would put everyone from 8-22 in a general B rating ...andc23-31 as a B- projection ..Round 2 are all C+ longer shots. .Round 3 are C ..Round 4 are C- round 5 and 6 and 7 are all longshot at D+ where yoo gotta get real lucky to develop above that real distant make the show likelihood.

Whike I said that 8-22 are on a big general pot of B grade prospects in terms of how we should rank relative to the vote 7, there will be some boom.or bust types in that pot who could emerge as equal or better pros in terms of nhl impact when they get there than even some of the vote 7 ..
So that is why I rank Ryan Merkley ...another PMD type at #8 ..he has exceptional attacking talent and instincts forcacdman..but his flaw is defending. .another lit ..another lot needscto be improved on. .IF he cam be taught to defend better ,then you cannot ignorecthatvtalentbon the attack ...easily as good as Dahlin or better !
.but he is much smaller and is nowhere near Dahlin as a defender...at this stage.

I see no Centres worthy of being in the vote 10.

But at #21 I rank Isac Lundestrom as the top Centre to target ..At #13 I have Barret Hayton At #15 I have Jesperi Kotkaniemi and at #19 I have Jack McBain ...so on my books there are 4 centre targets to choose from in this middle part of round 1. .again you may quibble with the order I have them in .

In the 3rd part of round #1 (21-31 ) you can place other Centres who will be taken in round 1...Joe Veleno,Rasmus Kupari,Ryan McLeod ...

 

[hawksfan50]

Update on Hawks prospect dman Jake Ryzcek ..since he left Providence College to join the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL,he now has 3 g 9a in 15 GP for Halifax. .

 

[TLEH]

Did see that about Ryzcek. He wasn't playing much at Providence and is doing really well in the Q. Halifax is also really good. I would love getting Zadina into this organization and think he could end up being really talented at the next level.

 

[CallMeShaft]

The cavalry is on it's way!

 

[clydesdale line]

Anthony Louis has scored in 3 straight games now.

 

[hawksfan50]

Note to Canadian Blackhawks fans:


TSN 2 will be showing the Beanpot Semi-final game between Boston College and Northeastern which starts at 5pm Eastern time on Monday February 5th ...so...your chance to check out Dylan Sikura....

TSN2 will also show the 2nd Semi-final of the Beanpot Tournament better Boston University and Harvard starting at 7:30 pm Eastern time on Monday Feb.5th........not sure if Chad Krys will be back in the lineup for BU in this game ...He was not back for their game last Friday night (I am not sure what his injury is)..

 

[hawksfan50]

Dylan Sikura scores the first goal of the game in this Beanpot aemi-final give Northeastern a 1-0 lead over Boston College ..It was a PP goal ...He plays RW on tge PP but is playing LW in 5x5 shifts...Tge goal was quite fluke. .he shot it and it deflected of A BC player and somehow fluttered past a slight opening between tge BU goali'sarpit and chest ...Got a bit lucky ..but I suppose given the no luck of so many Blackhawks forwards,maybe Sikura will be valuable to tge Hawks simply because luck attaches to him?Because otherwise I do not like how he skates or exerts energy and compete. .he looks mire like a coaster/floater with an opportunistic ability..Rather than some dominating battling in
your face type who is hard o the puck or shows he wants to take it from you .. Dies not seem goid position ally in defending his own zone . STILL somehow he gets points..but really not much to like in how he plays. .looks soft and not put to g in a lot of effort..not sure his game will succeed in the NHL.

 

[hawksfan50]

Well ..now 2-0 for Northeastern. .Sikura ragsctyenpucl from RW around bavk of net and op the LW side (of the attack team) around the top ofvthe o-zone out near the blue line amd then Sikura shoots from tge high slot and Stevens at the net puts it in ..another PP goal ...So the 3 big stars for Northeastern each have 2 points in tge game on their 2 PP goals..

Sikura with 1 g1a..Stevens 1a and 1 g and Gaudette 2a..

So unlike the Blackhawks their best shine again and on the deal PP ..though with of course more room than 5x5 ..


Trouble is ...when Sikura try this stuff for the Hawks (ragging it around from 2 sidecar thecway around the net and putvtogethercavgoid the blue line on the other side and then tries to shoot. .it will get blocked and probably goes for a shorty then other cosy ..Or he will rag it around but always be kept to the perimeter ..Also should he miraculously get his shot on net ..of course there will be no Stebens at the net to tip or bang it in ..He will just be another futile perimeter cannot get the shot away or on target with no traffic at net anyway .

NORTHEASTERN is losing the Corsi wars ..out shioc15-10 but leads 2-0 after 2 periods because their PP scores goals and their 3 best players Sikura Gaudette and Stevens produce on the PP .Unfortunately Blackhawks do nit have Gaudette and Stevens..so isolated without his 2 clicking compliments ,Sikura will quickly go to just another Q-fail and PP fail when he gets put with the useless Hawks pp vet "stars".

 

[AmericanDream]

I have Bouchard ranked at #5 ..yhatbisvgenerous how good a prospect he is...Trouble is. He is Another RD which we stocked up on last draft...But still if we slide to 7th pick abd hevisvstill there heceoukd be the BPA. . I rank Oliver Whalstrom at #7 who is a winger (though some lists also have him as a C which I doubt he projects to in the NHL...Probably he projects as a winger ..but if Whalstrom is there and we draft 7th then he too would be the BPA ..

1.Rasmus Dahlin (consensus)
----------------
2. Svechnikov
3.Zadina
4.Tkachuk
5.Bouchard
6.Boqvist
7.Whalstrom
--------
In my view these are the 7 no argument BPA guys...you may quibble on the border but Dahlin is in the clear #1 and the next 6 you can agree or change the order a bit.

THINK of it this way. ..Dahlin is an A+ rating ...Svechnikov Zadina and Tkachuk are A- (alk arexwingers) ....the 3rd tier ofvthe top 7 has the 2 dmen
Bouchard and Boqvist they get B+ as does the winger Whalstrom..

From #8 on there is less consensus on ranking order and it is more difficult to identify clear BPA talent..I would put everyone from 8-22 in a general B rating ...andc23-31 as a B- projection ..Round 2 are all C+ longer shots. .Round 3 are C ..Round 4 are C- round 5 and 6 and 7 are all longshot at D+ where yoo gotta get real lucky to develop above that real distant make the show likelihood.

Whike I said that 8-22 are on a big general pot of B grade prospects in terms of how we should rank relative to the vote 7, there will be some boom.or bust types in that pot who could emerge as equal or better pros in terms of nhl impact when they get there than even some of the vote 7 ..
So that is why I rank Ryan Merkley ...another PMD type at #8 ..he has exceptional attacking talent and instincts forcacdman..but his flaw is defending. .another lit ..another lot needscto be improved on. .IF he cam be taught to defend better ,then you cannot ignorecthatvtalentbon the attack ...easily as good as Dahlin or better !
.but he is much smaller and is nowhere near Dahlin as a defender...at this stage.

I see no Centres worthy of being in the vote 10.

But at #21 I rank Isac Lundestrom as the top Centre to target ..At #13 I have Barret Hayton At #15 I have Jesperi Kotkaniemi and at #19 I have Jack McBain ...so on my books there are 4 centre targets to choose from in this middle part of round 1. .again you may quibble with the order I have them in .

In the 3rd part of round #1 (21-31 ) you can place other Centres who will be taken in round 1...Joe Veleno,Rasmus Kupari,Ryan McLeod ...

Outside of Dahlin, I think Wahlstrom will be the next best player in this draft class.

The kid has all the tools to be elite - size, amazingly soft hands, tremendous vision, and his shot is near elite - he is in the top 2 goal scorers for this draft right now IMO. He just keeps rising on all scouting lists, I think he will land inside the top 4-5 right after the U18 is done - he is no longer being looked over.

If the Hawks are lucky enough to draft this kid, rejoice people, glory days may not be that far away yet again.

 

[hawksfan50]

Sorry..I had to re-chatge my smartphone...Final score was 3-0 for Northeastern over Boston College on their Beanpot Srmi-Final...Sikura did not figure bin their 3rd goal ..Gaudette scored it and Stebens hot an asost. SO it turns out Sikura gotvthemlesdt points of the 3 Northeastern linemates stars
..Sikura 1g 1a..Gaudette 1g 2a ..Stevens 1 h 2a...

Which of the 4 will have the best NHL imiact? STEVENS lik e Sikura is a Sr... (drafted by STL) but Gaudettebonlyca Jr. (Drafted by Vancouver)...Probably Gaudette will be the best of the lot .. Stevens is a big body ;physical with net front presence and a goid shot ..but notva great skater. .Did not see Sikura get into the hard traffic areas bo front of the net ..do if he plays soft snd perimeter for the Hawks hevwill get shoved to then outside and not have the benefit of 2 linemates who go to the dirty traffic areas to score off his oases like he had in college. .Gaudette can score in thevtrafhiccsreas and probably isvthe best among the 3 with skating speed ..I think you vet tge moneybon Gaudette (lucky Vancouver )..I wonder though if Stevens and Sikura pull a buddy act and either both go to Ufa to join the same team ..or if Sikura signs with the Hawks first causevtgey promise burn the 1st yr of a 2 yr ELC but that Stevens waits to go Ufa and snubs STL ofvthe refuse to burn a year?If tgat hapoens then he coukd decide to join the Hawks tomojayvhohether ? BUT in that case he needsctovstayvin till Aug.15th to get to free agent status. I guess 8tcdeoendsbon how Stevens sees oportunity in STL or a better none with another team .If STL REALLY WANTS HIM, they may havevyo;like the Hawks with Sikura,be willing to burn off tgat 1st yr.of the ELC if they can sign him right after his season at Northeastern ends.
In Gaudette's case...he can either come out early as a 3 yr. guy or cone back to school next season for his Sr. Yr.Ifvyou are Vancouver you probably want to sign him and not let him go to Sr. Year and risk him going free agent lije Hayes did if Gaudette woukd rather not play in Vancouver .

 

[BK]

Sorry..I had to re-chatge my smartphone...Final score was 3-0 for Northeastern over Boston College on their Beanpot Srmi-Final...Sikura did not figure bin their 3rd goal ..Gaudette scored it and Stebens hot an asost. SO it turns out Sikura gotvthemlesdt points of the 3 Northeastern linemates stars
..Sikura 1g 1a..Gaudette 1g 2a ..Stevens 1 h 2a...

Which of the 4 will have the best NHL imiact? STEVENS lik e Sikura is a Sr... (drafted by STL) but Gaudettebonlyca Jr. (Drafted by Vancouver)...Probably Gaudette will be the best of the lot .. Stevens is a big body ;physical with net front presence and a goid shot ..but notva great skater. .Did not see Sikura get into the hard traffic areas bo front of the net ..do if he plays soft snd perimeter for the Hawks hevwill get shoved to then outside and not have the benefit of 2 linemates who go to the dirty traffic areas to score off his oases like he had in college. .Gaudette can score in thevtrafhiccsreas and probably isvthe best among the 3 with skating speed ..I think you vet tge moneybon Gaudette (lucky Vancouver )..I wonder though if Stevens and Sikura pull a buddy act and either both go to Ufa to join the same team ..or if Sikura signs with the Hawks first causevtgey promise burn the 1st yr of a 2 yr ELC but that Stevens waits to go Ufa and snubs STL ofvthe refuse to burn a year?If tgat hapoens then he coukd decide to join the Hawks tomojayvhohether ? BUT in that case he needsctovstayvin till Aug.15th to get to free agent status. I guess 8tcdeoendsbon how Stevens sees oportunity in STL or a better none with another team .If STL REALLY WANTS HIM, they may havevyo;like the Hawks with Sikura,be willing to burn off tgat 1st yr.of the ELC if they can sign him right after his season at Northeastern ends.
In Gaudette's case...he can either come out early as a 3 yr. guy or cone back to school next season for his Sr. Yr.Ifvyou are Vancouver you probably want to sign him and not let him go to Sr. Year and risk him going free agent lije Hayes did if Gaudette woukd rather not play in Vancouver .

Smart phones have spell check. Your phone is clearly not that smart.

 

[BK]

Outside of Dahlin, I think Wahlstrom will be the next best player in this draft class.

The kid has all the tools to be elite - size, amazingly soft hands, tremendous vision, and his shot is near elite - he is in the top 2 goal scorers for this draft right now IMO. He just keeps rising on all scouting lists, I think he will land inside the top 4-5 right after the U18 is done - he is no longer being looked over.

If the Hawks are lucky enough to draft this kid, rejoice people, glory days may not be that far away yet again.

I like him as well but you are typical very "high" on US players.

 

[Blue Liner]

I like him as well but you are typical very "high" on US players.

He is, but his Wahlstrom thoughts aren't bad ones.

 

[BK]

He is, but his Wahlstrom thoughts aren't bad ones.

Oh I don't disagree.

 

[LDF]

i really think another offensive prospect is a little bit better and i am not talking about the russian kid. that player i am talking about is Filip Zadina.....

 

[AmericanDream]

Zadina has been impressive...he would be the highest drafted czech in sometime...I wish him the best as well, looks to have all the tools you could want at this stage.

 

[JLarucci23]

I wish we could get a high enough pick to get Zadina. Because I think that kid is going to be a star.

 

[LDF]

Zadina has been impressive...he would be the highest drafted czech in sometime...I wish him the best as well, looks to have all the tools you could want at this stage.

those two, zadina and oliver w are to die for.

 

[LDF]

I wish we could get a high enough pick to get Zadina. Because I think that kid is going to be a star.

totally agree

 

[TLEH]

This is a good draft. You could easily come away with a cornerstone piece even at 12-15 if you pick right. We better not trade it.

 

[Blue Liner]

I know people tend to overvalue picks and all but if they trade away this pick this year I'll lead the way to the W. Madison with the pitchforks.

 

[BK]

I know people tend to overvalue picks and all but if they trade away this pick this year I'll lead the way to the W. Madison with the pitchforks.

I will fly in just to steal police horses and burn stuff.

 

[Teemu]

I wish we could get a high enough pick to get Zadina. Because I think that kid is going to be a star.

Four goals tonight