Looking at the prospects drafted in the past few drafts, and projecting the Hawks to be a lottery team, what’s the focus for the 2019 draft?
Keepers on the current team include Kane, Toews, DeBrincat, Schmaltz at forward, Keith, Jokiharju, maybe Murphy and Gustafsson, and Seabrook (by default) on defense, and Crawford in goal.
Defensively, prospects seem to be set. Forsling should play this year, and Mitchell, Boqvist, Krys, and Beaudin need time but if two hit big, then all is beautiful. Just lacking a size guy (Murphy?).
There is the potential for two defensively responsible centers (Wise and Kurashev) from 2018 who look like at max middle six centers. Both need time, but could be key pieces. Barrett, Sikura, Entwhistle, Edjsell, and others still have a lot to prove. The remaining forward prospects mostly fall into the smaller size but skilled group, likely not defensively responsible. Simply put, there looks to be no immediate help at forward.
So, a combination of free agency and impact forwards at the draft is necessary, maybe a goalie mid-late, is necessary.
Kakko and Hughes are obvious. Who else, why, and how far away from making the team with a top 6-7 pick, better if lottery win???