Speculation: Dylan Olsen

[kk]

Just curious, what's up with this guy? He played some games up with Chicago last season. I'm assuming he just couldn't crack the lineup this shortened season, but isn't he one of the top D-man prospects in the organization? I guess I figured he would be in the mix this year. Just wondering what's up with this situation.

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[Blackhawkswincup]

He is a terrible skater ,, Doesn't fit team and isn't playing well in AHL this year

Likely trade bait in future ,, At best #6/7 dman because of his poor skating

Another failed prospect from Tallon era it appears

 

[HockeySauce]

He is a terrible skater ,, Doesn't fit team and isn't playing well in AHL this year

Likely trade bait in future ,, At beast #6/7 dman because of his poor skating

Another failed prospect from Tallon era it appears

Not close to true.

Olsen's struggled in the AHL this year but played some quality games for Chicago last year, playing upwards of 20 minutes a night in some games and not looking out of place. His potential is a #4 Dman, but he has some work to do in terms of skating and consistentcy.

At the end of the day, Olsen just turned 22 a couple months ago. He's not close toa "failed" prospect at this point. Needs to be better, and can be better.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Olsen looked very out of place last year after his initial few games

 

[HockeySauce]

No, he did not. Uhg. Just uhg.

 

[LandofLincoln*]

Not close to true.

Olsen's struggled in the AHL this year but played some quality games for Chicago last year, playing upwards of 20 minutes a night in some games and not looking out of place. His potential is a #4 Dman, but he has some work to do in terms of skating and consistentcy.

At the end of the day, Olsen just turned 22 a couple months ago. He's not close toa "failed" prospect at this point. Needs to be better, and can be better.

Well he was our #1 defensive prospect last season. Now he clearly has moved down on that list. Clendening, Johns, Stanton are all a bit ahead of him at this point.

If he has another year like this he needs to be moved out of the organization. I wouldn't call him a bust, but I see him being a #6 type. Not even close to reaching a ceiling as a #4. He has good size, but seems to be a little on the soft side.

 

[HockeySauce]

Well he was our #1 defensive prospect last season. Now he clearly has moved down on that list. Clendening, Johns, Stanton are all a bit ahead of him at this point.

If he has another year like this he needs to be moved out of the organization. I wouldn't call him a bust, but I see him being a #6 type. Not even close to reaching a ceiling as a #4. He has good size, but seems to be a little on the soft side.

If anything, he can be too aggressive at times.

 

[LandofLincoln*]

Soft when it comes to physicality and fighting. I remember Shaw owned him in prospects camp.

 

[HockeySauce]

Soft when it comes to physicality and fighting. I remember Shaw owned him in prospects camp.

He's not a fighter, which doesn't make him soft and as I said, at times he can be too aggressive, looking for hits and going out of his way to finish a check.

 

[moose vasko]

He is actually a decent skater once he gets going, but he has slow feet and can be beat both to the outside on speed and close in on quickness. I haven't seen him this year, but I suspect that lost confidence has a lot to do with his stalled development and I doubt he is getting the coaching he needs (there is a lot of skepticism about how good a job the coaches in Rockford are doing).

 

[chicagoskycam]

He is a terrible skater ,, Doesn't fit team and isn't playing well in AHL this year

Likely trade bait in future ,, At best #6/7 dman because of his poor skating

Another failed prospect from Tallon era it appears

It's rare but I agree with all of this.

 

[IU Hawks fan]

Just curious, what's up with this guy? He played some games up with Chicago last season. I'm assuming he just couldn't crack the lineup this shortened season, but isn't he one of the top D-man prospects in the organization? I guess I figured he would be in the mix this year. Just wondering what's up with this situation.

You'd be correct with that assumption. Signed Rosival & Brookbank, making him expendable.

 

[massivegoonery]

Last year when he was called up and playing, Olczyk kept on going on and on about how good of a skater he was, as he kept getting beat and beat on the outside by opposing forwards.

 

[Bubba88]

as of now Olsen has no chance of making the Hawks roster with 8 NHL D infront of him.
He plays the body and has decent upside. He won't get many points

 

[BEL4SEPICMULLET]

It's gotta be tough going from playing 20+ games in the show to being a healthy scratch in the A on multiple occasions. If the Hawks are going to have a stay at home guy come up, you've got to think Stanton has passed him.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Trade bait. He will get another shot in the NHL, just not here.

 

[brtriad]

You never want to write off a kid his age but he's a very poor skater. I couldn't even count the times where someone would blow right around him while he stood still in a pile of sand.

 

[x Tame Impala]

With Hjalmarsson, Leddy, Keith, Oduya and Seabrook on the team, we dont really NEED Olsen to be fantastic. Isn't he the perfect #6 Dman? Big, mean, physical stay at home guy?

 

[WarriorofTime]

With Hjalmarsson, Leddy, Keith, Oduya and Seabrook on the team, we dont really NEED Olsen to be fantastic. Isn't he the perfect #6 Dman? Big, mean, physical stay at home guy?

Won't be there forever. With the Hawks forward prospects, I have little concern that the Hawks will be able to remain competitive post-Hossa and Sharp. However, post-Keith and Seabrook (hey, they're 29 and 27 now) will be a major challenge.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Won't be there forever. With the Hawks forward prospects, I have little concern that the Hawks will be able to remain competitive post-Hossa and Sharp. However, post-Keith and Seabrook (hey, they're 29 and 27 now) will be a major challenge.

Yeah, in 3 or 4 years, we are going to have to offer up a beastly package of picks/prospect for a top 5 pick to get another stud.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Yeah, in 3 or 4 years, we are going to have to offer up a beastly package of picks/prospect for a top 5 pick to get another stud.

#1 Defenseman are incredibly difficult to find. The Hawks post-Chelios are a great example of this. Anyone remember Jon Klemm and Steve Poapst? Or if you want teams that weren't run by a cheap A Hole the Wings now without Lidstrom or the Flyers without Pronger. No matter how good the rest of your roster is, a lack of a #1 DMan can be really detrimental. Hawks are incredibly lucky to have not two #1 Defensemen right now.

 

[ColdSteel2]

#1 Defenseman are incredibly difficult to find. The Hawks post-Chelios are a great example of this. Anyone remember Jon Klemm and Steve Poapst? Or if you want teams that weren't run by a cheap A Hole the Wings now without Lidstrom or the Flyers without Pronger. No matter how good the rest of your roster is, a lack of a #1 DMan can be really detrimental. Hawks are incredibly lucky to have not two #1 Defensemen right now.

Agreed, we just need to draft well, get a little lucky and like I said, make a huge trade. It is that important, as you said.

Look at D-men chosen in the top 5 the last 5 years:
2008
#2 Drew Doughty (legit No. 1)
#3 Zach Bogosian (solid 2nd pairing, still has upside)
#4 Alex Pietrangelo (legit No. 1)
#5 Luke Schenn (solid 2nd pairing, still has upside)

Probably ends up as 2 legit No. 1's, 2 good second pairing guys

2009
#2 Victor Hedman (good 2nd pairing, upside is top pairing guy)
#6 Oliver Ekman-Larsson (top pairing guy, likely to be legit No. 1 if not already, granted 6th overall but could have easily went top 5)

2010
#3 Erik Gudbranson (has struggled but still very young and has clear top pairing upside)

2011
#4 Adam Larsson (good 3rd pairing guy, has top pairing upside, will at the very least likely be a strong 2nd pairing guy)

2012
#2 Ryan Murray
#4 Griffin Reinhart
#5 Morgan Rielly

Way too early to tell.


I think it would be a good idea for the Hawks to do this in a couple years. They need to identify a player or two they really like and go after him. For me, if I was to do it this year, it would be Ristolainen, and he probably won't even go top 5. Not that I'd mind Jones, who wouldn't, but we probably aren't getting into the top 2 this year. What I like about Ristolainen on the Hawks is, let's say he doesn't reach full potential, he is so big and physical that he could be a great asset on any of the 3 pairings.

 

[madgoat33]

hedman is playing like a top pairing dman this season. the offense that was missing from his game last year is there and he's improved defensively.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Definitely, as hard as it is to get top pairing D-men, a top 5 pick is a pretty safe bet to get one. You just need to be patient with them.

 

[madgoat33]

cam barker?