Speculation: NHL 2021 Entry Draft -- "Don't Call It A Rebuild"

[Kaners Bald Spot]

They’ll absolutely need a top five pick to get any, right? Also, are all expected to be a future #1?

From what I've heard, those guys are in the #2-3 range but there's obviously variance. A few of the D from this year could step up and be #1. I'm sure that Quinn Hughes would have been a top 3 pick if they knew how good he'd be. I might be crazy but I think Luke could be better.

 

[bwana63]

From what I've heard, those guys are in the #2-3 range but there's obviously variance. A few of the D from this year could step up and be #1. I'm sure that Quinn Hughes would have been a top 3 pick if they knew how good he'd be. I might be crazy but I think Luke could be better.

Not offensively, but if he produces ⅔ of what Quinn does and is better defensively, overall, could be. He's definitely on the rise, rapidly.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

Not offensively, but if he produces ⅔ of what Quinn does and is better defensively, overall, could be. He's definitely on the rise, rapidly.

I think Luke will be light years better defensively and almost as good offensively, which overall is a better player.

 

[Brightwing]

Obviously they'll take BPA but all things being equal, I think they take a forward over a dman.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

Obviously they'll take BPA but all things being equal, I think they take a forward over a dman.

1. Why?

2. Who are you thinking/will they be better than a potential #1 defenseman?

 

[bwana63]

Obviously they'll take BPA but all things being equal, I think they take a forward over a dman.

If one of the top LHD are available, I'll be pretty darn surprised if they opt for a forward.

 

[CallMeShaft]

You obviously take BPA, but I think, organizationally speaking, it'd be better if it was a defenseman.

Hawks have Kirby who, provided he isn't dead yet, will likely be the heir to Toews. Nobody will replace Kane, but that doesn't mean that Kubalik and DeBrincat aren't top line wingers (they are when they can hit 30 goals a season). Strome is fine as a middle six center. Kurashev and Barratt show promise. Reichel has huge upside, just a question if he can reach it. Point being, the Hawks will have enough fire power up front, and that isn't even taking into account how they keep plucking up free euro forwards (or nearly free in Kubalik's case) out of thin air.

Defensively, only Boqvist seems like a sure fire top pairing guy. A lot needs to go right for Mitchell to be a top pairing caliber guy. Beaudin struggled in the AHL, though he did well in his single game with the Hawks. Regula likely tops out as a 3rd pairing guy. Carlsson is maybe middle pairing. Kalynuk is a wild card. Zadarov is a middle pairing guy. And it's way to early to talk about anyone else.

Hawks need another future top pairing level guy to go with Boqvist. Maybe one of our prospects starts to show that they can be that, but none have as of yet. It's a bigger need than a future top line winger.

 

[Kaners Bald Spot]

You obviously take BPA, but I think, organizationally speaking, it'd be better if it was a defenseman.

Hawks have Kirby who, provided he isn't dead yet, will likely be the heir to Toews. Nobody will replace Kane, but that doesn't mean that Kubalik and DeBrincat aren't top line wingers (they are when they can hit 30 goals a season). Strome is fine as a middle six center. Kurashev and Barratt show promise. Reichel has huge upside, just a question if he can reach it. Point being, the Hawks will have enough fire power up front, and that isn't even taking into account how they keep plucking up free euro forwards (or nearly free in Kubalik's case) out of thin air.

Defensively, only Boqvist seems like a sure fire top pairing guy. A lot needs to go right for Mitchell to be a top pairing caliber guy. Beaudin struggled in the AHL, though he did well in his single game with the Hawks. Regula likely tops out as a 3rd pairing guy. Carlsson is maybe middle pairing. Kalynuk is a wild card. Zadarov is a middle pairing guy. And it's way to early to talk about anyone else.

Hawks need another future top pairing level guy to go with Boqvist. Maybe one of our prospects starts to show that they can be that, but none have as of yet. It's a bigger need than a future top line winger.

The Hawks have a ton of bodies on D but most top out as a middle pairing guy. I'd agree that Boqvist is the only D with top pairing potential and as much as I think he's going to get there eventually, it's not guaranteed.

That being said, depending on where they're picking, if Power/Hughes/Edvinsson are off the board, and either Johnson or Raty are available I could see them going forward.

 

[RememberTheRoar]

You obviously take BPA, but I think, organizationally speaking, it'd be better if it was a defenseman.

Hawks have Kirby who, provided he isn't dead yet, will likely be the heir to Toews. Nobody will replace Kane, but that doesn't mean that Kubalik and DeBrincat aren't top line wingers (they are when they can hit 30 goals a season). Strome is fine as a middle six center. Kurashev and Barratt show promise. Reichel has huge upside, just a question if he can reach it. Point being, the Hawks will have enough fire power up front, and that isn't even taking into account how they keep plucking up free euro forwards (or nearly free in Kubalik's case) out of thin air.

Defensively, only Boqvist seems like a sure fire top pairing guy. A lot needs to go right for Mitchell to be a top pairing caliber guy. Beaudin struggled in the AHL, though he did well in his single game with the Hawks. Regula likely tops out as a 3rd pairing guy. Carlsson is maybe middle pairing. Kalynuk is a wild card. Zadarov is a middle pairing guy. And it's way to early to talk about anyone else.

Hawks need another future top pairing level guy to go with Boqvist. Maybe one of our prospects starts to show that they can be that, but none have as of yet. It's a bigger need than a future top line winger.

Slight side note, if we view DeBrincat and Kubalik as our top line wings of the future, I’d rather put them in those roles now and leave them be/build chemistry.

Same goes for Strome at 2C. These guys can play these roles now, and if we need them to play these roles in the future, we may as well lock them in.

Maybe I’m too much in the load up the top six camp, but colliton’s constant shuffling of good players annoys me. I get mixing around lower line guys, but pretty much every top six guy but Kane should start seeing stability in their lineup role. (I say but Kane because he bounces around and double shifts so much that he’s practically on every line at some point in the game).

 

[Brightwing]

1. Why?

2. Who are you thinking/will they be better than a potential #1 defenseman?

I think the Hawks spent the last couple of years investing in dmen who are slower to develop than forwards.

There is a lot of depth there and I think at least a couple will end up being top pairing dmen. Don't ask me which ones, could be Mitchell or Boqvist, could be one of the others. It's not as nutty as it sounds, look around the league, lots of top dmen not drafted in the top 10. Josi, Klingberg and of course Keith are a couple that come to mind.

Their forward depth is not as good and I think that's where they focus now. Timing wise, if they could get a top forward, he should be ready to compete when the young D are. Though the situation isn't as urgent as it was before the emergence of Kubalik but I think it's harder to find really good forwards outside of the top 10 in the draft.

 

[Brightwing]

The Hawks have a ton of bodies on D but most top out as a middle pairing guy. I'd agree that Boqvist is the only D with top pairing potential and as much as I think he's going to get there eventually, it's not guaranteed.

That being said, depending on where they're picking, if Power/Hughes/Edvinsson are off the board, and either Johnson or Raty are available I could see them going forward.

I think it's too early to say the young dmen top out as middle pairing dmen. We don't know. I legit believe in a couple of years we're going to look like Nashville with numerous really good dmen.

 

[TheDachKnight]

I’m not sure where the other first comes from, but I could see ending up with another second or a couple of thirds.

Obviously from the incoming Strome trade. Somehow unprotected, too. We’re getting Powers AND Hughes.

 

[TheDachKnight]

What do we know about Jesper Wallstedt?

I see most mocks have him as a mid first rounder. Is this another Askarov type of franchise goalie?

Another very good goalie prospect. He’s close to Askarov’s level. Not sure if I’d put him at Askarov’s level but if he’s not, he’s just a notch below. In NHL 21 terms, Askarov is a medium franchise goalie while Wallstedt is maybe a high elite goalie.

 

[TheDachKnight]

All the top guys are left handed too but Brandt Clarke.

Is even Clarke expected to be better than both Boqvist and Mitchell/should he be a target?

Yes, Clarke is a better prospect than both. He’s a top-3 pick most likely. It’ll be between him and Hughes for 2nd D off the board.

 

[ClydeLee]

I think it's too early to say the young dmen top out as middle pairing dmen. We don't know. I legit believe in a couple of years we're going to look like Nashville with numerous really good dmen.

None of them have shown or bring flashes of top pair talent. They could be, but there's no-one in the mix that has shown it. So you shouldn't leap to it. Like Josi and Crandon were 2nd and 3rd rounders but their feist AHL years they already had flashes and looked took to top pair roles and ability.

Carlson looked good at playing lots of of minutes but doesn't have flair, strength/size, or speed to impact that much. The two Wyatt's have nice speed/size combos with potential. But just nothing stands out about the rest as top pair. Beaudin, Vlasic, Krys, etc.

 

[TheDachKnight]

The Hawks have a ton of bodies on D but most top out as a middle pairing guy. I'd agree that Boqvist is the only D with top pairing potential and as much as I think he's going to get there eventually, it's not guaranteed.

That being said, depending on where they're picking, if Power/Hughes/Edvinsson are off the board, and either Johnson or Raty are available I could see them going forward.

Don’t sleep on Dylan Guenther either. He could be a really good player.

 

[TheDachKnight]

For me, I’d rank the D prospects like this:

1. Owen Powers
2. Luke Hughes
3. Brandt Clarke
4. Carson Lambos
5. Simon Edvinsson (Not as high on him. He seems like he’ll either be really good or he’ll be a bust.)

 

[migi]

Power and Wright bois.

 

[jls24]

Jesper Wallstedt at eliteprospects.com

According to Scouching he seems to use his size really well and doesn't waste any movements. I believe he said he personally likes him a little more than Askarov, but he also admits he's no goalie expert.

One thing I forgot to mention, he said that if he was a 24yo UFA putting up his numbers in the SHL teams would be tripping over each other to sign him.

 

[Pertti]

The Hawks have a ton of bodies on D but most top out as a middle pairing guy. I'd agree that Boqvist is the only D with top pairing potential and as much as I think he's going to get there eventually, it's not guaranteed.

That being said, depending on where they're picking, if Power/Hughes/Edvinsson are off the board, and either Johnson or Raty are available I could see them going forward.

Bolded: Räty didn't fit in Finlands team in U20, He will probably fall a bid.

 

[ColbyChaos]

Power and Wright bois.

Id be okay with Michkov that following year as well should the red dog allow it

 

[Sinbad]

How would you order the top of the Hawks board for D, maybe?

Power
Edvinsson
Hughes
Lambos
Clarke

It’s obviously early but I would rank them:

Power
Lambos
Clarke
Edvinsson
Hughes

 

[Kevin Musto]

It's looking like a really D heavy draft, so if the Hawks land a top 3 pick it's likely BPA is a D.

There's also Wallstedt, who I said last year I liked more than Askarov, and so far I still do.

As for forwards, Kent Johnson, William Eklund, and Matthew Beniers seem to be the top guys. Guenther could be at their level, but the lack of WHL play is hurting his stock right now. Raty I've never been a fan of, and would always scoff when he was pegged as number 1 for this draft.

 

[BK]

It's looking like a really D heavy draft, so if the Hawks land a top 3 pick it's likely BPA is a D.

There's also Wallstedt, who I said last year I liked more than Askarov, and so far I still do.

As for forwards, Kent Johnson, William Eklund, and Matthew Beniers seem to be the top guys. Guenther could be at their level, but the lack of WHL play is hurting his stock right now. Raty I've never been a fan of, and would always scoff when he was pegged as number 1 for this draft.

Move Keith for a mid 1st and we could get Wallsedt.

 

[Muffinalt]

Nobody else is alarmed with this draft? Of course it's early in the process still, and literally the strangest and most uneven circumstances apply... But my opinion of the crop goes down each day.

And it's not coz I watched a bunch of them (some didn't even play yet). But there is more and more worry popping up everywhere. Power being limited and not too dynamic. Lambos having a hard time adjusting to a higher level. Clarke's defensive issues. Questions about Edvinsson's iq and Hughes' floor (although these two I'm higher on).

What seemed like a situation of 'look there is 4-5 1LHDs in this draft' kind of really changed and pretty fast at that. Id be happy if these Ds were on the level of Drysdale when its all said and done, but they're no sure fire 1lhds to me at this point with so many question marks.

We will see how it all shapes up with more viewings and opportunity. It's always nice to have a top 5 pick regardless of crop, but I really wish our unlucky situation was a year from now on the 22 draft, the real big boy draft.