hawksfan50
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- Feb 27, 2002
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The HF Staff who wrote this article,identify LW's,gritty 2-way forwards,and getting a potential 30-40 goal scoring forward,in 3 different places in the article as the biggest needs for the draft....they say the Hawks will take Olesz (though he is not a LW nor does his inconsistent scoring suggest he can be a 30-40 goal scorer down the road--he's more likely to turn into a Holik or Bonk,IMO).....
At various times recently,Dale Tallon has said the Hawks priority for the draft will be: players who have "character",players who have "passion",SPEED up front,and
"explosive offense"........the Hawks say they will only trade the #3 pick UP not down --and reportedly they are discussing going after the #1 with WASH (for Ovechkin) and presumably if that fails,will also pursue a deal with PIT for the #2 (Malkin)-------but Tallon also stated they will not OVERPAY......so likely neither deal will go through and they probably end up having to draft at #3 ....
Think about this: IF Ovechkin really was a "franchise" player (we can discount Rick Dudley's opinion that he's the best Russian prospect in 20 years--the "expert",Dudley was canned by FLA of course,so obviously somebody doesn't think ghe's such an expertin talent judgement),then why would WASH ever consider passing on him in a trade? Obviously if WASH thinks they can live with the #3 (passing on Ovechkin and Malkin) in any deal with CHI,then they are in effect saying Ovechkin is iffy as a "franchise" player---CHI should think very carefully about giving away to much on what may be an iffy propiosition.........
Of course,WASH might decide that he really is a "franchise" player and keep the #1
We shall see what transpires...
However should CHI fail to move up for either Ovechkin or Malkin,then it is really up in the air as to who they might pick....some like HF say Olesz (though some like me doubt if he brings the "explosive offense","passion",or real SPEED,Tallon stated he wanted...others,thinking more like HF's needs analysis are championing LADD (LW,gritty 2-way guy, with loads of "Dub character" and "passion"---the only question marks,his SPEED --some say just average,and his real offensive potential by himself (ie. without a dominating centre like Getzlaf to set him up)....
Besides LADD shows up mostly as a 7-9 choice on most lists--taking him at #3 might be too high...
Some like me have championed Tukonen =size,SPEED,good work ethic and physical play =projected as a safe pick to be a good power forward =appears as the #4or #5 on most lists........plus he's the baby of the draft nearly a year younger than Ovechkin,so his true potential might have just been exposed with his great play towards the end of this season.....
BUT--I have championed Alexander Radulov even ahead of Tukonen----in agreement with Redline that he is the next best forward after Ovechkin and Malkin...
You cannot ignore his great stats for his age with TVER in the Upper League this season--while they did not equal Kovalchuk's for trhe same age in the same league
they were BETTER THAN Zherdev's....and it is still playing against men,with the exception of only a few juniors in that league.....SPEED,the promise of some "explosive offense" ,a hard work ethic,very good U-18 tournaments in Feb and April,also young (like Malkin,he turns 18 only in July) --and he plays with loads of "passion" --the only question marks are about his "character" in that he had run -ins with coaches and refs---some say this is ego --others say it resulted from his emotion and passion--so what some see a negative other like as positive;the other
concerns are that he has to work on improving his defensive assignments --unlike his brother Igor who is also deficient in this area,Alex's problem is not laziness,but probably the lack of a "natural" instinct/awareness of defensive responsibilities--but he admits he has to work on it and it can be taught if the kid is willing to learn--so I would not weigh this too much in comparison to what he can bring on offense which is natural and you either have the skills or not.......not surprisingly Radulov has the widest differences of opinions about him --ranging from the 3rd best forward (my opinion + Redline's) to some not having him taken even in the top ten,but only somewhere in the next ten--surprisingly,despite his brother Igor being in the organization,there has been very little talk in the Chicago media or on fan website boards about Chicago taking him----but clearly he fits some of CHI's profile for the player they want better than anyone else left on the board at #3(passion,speed,explosive offense) --and it is hard to know whether descriptions of his hard work ethic involve enough "effective" grit or not--he is never classed as a power forward --but that does not mean that as he matures and adds more weight and muscle that he won't supply the grit one wants--one scouting report in
the Hockey News said he plays more like a Finn than a Russian --that he will go through a player to get to a puck---if this is the way he plays,then adding the muscle as he grows older will make him even more effective in the grittier aspects--BUT what neither time nor maturity can improve is the natural SPEED,one on one skills,and offensive catalyst instincts a player has....so I have to hope tallon also thinks the same........besides,there may be the added benefit of motivating older brother IGOR to play harder and use his own natural scoring ability if his younger bro is there on the team with him,perhaps even on the same line.........however,while my own "hunch" says take Radulov,the Hawks usually take a different view than me --so if not him,then at least take the safe pick in Tukonen
--but they probably will do what most have been predicting: Barker (even though they need forwards after several recent drafts stockpiling D-men),Olesz,or Ladd...
While I am not impressed with Barker or Olesz,Ladd I suppose I can live with it in that he projects to no worse than a contributor on line two or three--but I still question whether his upside is as an offensive catalyst for line one material,and should either Radulov or Tukonen turn out better picks,then I will look back on this draft as the Hawks blowing another opportunity...
At various times recently,Dale Tallon has said the Hawks priority for the draft will be: players who have "character",players who have "passion",SPEED up front,and
"explosive offense"........the Hawks say they will only trade the #3 pick UP not down --and reportedly they are discussing going after the #1 with WASH (for Ovechkin) and presumably if that fails,will also pursue a deal with PIT for the #2 (Malkin)-------but Tallon also stated they will not OVERPAY......so likely neither deal will go through and they probably end up having to draft at #3 ....
Think about this: IF Ovechkin really was a "franchise" player (we can discount Rick Dudley's opinion that he's the best Russian prospect in 20 years--the "expert",Dudley was canned by FLA of course,so obviously somebody doesn't think ghe's such an expertin talent judgement),then why would WASH ever consider passing on him in a trade? Obviously if WASH thinks they can live with the #3 (passing on Ovechkin and Malkin) in any deal with CHI,then they are in effect saying Ovechkin is iffy as a "franchise" player---CHI should think very carefully about giving away to much on what may be an iffy propiosition.........
Of course,WASH might decide that he really is a "franchise" player and keep the #1
We shall see what transpires...
However should CHI fail to move up for either Ovechkin or Malkin,then it is really up in the air as to who they might pick....some like HF say Olesz (though some like me doubt if he brings the "explosive offense","passion",or real SPEED,Tallon stated he wanted...others,thinking more like HF's needs analysis are championing LADD (LW,gritty 2-way guy, with loads of "Dub character" and "passion"---the only question marks,his SPEED --some say just average,and his real offensive potential by himself (ie. without a dominating centre like Getzlaf to set him up)....
Besides LADD shows up mostly as a 7-9 choice on most lists--taking him at #3 might be too high...
Some like me have championed Tukonen =size,SPEED,good work ethic and physical play =projected as a safe pick to be a good power forward =appears as the #4or #5 on most lists........plus he's the baby of the draft nearly a year younger than Ovechkin,so his true potential might have just been exposed with his great play towards the end of this season.....
BUT--I have championed Alexander Radulov even ahead of Tukonen----in agreement with Redline that he is the next best forward after Ovechkin and Malkin...
You cannot ignore his great stats for his age with TVER in the Upper League this season--while they did not equal Kovalchuk's for trhe same age in the same league
they were BETTER THAN Zherdev's....and it is still playing against men,with the exception of only a few juniors in that league.....SPEED,the promise of some "explosive offense" ,a hard work ethic,very good U-18 tournaments in Feb and April,also young (like Malkin,he turns 18 only in July) --and he plays with loads of "passion" --the only question marks are about his "character" in that he had run -ins with coaches and refs---some say this is ego --others say it resulted from his emotion and passion--so what some see a negative other like as positive;the other
concerns are that he has to work on improving his defensive assignments --unlike his brother Igor who is also deficient in this area,Alex's problem is not laziness,but probably the lack of a "natural" instinct/awareness of defensive responsibilities--but he admits he has to work on it and it can be taught if the kid is willing to learn--so I would not weigh this too much in comparison to what he can bring on offense which is natural and you either have the skills or not.......not surprisingly Radulov has the widest differences of opinions about him --ranging from the 3rd best forward (my opinion + Redline's) to some not having him taken even in the top ten,but only somewhere in the next ten--surprisingly,despite his brother Igor being in the organization,there has been very little talk in the Chicago media or on fan website boards about Chicago taking him----but clearly he fits some of CHI's profile for the player they want better than anyone else left on the board at #3(passion,speed,explosive offense) --and it is hard to know whether descriptions of his hard work ethic involve enough "effective" grit or not--he is never classed as a power forward --but that does not mean that as he matures and adds more weight and muscle that he won't supply the grit one wants--one scouting report in
the Hockey News said he plays more like a Finn than a Russian --that he will go through a player to get to a puck---if this is the way he plays,then adding the muscle as he grows older will make him even more effective in the grittier aspects--BUT what neither time nor maturity can improve is the natural SPEED,one on one skills,and offensive catalyst instincts a player has....so I have to hope tallon also thinks the same........besides,there may be the added benefit of motivating older brother IGOR to play harder and use his own natural scoring ability if his younger bro is there on the team with him,perhaps even on the same line.........however,while my own "hunch" says take Radulov,the Hawks usually take a different view than me --so if not him,then at least take the safe pick in Tukonen
--but they probably will do what most have been predicting: Barker (even though they need forwards after several recent drafts stockpiling D-men),Olesz,or Ladd...
While I am not impressed with Barker or Olesz,Ladd I suppose I can live with it in that he projects to no worse than a contributor on line two or three--but I still question whether his upside is as an offensive catalyst for line one material,and should either Radulov or Tukonen turn out better picks,then I will look back on this draft as the Hawks blowing another opportunity...
, I might give some perspective from HF Staff. If you look at the overall prospect list of Chicago and include their young players, Yakubov, Radulov, Vorobiev, Arnason, Bell, Calder, and their blueliners (A nice bunch.) you see that complimentary players are where they are lacking the most. If Yakubov et al, develop properly, skilled players are going to be the place where they are least deficient. 
