Who should the Chicago Blackhawks select 2nd overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft?

[WarriorofTime]

1) NHL
2) AHL
3) KHL
4) SHL
5) NLA
6) Liiga

Now I think Demidov would be in for a large adjustment but I think he could likely handle the AHL next year.

I'd flip KHL and AHL, but AHL is closer to KHL than SHL is to AHL. Obviously a monumental gap between NHL and all. Czech Extraliga and DEL round out the top 8 leagues.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

N. Americans still go the KHL. Swedes, Finns and Czech governments more or less recalled their players but the ones who left are all pretty scattered now. Then and now, KHL has always been primarily a Russian league, but more so now, but Russia is also doing a bit better development wise in more recent years, and some of the financial stuff has made the KHL healthier league wide. So that's helping offset some of it. AHL is pretty good for Veteran Players on NHL Contracts, but still not quite as much as top end KHL players.

The KHL is certainly more top heavy no question there. But some teams used to have multiple guys making seven figures in US dollars. Wasn't Shalunov around one million US one of the highest paid guys in the KHL recently?

 

[Taze em]

NHLe makes everything apples to apples, no?

Should for sure. But my perception is those Russian NHLe need to be revisited with they super recent watering down of the KHL and their junior leagues

 

[Taze em]

How is Michkov just terminating his contract? Is he paying himself out of it through his agent? It makes no sense to me. Demidov should get on that train asap. He has an even better reason to terminate than Michkov did. At least he isn’t buried.

 

[WarriorofTime]

How is Michkov just terminating his contract? Is he paying himself out of it through his agent? It makes no sense to me. Demidov should get on that train asap. He has an even better reason to terminate than Michkov did. At least he isn’t buried.

Mutual Termination.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

How is Michkov just terminating his contract? Is he paying himself out of it through his agent? It makes no sense to me. Demidov should get on that train asap. He has an even better reason to terminate than Michkov did. At least he isn’t buried.

It's all gangsters and bribes in Russia. Twenty year's from now they'll be making movies about the KHL if you look for the stories about guys playing there it's the wild west.

 

[TLEH]

I think the top end of the KHL is better than the AHL but overall league quality I'm taking AHL.

Also side note, since the Russian Junior ban I actually think its helped the MHL.

I'd flip KHL and AHL, but AHL is closer to KHL than SHL is to AHL. Obviously a monumental gap between NHL and all. Czech Extraliga and DEL round out the top 8 leagues.

I think as a whole the AHL is better.

 

[Taze em]

Mutual Termination.

I found it on the Google. So Michkov is paying SKA a settlement through his agent Sergei Fedotov. Who is unfortunately not the agent of Demidov. That can’t be cheap. Probably will be very very motivated to hit his bonuses.

 

[TLEH]

I found it on the Google. So Michkov is paying SKA a settlement through his agent Sergei Fedotov. Who is unfortunately not the agent of Demidov. That can’t be cheap. Probably will be very very motivated to hit his bonuses.

Fedotov is just fronting him the money and then he'll pay him back in agent fees or whatever. Its smart for Fedotov to bet on his client making cash in the NHL, and it gets Michkov what he wants.

 

[Giovi]

That´s what I think too and from need perspective really understandably so.

Drafting size over skill is a bad idea. It was when the Habs drafted Wickenheiser over Savard, and it still is today.

 

[Taze em]

Fedotov is just fronting him the money and then he'll pay him back in agent fees or whatever. Its smart for Fedotov to bet on his client making cash in the NHL, and it gets Michkov what he wants.

Makes you wonder why he signed that contract in the first place. He was always a superstar prospect. Coercion. Man Russia is fun sometimes

 

[WarriorofTime]

It's all gangsters and bribes in Russia. Twenty year's from now they'll be making movies about the KHL if you look for the stories about guys playing there it's the wild west.

There's been a bit of that, but since they introduced financial fair play, it's really stabilized things.

https://en.khl.ru/news/2021/09/13/489165.html

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

There's been a bit of that, but since they introduced financial fair play, it's really stabilized things.

https://en.khl.ru/news/2021/09/13/489165.html

It's gotta be a translation issue when they say revenue.

 

[Castle8130]

A lot of talk about the Hawks 2nd oa and 20th oa pick, but the 34th oa pick is another premium pick we haven't really discussed. After the top 50 picks, there is a significant drop-off in success rate to make the NHL.

Who are your targets in the 25-40 range? Terik Parascak, Andrew Basha, Emil Hemming, Jesse Pulkkinen, Alfons Freij, Linus Eriksson, Dean Letourneau, Sam O'Reilly, and Cole Hutson are all some realistic possibilities at 34th oa

 

[hawksfan50]

At #2 Cayden Lindstrom C
At#20 Yegor Surin LHRW
At#34 Stian Solberg LD*

* if we keepthexpick...possible KD uses it n a trade for bad cobtract or ton picksxexchange to move up back into top half of first round..

Next pick #54 take best RD remaining on board

Could also Vancouver 2nd rounder +one of our 3rds to move back up into mod 40s and take a RD there....if we coukd manipulate this :

Cayden Lindstrom @ #2
Yegor Surin @#20
Sian Solberg @#34
Harrison Brunicke RD*
Colton Roberts RD @#54

* via trading our Van 2ndcroubder plus our first 3rd Rounder to move back up into mid 40s toget him

We still could have our 2nd 3rd rounder to take another forward .

Thec 5 targets I listed just added the size +physical types of pkayersxwe need without sacrificing skating and skill..

Lindstrom Surin and Solberg all very nasty players..we desperately need....itcwoukd change the team in future to a more balanced and frightening opponent for thevoops to pkay instead of tge soft small easy to push around pansies the Hawks are now.

If KD follows my targets ideas he reakkycwoukd prove he understands the changes that must be done to allow our smaller skikled guys here now or in the pipeline to have the room to move more freely ...We need this size and physicality...

 

[Kevin Musto]

A lot of talk about the Hawks 2nd oa and 20th oa pick, but the 34th oa pick is another premium pick we haven't really discussed. After the top 50 picks, there is a significant drop-off in success rate to make the NHL.

Who are your targets in the 25-40 range? Terik Parascak, Andrew Basha, Emil Hemming, Jesse Pulkkinen, Alfons Freij, Linus Eriksson, Dean Letourneau, Sam O'Reilly, and Cole Hutson are all some realistic possibilities at 34th oa

Depends who falls.

If we could pick up Justin Poirier at 34, I think there's high value there.

Jesse Pulkkinen is an overager, but would be a worthwhile pick. He has a towering build with a suffocating wingspan, but he's not just a shutdown guy either. He could be a PP1QB.

Tanner Howe would be a fun pick, to reunite him with Bedard. Middle six upside. He's very projectable. If you watch him play, he already plays the right way. Has NHL tendencies.

I like a few other guys, but can easily pick them up at 54, 62, or later.

 

[TLEH]

If we take MBN at 20 (if he is there) I will start to question our process a bit. Just chasing skating and forgoing upside will be annoying. (again).

 

[TheFridge]

If we take MBN at 20 (if he is there) I will start to question our process a bit. Just chasing skating and forgoing upside will be annoying. (again).

I've not really seen anyone call MBN a high-end skater. He's lauded for his competitiveness and two-way play, from what I've seen.

I'd agree he doesn't project as a top of the lineup player in the NHL. Seems like a complementary piece on a scoring line or as a middle-six forward.

 

[Kevin Musto]

If we take MBN at 20 (if he is there) I will start to question our process a bit. Just chasing skating and forgoing upside will be annoying. (again).

I don't think he'll be available at 20, but I'd be pleased if he was.

Yes, he plays like a role player. But I don't think his upside is necessarily as limited as you think. Someone like Brandon Hagel plays a similar brand of hockey, and he absolutely outplayed his perceived upside based on his speed, hustle, and commitment.

Also in a weak draft, if you get a solid 3rd liner 20th overall, that counts as a W.

With all that said, Artamonov is 100% the move at 20.

 

[Castle8130]

Depends who falls.

If we could pick up Justin Poirier at 34, I think there's high value there.

Jesse Pulkkinen is an overager, but would be a worthwhile pick. He has a towering build with a suffocating wingspan, but he's not just a shutdown guy either. He could be a PP1QB.

Tanner Howe would be a fun pick, to reunite him with Bedard. Middle six upside. He's very projectable. If you watch him play, he already plays the right way. Has NHL tendencies.

I like a few other guys, but can easily pick them up at 54, 62, or later.

We can probably grab Porirer with one of the late 2nd rounders if we wanted. I think it makes no sense for the Hawks to grab yet another undersized skill winger when our system is filled with them.

If we take MBN at 20 (if he is there) I will start to question our process a bit. Just chasing skating and forgoing upside will be annoying. (again).

MBN is one of the few players I hope we pick. He is completely different from what we have in prospects already. He brings size and competitiveness that we desperately need. We cannot pick another 6'0" or below player that doesn't win the inside with another high-end pick. We will surely get outmuscled all year. We already have enough smaller skilled guys that I feel confident in. Kantserov, Lardis, Nazar, Bedard, and Moore is enough. Demidov is thick and bigger than all the guys listed, so he's an exception. He's Crosby, Kucherov, and Mackinnon sized.

 

[TheFridge]

We can probably grab Porirer with one of the late 2nd rounders if we wanted. I think it makes no sense for the Hawks to grab yet another undersized skill winger when our system is filled with them.




MBN is one of the few players I hope we pick. He is completely different from what we have in prospects already. He brings size and competitiveness that we desperately need. We cannot pick another 6'0" or below player that doesn't win the inside with another high-end pick. We will surely get outmuscled all year. We already have enough smaller skilled guys that I feel confident in. Kantserov, Lardis, Nazar, Bedard, and Moore is enough. Demidov is thick and bigger than all the guys listed, so he's an exception. He's Crosby, Kucherov, and Mackinnon sized.

Crosby and Mac both have 20 pounds on Kuch/Demidov. Even Bedard is thicker than Demidov.

 

[Castle8130]

Crosby and Mac both have 20 pounds on Kuch/Demidov. Even Bedard is thicker than Demidov.

Lets wait until the combine to find out his true weight. He looks substantially heavier than the metrics are saying

 

[TLEH]

I don't think he'll be available at 20, but I'd be pleased if he was.

Yes, he plays like a role player. But I don't think his upside is necessarily as limited as you think. Someone like Brandon Hagel plays a similar brand of hockey, and he absolutely outplayed his perceived upside based on his speed, hustle, and commitment.

Also in a weak draft, if you get a solid 3rd liner 20th overall, that counts as a W.

With all that said, Artamonov is 100% the move at 20.

We have enough "solid third line" pieces in this system. We need to chase a player that, if things go well, can project in the top of your lineup. Even if that "go well" means they could possibly not be that player. Taking a guy because you are really confident he's a third liner? We've already done that.

 

[belfour30]

If we take MBN at 20 (if he is there) I will start to question our process a bit. Just chasing skating and forgoing upside will be annoying. (again).

MBN is unlikely to be there at 20.

Anyway, Demidov is the board favorite at 2 but who do you actually think the Hawks will take? I'm preparing myself for them taking Levshunov and I think Demidov might end up falling to 4/5.

 

[Kevin Musto]

MBN is unlikely to be there at 20.

Anyway, Demidov is the board favorite at 2 but who do you actually think the Hawks will take? I'm preparing myself for them taking Levshunov and I think Demidov might end up falling to 4/5.

Sam Dickinson