I'm not shocked the Debrincat isn't standing out. As I mentioned before, he didn't stand out last year either. I don't think it is a big deal at this point. He is young and the Hawks can take some time with him. Odds are that the big club will likely get more help from the guys who were rookies last year and have some experience now.

Glad to see a good guy like Campbell staying with the Hawks. Still not sure why some folks wanted him to play again. There was very little intensity in his game last year. He didn't have much to play for and it showed. Time to pass the torch.
- breadbag

yep

I'm not shocked the Debrincat isn't standing out. As I mentioned before, he didn't stand out last year either. I don't think it is a big deal at this point. He is young and the Hawks can take some time with him. Odds are that the big club will likely get more help from the guys who were rookies last year and have some experience now.

Glad to see a good guy like Campbell staying with the Hawks. Still not sure why some folks wanted him to play again. There was very little intensity in his game last year. He didn't have much to play for and it showed. Time to pass the torch.
- breadbag

it's not surprising to me either. ADB isn't a 1 on one guy in any fashion. He's a finisher who finds open ice and has a shot. Just by shear mass, he's not going to win a battle against Radovan Bondra. He's got great hockey IQ, but he's got to make up for being such a small guy. I think he'll show more in scrimmages, and like he already did in 3v3. This year is not going to be his year.

I'm excited about the camp overall, but not about any one prospect in particular.

Barring any miracle performance I don't expect any of these prospects to play in Chicago next season. I think Fortin may be the closest but there aren't that many spots open this year.

For this season, I would look for guys like Hinostroza, Hayden, and Jurco to grab the one open forward position before any of these prospects do. If there are any openings on defense guys like Forsling, Rutta, Oesterle, Gustafsson and Pokka would all have the inside track on these prospects.

Again...this is all assuming none of these prospects have a crazy breakout rookie camp that carries forward into training camp.

For me this camp is about who might be able to step-up in 2-3 seasons. I'm not expecting all the prospects to make the jump, but some certainly will. There is lots of reason to be excited, I think the Blackhawks prospect pool is solid (except for goalies). Rockford will be a fun team to watch this season.

They really lack guys that may down the road project top 6 or top 4. If all your best prospects peak projection is bottom 6 and bottom pairing that is not very good.

Not sure if people read the other boards but this was one person thougthts that was there Monday:
Was at Camp Monday- Mostly one/one and 2/2 battle type drills... most in tight space...

One drill- Forward attacked - starting about 10 feet out of zone - D man tried to "Hold em up near blue line/or angle them out"

Forwards that impressed:
From- blazing speed, dominated that drill , only kid to Put D on their heels

Bondra- strong, huge, heavy shot, obviously tough on the cycle versus rest of kids

Sikura and Foo- actually very similar in skating +, smooth handles, agile and darting types, that managed to get shots off and handle the puck well... Foo could be a star some day -- Sikura looked like a clone- But Foo is younger/bigger- so more room/time for improvement

D-Cat was bad/forgettable in the battle drills.... But showed the BEST in the "small ice" 3 on 3 scrimmage... he simply thought the game and anticipated the plays - way better than the rest... Not even close.

D- guys
Gilbert- absolutely pancaked a couple of the forwards- in that 1/1 zone entry... it wasn't even funny... as soon as the Forwards entered the zone... they were on their backs... the Only D to do that!!!

Snuggy- was solid, quick, bigger than I remember

Ian Mitchell- This kid was impressive... yes - he is tiny... but like D-Cat in the 3/3 scrimmage... He just moved the puck faster- and anticipated at a way higher/faster level than the other kids!!! His feet/stick were very good in the drills... I really left camp thinking- he could be a star (despite his size)... He will be in a perfect program in Denver (plays really fast/up tempo)

I liked that Soderlund kid too... quick

Peeters- looked great
- kmw4631

Sir, your posts are becoming a must stop read and digest for this fan. And the above is very very very helpful. Like the way this author processes what he sees and looks for. Thanks for posting.

At the USHL level, a league only having more kids drafted each yr by the OHL, Dennis Gilbert's skating was near elite, played as a 4th forward, was 6ft 2ish and showed a bit of an edge. That yr he was being coached to being more defensive minded and now he's a shutdown 1st pairing guy for Notre Dame from what I read. This is a kid I've been exited about since the Hawks drafted him in 2015.

Snuggerud is another Dman that is interesting as a 2014 5th rounder. I always found him to have a squatty build and offensive minded. Think he's in a perfect spot to develop at U of Omaha-Nebraska that plays a go go go style.

Ian Mitchell was interesting to me when they drafted him out of Canadian jr A in the 2nd round this year. Not many are drafted high out of jr A and a kid that doesn't dominate points wise but is still drafted high draws interest from me. Some deep scouting here.

Nice to read 7th rounder Wooten Peters looks good in goal. Penciled in as the starter for the USHL Youngstown Phantoms who will invade Geneva 3 times this year to play the cup champ Chicago Steel.

Nothing on Dmen Lucas Carlsson or 1st rounder Henri Jokiharju?

JJ, Surprised that there wasn't a mention of "Olson needs to work on his skating" in your take. And yes this camp shindig has much merit as a 4th year overage wing scoring 50 in the W...

They are all prospects. Kane, Toews, Keith....all of them at one time were prospects. Some hit, some miss. The point is....none are born at age 20 and playing in the NHL without having played hockey for 16 years.

So I understand why there is a need to tell us they are only prospects and many miss. That is true. But many hit too because you have to fill out a roster and play the games. And we have won 3 cups. And many of our studs were all "prospects" drafted by the Hawks. Kane, Toews, Keith, Seabs, Hammer, Saad, Shaw, Crawford...etc....the list goes on. Point is...we did not trade for 20 guys to win our three cups each year. Most of the guys on the roster were "prospects" brought up through our system.

I guess I tend to have a more "glass half full" view on things considering the Hawks have won so often and seem to know more than any of us...what they are doing. They draft pretty damn well.
- onehundredlevel

I was at that 2009 camp JJ spoke of, and would add a kid named Crawford was in one goal and a Euro FA named Niemi was in the other. And yes those were two future cup winning goalies at a PROSPECT camp, the same camp.

And I would add if you saw Aliu or Makarov (think he was 23-24 IIRC) at that camp and weren't excited or think you saw a potential NHLer I'd question your evaluating skills. Yes it's a camp with other prospects but skating, balance, size, hands, puck skills, IQ, vision, shot are all foundational whether it's vs squirts or NHLers.

A lot has to happen to make it to the NHL and succeed but it starts with a foundation and a scouts eye can see that and in some players even just a fan can see it too.

it's not surprising to me either. ADB isn't a 1 on one guy in any fashion. He's a finisher who finds open ice and has a shot. Just by shear mass, he's not going to win a battle against Radovan Bondra. He's got great hockey IQ, but he's got to make up for being such a small guy. I think he'll show more in scrimmages, and like he already did in 3v3. This year is not going to be his year.
- JRoenick97

Yes, DeBrincat isn't a guy who jumps out in a practice or drills. Besides his hands and possibly shot his size and skating are average at best so he won't jump out. This is an IQ/vision guy and you need to see those types in game action to see what separates them from others.

Yes, DeBrincat isn't a guy who jumps out in a practice or drills. Besides his hands and possibly shot his size and skating are average at best so he won't jump out. This is an IQ/vision guy and you need to see those types in game action to see what separates them from others.
- Mr Ricochet

Yep and it's why there are always scrimmages at tryouts. I bet you anything some of those kids who looked awesome skating around cones will vanish when they drop the puck on a scrimmage. Ideally, your player excels at both, but sometimes they don't and thus I'd lean toward the kid who can actually play the game better.

Prospect camp speculation is a fun distraction from the lack of real NHL news in the dog days of summer. Once in a while the team discovers a diamond in the rough - like Shaw - and then fans see that it can happen and conclude that it should happen with more frequency. Interesting thought that maybe 1 to 3 players from this camp become regular NHL players. Fun to speculate who that might be. Also interesting to see how fan sentiment shift from "we have to keep this guy" to "we should have traded this guy when he still had some value." Usually not the same people but the "trade him" people get drowned out by the "keep him" people before "he" proves that his talent will max out in the AHL.

D-Cat is doing fine. JJ even quotes someone who says it is a D-Cat camp. 3 on 3 drills are exceedingly important because they show Hockey IQ. In actual game situations, at the base level, you are trying to achieve 2 things - find open ice, create open ice. Take a pass, give a pass. If you watch D-Cat in games he is able to do this, even in heavy traffic. 1 on 1 drills have their place but tend to truly highlight certain players, with certain skill sets. In actual game situations a player is not trying to complete 1 on 1 moves often, instead it is about getting open or finding the open player. We also have to realize that other players are just showing up and playing while D-Cat is under incredible pressure and scrutiny. He is under a microscope. His past performance has caused this but I'm sure he'd rather just be showing and playing.

Yep and it's why there are always scrimmages at tryouts. I bet you anything some of those kids who looked awesome skating around cones will vanish when they drop the puck on a scrimmage. Ideally, your player excels at both, but sometimes they don't and thus I'd lean toward the kid who can actually play the game better.
- kwolf68

Indeed. Skill and the ability to make a difference in a hockey game can be two very different things. IQ, vision and nuance can be very hard to spot even for a trained eye in a practice where skill isn't. That's why some are better players in a game than in a practice.

Really looking forward to what DeBrincat can do against men in the AHL.

I've read numerous places (not just in this blog) Fortin has put on about 20 pounds. He will certainly be given a looksie in camp this year.
- kwolf68

In the very small sample size I saw last year, he reminded me of Mike Hoffman in the way he skates - speed/stride, and in the way he plays fast and gets open and gets his shot off. If he turns out to "be like Mike" - that would be very nice.

He was quoted as saying he's a little faster than last year.

In the very small sample size I saw last year, he reminded me of Mike Hoffman in the way he skates - speed/stride, and in the way he plays fast and gets open and gets his shot off. If he turns out to "be like Mike" - that would be very nice.

He was quoted as saying he's a little faster than last year.
- EbonyRaptor

Hoffman is a much quicker, faster, dynamic player than DeBrincat, no?

Hoffman is a much quicker, faster, dynamic player than DeBrincat, no?
- Mr Ricochet

I'm comparing Fortin to Hoffman - not DeBrincat.

Hoffman is a much quicker, faster, dynamic player than DeBrincat, no?
- Mr Ricochet

Fortin.

Edit. Nevermind!

I'm comparing Fortin to Hoffman - not DeBrincat.
- EbonyRaptor

My mistake..........

I'm comparing Fortin to Hoffman - not DeBrincat.
- EbonyRaptor

My mistake..........

Indeed. Skill and the ability to make a difference in a hockey game can be two very different things. IQ, vision and nuance can be very hard to spot even for a trained eye in a practice where skill isn't. That's why some are better players in a game than in a practice.

Really looking forward to what DeBrincat can do against men in the AHL.
- Mr Ricochet

I'm guessing Gretzky wasn't exactly a 1 on 1 drill beast, or fastest around the cones, most ripped, etc. Physical tools are obviously important, but IQ and ability to actually play fast can be huge difference makers.

I'm guessing Gretzky wasn't exactly a 1 on 1 drill beast, or fastest around the cones, most ripped, etc. Physical tools are obviously important, but IQ and ability to actually play fast can be huge difference makers.
- Davewn

Exactly. Gretzky's brilliance was how thought the game. At times it looked like the other team wasn't really even concerned with him, which we know wasn't true. But because he was 100x smarter than everyone else on the ice it looked like Gretz was playing his own game out there. I've seen no one since who could think the game like him and I doubt Alex Debrincat thinks it like him either, but that IS a strength of Alex and it will manifest itself when we toss the cones behind the wall and drop the pucks.

I would agree......Hard to be overly impressed by what you see at a prospects camp. They are essentially battling whatever younger kids the Hawks have in THEIR system and it's not a comparable to what the NHL holds or even other teams hold.

Instead I wait for training camp and preseason to see how these same kids look in scrimmages with NHL players and in games with some NHL veterans. I think that's a fair more realistic approach.

Hopeful some of these kids make the jump and become full time NHL players, but I also hope the media/organization learned a valuable lesson on setting the bar far too high for a guy like Teuvo, who was pimped like a sure fire lock to be a star.

I was at that 2009 camp JJ spoke of, and would add a kid named Crawford was in one goal and a Euro FA named Niemi was in the other. And yes those were two future cup winning goalies at a PROSPECT camp, the same camp.

And I would add if you saw Aliu or Makarov (think he was 23-24 IIRC) at that camp and weren't excited or think you saw a potential NHLer I'd question your evaluating skills. Yes it's a camp with other prospects but skating, balance, size, hands, puck skills, IQ, vision, shot are all foundational whether it's vs squirts or NHLers.

A lot has to happen to make it to the NHL and succeed but it starts with a foundation and a scouts eye can see that and in some players even just a fan can see it too.
- Mr Ricochet

Aliu looked like another Buff. Really a shame how his career played out. Character matters.

Exactly. Gretzky's brilliance was how thought the game. At times it looked like the other team wasn't really even concerned with him, which we know wasn't true. But because he was 100x smarter than everyone else on the ice it looked like Gretz was playing his own game out there. I've seen no one since who could think the game like him and I doubt Alex Debrincat thinks it like him either, but that IS a strength of Alex and it will manifest itself when we toss the cones behind the wall and drop the pucks.
- kwolf68

It's too bad they are only doing one real scrimmage this week, given it's "equal" importance to battle drills, etc. in gauging a player's overall skill set. Wonder if it is because they feel like they know each player's in-game potential having scouted them for so long, but they aren't clear enough on their fundamentals?

One of my sleeper names for this year. Getting him in round 4 will prove to be a steal - in time. a Swedish 'defensive D-man'....where have I heard and loved that before?
- kwolf68

After Norell, Press, Dalstrom et al they are due for some hits on D. Their drafting at that position has been absolutely dismal the last 5-7 years. IMO bad enough to get some scouts fired. Would really love to see guys like Gilbert and Carlsson break the trend.

It's too bad they are only doing one real scrimmage this week, given it's "equal" importance to battle drills, etc. in gauging a player's overall skill set. Wonder if it is because they feel like they know each player's in-game potential having scouted them for so long, but they aren't clear enough on their fundamentals?
- pdx2ord

Good question. Maybe the limits on scrimmage has something to do with "taking it slow"...avoiding injuries and just giving the coaches a taste of what they have. I generally hate cone drills, skating drills...though it's the most important aspect, I like the 3 v 3 games. That is where I can see the players who GET it and the ones who are busy slapping their sticks for a pass even though another colored jersey is in between them and who has the puck.

After Norell, Press, Dalstrom et al they are due for some hits on D. Their drafting at that position has been absolutely dismal the last 5-7 years. IMO bad enough to get some scouts fired. Would really love to see guys like Gilbert and Carlsson break the trend.
- tredbrta

D has been a disaster indeed. These two kids and Snuggurud (sp) are generating some vibes.