Although I haven't come across that review, lately I have been thinking that Kotkaniemi's ceiling could be as high as Kopitar but thought that's pretty lofty. Would be awesome, but I also think his comparable (if he hits his potential) could be along the lines of a Kuznetsov, Barkov, or Wennberg.
- AEL_Fox

That was Buttons:

Craig Button - TSN - April 28: "He plays the game in a similar fashion to Anze Kopitar and to Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews."

Bode Wilde sounds like our kind of guy if he is still available. Probably a few years away though.
- hpk90

He is definitely fun to watch his highlights, because he is so powerful in the stride.
He likes it better in the blue paint than on the point, and he is completely locked on taking it from the back court to the rim, and is reckless.
I think he goes off the board fairly early. Long gone before the hawk's pick at #28
A terrific skater with a booming shot, who still needs to read the entire ice better.

That was Buttons:

Craig Button - TSN - April 28: "He plays the game in a similar fashion to Anze Kopitar and to Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews."
- walleyeb1

Button also thought that the Habs should simply pick him if they want a centre at slot #3 and not worry that the better sniper Zadina is passed on.
His point is if the Habs want a centre and feel that is THE need, just do it.

IF Bowman is going to try and re-tool this summer and try to save his job by making the playoffs.....why wouldn't the Hawks pursue the big bodied lethal sniper in Kovalchuck who is the Right Shooting LW that could slide into Panarin's old spot on the Powerplay and on Kane's LW 5v5??? IF the Hawks move Hossa's contract, I read that Kovy is looking for a Patrick Marleau type deal of 3 yrs x $6mil.....thoughts???
- EnzoD

Yes!

If the Hawks have 2 players they like at 8:
#8 and 27 to NYR for #9 and 26

That was Buttons:

Craig Button - TSN - April 28: "He plays the game in a similar fashion to Anze Kopitar and to Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews."
- walleyeb1

Thanks for the reference! I'll check out Button's review.

Button also thought that the Habs should simply pick him if they want a centre at slot #3 and not worry that the better sniper Zadina is passed on.
His point is if the Habs want a centre and feel that is THE need, just do it.
- wiz1901

I would jump out of my seat if there is a run on Center/Defense and Big Brady Tkachuk falls to the Hawks at 8. You've got to think with the way the teams ahead of the Hawks are structured with forward prospects but not many high end defenders in the NHL....maybe some GMs go for Bouchard/Dobson over the fiesty power forward......???

1)Dahlin
2)Svechnikov
3)Zadina
4)Kotkaniemi
5)Boquist
6)Hughes
7)Dobson
8) TKACHUCK

Thanks for the reference! I'll check out Button's review.
- AEL_Fox

You have to look around it’s referenced in several sites this is an older one.

Sitting at No. 10 is 6-foot-1, 188-pound Finish centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who jumps all the way up from No. 26 in our January rankings. The 17-year-old Kotkaniemi, who is playing against men in Liiga for Assat, reminds me of Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar at the same age.


https://www.tsn.ca/craig-...-up-draft-board-1.1031499

I would jump out of my seat if there is a run on Center/Defense and Big Brady Tkachuk falls to the Hawks at 8. You've got to think with the way the teams ahead of the Hawks are structured with forward prospects but not many high end defenders in the NHL....maybe some GMs go for Bouchard/Dobson over the fiesty power forward......???

1)Dahlin
2)Svechnikov
3)Zadina
4)Kotkaniemi
5)Boquist
6)Hughes
7)Dobson
8) TKACHUCK
- EnzoD

That’s really more conceivable than one might think, throw Wahlstrom in there too. Could be a very wild draft!

You have to look around it’s referenced in several sites this is an older one.

Sitting at No. 10 is 6-foot-1, 188-pound Finish centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who jumps all the way up from No. 26 in our January rankings. The 17-year-old Kotkaniemi, who is playing against men in Liiga for Assat, reminds me of Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar at the same age.


https://www.tsn.ca/craig-...-up-draft-board-1.1031499
- walleyeb1

Cool, thanks for the link!

If the Hawks have 2 players they like at 8:
#8 and 27 to NYR for #9 and 26
- tvetter

I am not sure that is fair for the hawks because the players in that late of the round are clumped even closer items of equal in stature, where as the Rangers and Hawks have a solid 1 - 80 list of guys and it would be a stretch to think that they see the two choices at #8 and #9 as liked the same.

Now I don't think the way it works is the hawks say, well who would you use the #8 pick one?, that will make us decide...
once you trade the pick Rangers can do what they want, and you don't ask anyway.

Following me?
Why would I make a trade with you to move UP if I knew you were interested in another guy, b/c that means you are getting him w/o doing anything.

I guess you could say there is another team interested to try and them to do it...

It gets in the 100s- where I live in St. Petersburg, is down by the bridge to Sarasota, where the water comes into the bay, 4 houses from the water on three sides, it rarely gets hotter than 93 and we have a big pool we use everyday.

After living my entire life I the city, I never realized how the city's concrete hot made it hotter than even the humid hot Now get with the breeze.

Texas is nice at certain times but like Chicago, there seems to be. window of Perfect daytime temps, but few days where there isn't a stark day to night change, where St. Pete, we only "cool" slightly at night all year, even in the cold months of January and February we have never seen a freeze the plants night, and the cold is the 50's...sending the locals to their wool outfits and hooded winter coats.
- wiz1901

I was just down fishing the inter coastal waters between St. Pete and Reddington Shores. It's very nice down there.
And I love to bar hop for the music in Texas but I can't do it in the summer.

IF Bowman is going to try and re-tool this summer and try to save his job by making the playoffs.....why wouldn't the Hawks pursue the big bodied lethal sniper in Kovalchuck who is the Right Shooting LW that could slide into Panarin's old spot on the Powerplay and on Kane's LW 5v5??? IF the Hawks move Hossa's contract, I read that Kovy is looking for a Patrick Marleau type deal of 3 yrs x $6mil.....thoughts???
- EnzoD

How old is that guy? He's been around a long time. Can he keep up in the NHL these days?

Don't get your Martinsen hate whatsoever, would you really be cool with Hayden being the ONLY physical guy on this team? Cause I sure the hell am not.
- Murph76

Physicality without skill or useful role is kind of pointless. A team hasn't won a cup with a "grinder" 4th line in a while because they need more from them - most have been using them in a checking role.

I think it's possible that Martinsen might be able to play on a checking line, but the Hawks cannot afford a line like the one they last season with Bouma-Wingels. While they did get a bit more DZS, they did so facing other 4th lines and that just doesn't help the other 3 lines at all.

Top six now

Saad, Debrincat, Schmaltz, Toews, Kane, Probably AA at this point. Plenty of high level talent there and I think they have the grinders for most of the wing positions on lines 3 and 4. Really need to add at 3 and 4 C if they're going to stick with that though.

If they add to the top six that makes one or two of AA, Schmaltz, Dinglecat and Sikura expendable for hockey trades so there's that too.

They have cap space and assets for the right moves they just need to hopefully execute which I have my doubts about.
- fattybeef

So what you are saying is that it is the same team as last year - a weak on the boards top six that inspires ZERO fear, a constant shuffle of washed ups, washed outs, and yet to be provens in the bottom six, two aging out vets on the blue line and more shuffle of six to eight rookie D guys on the blue line, no proven backup goalie let alone a starter, and roughly $11-13MM to work with (including Hossa's LTIR, and some cap rise), with a few RFAs to sign nibbling away at the cap space.

How, honestly, does this team change significantly witout moving any of the albatross contracts?

I just don't see this as a one off-season set of tweaks.

Tarik El-Bashir: MacLelland said he’s met with pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Michal Kempny and told him that he wants to re-sign him. Kempny has said he loves it in Washington.

Don't get your Martinsen hate whatsoever, would you really be cool with Hayden being the ONLY physical guy on this team? Cause I sure the hell am not.
- Murph76

I'd prefer someone who could actually fight along with hit. But Martinsen ia better then a player like jurco. Hayden cant ne the only guy to stand up for teammates or play a rough style and mix it up.

How old is that guy? He's been around a long time. Can he keep up in the NHL these days?
- 6628

35yrs old and he just put up a PPG in the KHL. Ilya Kovalchuk was in the conversation for best sniper in the NHL when he and Parise carried the Devils to the Cup Finals. Remember Kovalchuk and Hossa absolutely dominating with the Thrashers??? He definitely can help an NHL team, especially on a line with Kane + Schmaltz.

35yrs old and he just put up a PPG in the KHL. Ilya Kovalchuk was in the conversation for best sniper in the NHL when he and Parise carried the Devils to the Cup Finals. Remember Kovalchuk and Hossa absolutely dominating with the Thrashers??? He definitely can help an NHL team, especially on a line with Kane + Schmaltz.
- EnzoD

Problem with Kovy is he doesn't know what the back 100' of the rink looks like.

Never has and never will.

I believe Wahlstrom played with Jack Hughes all year for the USNDP and they dominated as a line.
- EnzoD

I meant to get back to this one

Jack Hughes who looks like a top two pick next year, wasn't the only centre Wahlstrom played with.

Like every team the lines and match up give you different combos.

Patrick Giles and Jake Wise (when not injured) played centre with him to at different times.
It really wasn't until the Farabee, Jack Hughes, Wahlstom line solidified, that Oliver really got more dominant...early on in the first half of their season he was on equal footing with the group save he has that release and accuracy.

There is that long bit of footage just added to Jj's site look for Hughes #43 and you will see it isn't always there...

35yrs old and he just put up a PPG in the KHL. Ilya Kovalchuk was in the conversation for best sniper in the NHL when he and Parise carried the Devils to the Cup Finals. Remember Kovalchuk and Hossa absolutely dominating with the Thrashers??? He definitely can help an NHL team, especially on a line with Kane + Schmaltz.
- EnzoD

That's my point

But if they don't make him play on the back 100' like Roar says then ok I guess.

Its the draft. Not every pick will be NHL ready. Draft the best available and let them develop. If it takes 2 years so be it. The best way to help this team is for Stan to attack FA by signing at least two D that can help the top 4. Then sort out the goal tending issue. The circus in net and the D issues killed this team last year.

We need to get some talent in the pipe line for the future, but I can easily see Stan trading possibly both picks for NHL talent to step right in. Hawks dont want back to back dumpster fire seasons.
- z1990z

Are there two D in this UFA class that will be top 4 / better than what the Hawks already have? I don't know. Here are the top 5 after Carlson imo:

De Haan is certainly a shutdown style 3/4 but he was out after shoulder surgery all season so who knows if he'll be fully healed. I like him best of the LDs available in general though.

Hickey is decently solid but he isn't the strongest transition d-man. He's likely need to be paired with someone who could do that well to be effective, as he struggled more without that in NY. He also doesn't play on special teams much, if at all.

Moore is eats minutes but I'm not sure how effective he is in those minutes. His defensive micro stats (such as suppression and breakups) are pretty weak considering he's touted as more of a shutdown guy. Wouldn't mind him necessarily though.

Green probably wouldn't be too much different from when Campbell came back. He's also going to ask for too much and it's risky after his cervical surgery.

Cole is a bottom pairing d-man (he was #6 on both Pens cup runs and on Columbus when traded this season) and the Hawks have a bunch of those. I actually don't get why many Hawks fans want him - he hasn't been top 4 for many years.

No thank you to Jack Johnson, Polak, Sbisa, Luke Schenn, Barberio, or Enstrom.

Problem with Kovy is he doesn't know what the back 100' of the rink looks like.

Never has and never will.
- Return of the Roar

He played 200’ hockey with NJD when they ran through the East. Panarin “doesn’t play defense” either and they were still an electric line that carried the Hawks to the playoffs in 16+17. He would provide a huge Powerplay boost too.

Problem with Kovy is he doesn't know what the back 100' of the rink looks like.

Never has and never will.
- Return of the Roar

Doesnt need to play defence when the puck is on your stick/attacking offensively

He's not paid to play defence nor do you sign him to

He played 200’ hockey with NJD when the fan through the East. Panarin “doesn’t play defense” either and they were still an electric line that carried the Hawks to the playoffs in 16+17
- EnzoD

The concern about Kovalchuk shouldn't really be his defense, it's whether his speed is up to NHL standards. He definitely has slowed down but idk if that would be an issue in the NHL or not with his other high end skills.