Now knowing the draft order for the first half of each round of the NHL draft slated for July 23-24, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman can start doing homework with vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley and the rest of the scouting department.
To help Bowman, Kelley, and crew with their research and development of the team's draft wish list, here is an initial rubric for evaluating what skills and styles they should seek when evaluating prospects at each position plus who exemplary players and prospects are.
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Goalies
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Move with efficiency in the crease: While highlight-reel saves are fun to watch, a goalie who can stay square, have no wasted movements, and let the puck hit him will instill more confidence in teammates and coaches than one who is flopping around like a fish.
Exemplary Personnel: Drew Commesso
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Stay composed and even keel: Every goalie gives up soft goals once in a while but the stronger ones are those who can shake it off immediately and keep his team in the match by not constantly running hot and cold with in-game and game-after-game performance.
Exemplary Personnel: Kevin Lankinen
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Control rebounds: Rebounds off of shots are inevitable but goalies who take control of their net are ones who can pounce on pucks quickly to prevent garbage goal attempts and/or redirect them to where the other team isn't and where teammates are.
Exemplary Personnel: Arvid Soderblom
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Defensemen
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Prioritize playing defense: Sounds easy enough but it's frustrating how this foundational concept seems to evade many on the Hawks blueline corps. The outstanding defender will take care of his end first and use a variety of tools to neutralize offensive chances.
Exemplary Personnel: Wyatt Kalynuk
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Transition the puck: Flipping the ice starts with regaining possession and continues with transitioning the puck up ice either with making a crisp pass to clear the zone or carrying the mail. Passing accuracy is key and so is agility to maneuver zone to zone.
Exemplary Personnel: Adam Boqvist
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Compete hard regardless of size: Most of Chicago's blueline youngsters and prospects aren't big but that doesn't mean they can't battle in all nooks and crannies of the ice to protect and reclaim the puck. Giving up size doesn't need to result in giving up defensively.
Exemplary Personnel: Ian Mitchell
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Forwards
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Be multidimensional: One-trick ponies are okay if surrounded by a solid complementary supporting cast but versatility to excel in different roles, on different lines, and in different game situations makes one indispensable to the team and enhances job security.
Exemplary Personnel: Lukas Reichel
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Have sound skating ability: Speed is wonderful to have but isn't everything. A reliable player can have a combination of speed and agility and/or the smarts to be positionally dependable if lacking one or both of these skating qualities.
Exemplary Personnel: Philipp Kurashev
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Compete hard in all zones: It's one thing to hustle in the O zone as a forward and the D zone as a rearguard but it's another thing to be relentless in pursuit of the puck across the entire ice sheet. Being a difference maker without the puck is crucial to contending.
Exemplary Personnel: Brandon Hagel
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Rubric Revisited
The rubric above is a preliminary set of strengths and attributes to look for in draftees and something that will be revisited in future blogs over the next few weeks preceding the draft in order to take a closer look at prospects worthy of Chicago's consideration.
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See you on the boards!
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