Sources: The Athletic, Dobber Prospects, Elite Prospects, FC Hockey, Last Word on Sports, Lines, Recruit Scouting, Scouching Report, Smaht Scouting, The Draft Analyst, The Hockey News, The Hockey Writers
Today is a sneak peak of who I would offer up as considerations for the Blackhawks in the upcoming NHL Draft at the end of the week. At time of print, the Hawks don't own a 1st round pick but that could change if any blockbuster trades go down soon.
While I don't have a prospectus on each draft hopeful and don't identify which round to select each of them, the list of candidates is predicated on what the Hawks hockey operations staff is generally seeking to recruit the 2022 draft class.
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Drafting Profile
So what is the drafting profile that the Blackhawks general manager and scouting department have put together? The following are descriptions from
an interview by NBC Sports Chicago with director of amateur scouting Mike Doneghey.
* General manager Kyle Davidson is
"looking for the up-tempo speed players that play with a high motor and have a high compete level."
*
"It's speed, speed, want to play as fast as we can play, as direct as we can play, as quick as we can play, so that has been the whole dialogue since back in March. Let's get as fast as we can going forward."
*
"I just think the big thing is, early on, just kind of keeping an open mind for best players available. The last few years we've drafted a lot of defensemen, so everybody automatically thinks we should be drafting forwards just to kind of get everybody on an even playing field. So early on, the direction has been let's look at the best player available that we can get and maybe it is a defenseman."
*
"Sitting with Kyle and Norm a lot lately, they've got a certain way they want to play, speed being one of them, competitive inside. So when we're talking with the scouts, we just keep reiterating, who are the most competitive players? Who have the most character? Who can play the fastest?"
*
"I think the directive, you want to build down the middle and on defense and in goal. Your centers and your Top 3 defensemen and your goalie are probably your most important positions."
*
"We have some traits that we'll look at later in the sixth and seventh-round because we don't have a fourth and fifth-round pick, whether it be size or skating or maybe throwing a dart at a kid because he's behind the curve."
In summary, here are the skills and traits that the scouting department plans to use in decision making each time Davidson gets to the podium on July 8 for Rounds 2-7 and hopefully on the 7th, too, when Round 1 occurs:
* Skating speed
* Game-processing speed
* High motor (hustle, relentlessness)
* Compete level
* Character
Centers, defensemen, and goalies are the prioritized positions. However, keep in mind that many forwards drafted as centers end up as wingers in the pros. Sometimes, though, they start at wing then graduate over to the middle with NHL experience.
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Prospects to Consider
Although some of the draftees listed below are likely to be selected in the 1st round, I still included them in the lists below just in case the Hawks find a way to get back into the opening round with at least one pick.
Regardless, the following are draftees who seem to fit the Hawks drafting profile outlined above.
Note: Each list is alphabetical, not in order of rank or preference.
Centers
* Liam Arnsby (North Bay, OHL)
* Owen Beck (Mississauga, OHL)
* Logan Cooley (U.S. NTDP)
* Luca Del Bel Belluz (Mississauga, OHL)
* Kocha Delic (Sudbury, OHL)
* David Goyette (Sudbury, OHL)
* Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, WHL)
* Jake Karabela (Guelph, OHL)
* Marco Kasper (Rogle, Sweden)
* Jiri Kulich (Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic)
* Jere Lassila (JYP, Finland)
* Paul Ludwinski (Kingston, OHL)
* Matthew Poitras (Guelph, OHL)
* Matthew Savoie (Winnipeg, WHL)
* Mathew Ward (Swift Current, WHL)
* Shane Wright (Kingston, OHL)
Wingers
* Grayson Badger (Dexter Southfield, USHS)
* Dmitri Buchelnikov (SKA St Petersburg, Russia)
* Cutter Gauthier (U.S. NTDP)
* Josh Filmon (Swift Current, WHL)
* Gavin Hayes (Flint, OHL)
* Isaac Howard (U.S. NTDP)
* Dylan James (Sioux City, USHL)
* Jonathan Lekkerimaki (Djurgarden, Sweden)
* Julian Lutz (Munich, Germany)
* Filip Mesar (Poprad, Slovakia)
* Mikey Milne (Winnipeg, WHL)
* Ivan Miroshnichenko (Omskie Krylia, Russia)
* Frank Nazar (U.S. NTDP)
* Liam Ohgren (Djurgarden, Sweden)
* Vinzenz Rohrer (Ottawa, OHL)
* Juraj Slafkovsky (TPS, Finland)
* Adam Sykora (Nitra, Slovakia)
* Fabian Wagner (Linkoping Jr, Sweden)
Defensemen
* Angus Booth (Shawinigan, QMJHL)
* Frederic Brunet (Rimouski, QMJHL)
* Lane Hutson (U.S. NTDP)
* David Jiricek (Plzen, Czech Republic)
* Kirill Kudryavtsev (Sault Ste Marie, OHL)
* Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw, WHL)
* Ty Nelson (North Bay, OHL)
* Simon Nemec (Nitra, Slovakia)
* Matej Pinkas (Stadion Litomerice, Czech Republic)
* David Spacek (Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
* Grayden Siepmann (Calgary, WHL)
* Graham Sward (Spokane, WHL)
Goalies
Are there any goalies worth drafting? None are highly touted this year but if the Hawks are willing to use a late pick on a lottery ticket, then some could be a possible selection in the 6th or 7th assuming they are still on the board at that point.
* Tyler Brennan (Prince George, WHL)
* Croix Kochendorfer (Chippewa, NAHL)
* Niklas Kokko (Karpat, Finland)
* Topias Leinonen (JYP, Finland)
* Simon Wolf (Red Bull Akademie Jr, Czech Republic)
All are big and athletic which are always a plus but each also has other attractive strengths. For example, Brennan has crease control, Kochendorfer has flexibility, Kokko has sharp reflexes, Leinonen has mobility, and Wolf has fluid mechanics.
* Hugo Havelid (Linkoping Jr, Sweden)
* Sergei Ivanov (SKA St Petersburg, Russia)
These two tenders are smaller in size but make up for it with solid positioning, steady composure, and capacity to recover in sequences. Havelid reads plays and reacts expediently while Ivanov is quick and agile to cover a lot of area.
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Partial Fits
Lastly, there are many prospects who may not fit the Hawks drafting profile to a T but they have other characteristics that make them notable in other ways to at least kick the tires on and use a pick on them all things considered.
Some of those draftees include centers Conor Geekie, Rutger McGroarty, and Danny Zhilkin, wingers Joakim Kemell, Brad Lambert, and Jimmy Snuggerud, and defensemen Ryan Chesley, Tristan Luneau, and Elias Salomonsson.
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Round Gaps
We shall see if Davidson is able to acquire a 1st within the next few days to re-enter the opening round which is on Thursday. The Hawks also lack picks in the 4th and 5th, too, but have multiple picks in the 2nd (2), 3rd (3), and 6th (2).
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See you on the boards!
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