Exactly and that's why Entwhistle should begin his pro career there.
- paulr

I like what I've read about Entwhistle and hope he succeeds. Now if Stan could get these kids we could get the band back together.

https://www.eliteprospect...m/player/388566/greg-moon
https://www.eliteprospect...layer/74051/daltrey-meitz
https://www.eliteprospect...yer/283838/jaden-townsend

If some posters could get past the fact he didn't score and go back and look at his game they'd see a player who plays well in most situations, with or without the puck, who isn't shy about playing in tough areas or contact and who has shown he can produce points at lower levels. Sikura is a good player and like you say i think Hawk management see him in the Hawk's future.
- paulr

That seems to be an issue with a lot of hockey fans, they draw most if not all of their conclusions on a player based on statistics. Sure statistics are helpful but statistics don't tell a players whole story..

IMO, Entwistle will be given every opportunity to make the NHL roster and there is no doubt in my mind that he's ready, however the Hawks have several players that are technically "ready" to make the jump and play bottom 6 minutes and there are only X amount of roster spots that need to be filled, and the best players will get the job. If Entwistle doesn't make the Hawks roster it doesn't mean he's not ready for the show - it means another player and his skillset was more desirable than Entwistle... But given the type of game Entwistle plays I think it's going to be difficult for the Hawks staff to overlook him.

I mean the kid reminds me of Andrew Shaw to an extent, Entwistle has more upside tho.. And look, Shaw made the Hawks a few months after he was drafted - in the 5th round...

At the very least Entwistle will be playing in Rockford this season, and there is zero doubt he will see some NHL action at some point this upcoming season... But overall I think this kid will eventually find his way into the core of this team. Maybe not now but in the next few years he will.

Watching Entwhistle in the playoffs against London he seems to be playing in all situations, 5 on 5, powerplay and penalty killing. He's also on the ice at the end of the game if Guelph is ahead or behind in the score. His versatility will hopefully make him valuable to the Hawks.
- paulr

Thanks for the intel on Entwistle. Much appreciated to get a first hand observation of him.

He is he is committed to Wisconsin, he may not be available for 3 or 4 years then you have to sweat out the free agency factor when he's ready to turn pro. Do the Hawks need someone closer to being NHL ready?
- paulr

I agree.

Yes indeed Turcotte is committed to Wisconsin and I don't think it would be a smart idea to use a 3rd overall pick on a player that is at least 2 years away from the NHL if not 4.

The Hawks need a player that is ready now, or at the very most 1 year away from jumping into the NHL and being a productive player...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of giving players all the time they need to develop so they can reach their potential, and I think the NCAA is an excellent league to make that happen. But the Hawks need a player that can make an impact now.

He took a number of facesoffs even when playing wing. He seldom loses faceoffs cleanly, most of the time he has this big beast of a linemate, Ratcliffe, who comes in and retrieves the puck as Entwhistle ties up his opponent.
- paulr

What you described is the next best thing if your team doesn't have centers who can consistently win draws, i.e. have linemates who provide the support needed to quickly get the puck back or during an ensuing 50/50 battle. Faceoffs aren't always on the centers.

That seems to be an issue with a lot of hockey fans, they draw most if not all of their conclusions on a player based on statistics. Sure statistics are helpful but statistics don't tell a players whole story..

IMO, Entwistle will be given every opportunity to make the NHL roster and there is no doubt in my mind that he's ready, however the Hawks have several players that are technically "ready" to make the jump and play bottom 6 minutes and there are only X amount of roster spots that need to be filled, and the best players will get the job. If Entwistle doesn't make the Hawks roster it doesn't mean he's not ready for the show - it means another player and his skillset was more desirable than Entwistle... But given the type of game Entwistle plays I think it's going to be difficult for the Hawks staff to overlook him.

I mean the kid reminds me of Andrew Shaw to an extent, Entwistle has more upside tho.. And look, Shaw made the Hawks a few months after he was drafted - in the 5th round...

At the very least Entwistle will be playing in Rockford this season, and there is zero doubt he will see some NHL action at some point this upcoming season... But overall I think this kid will eventually find his way into the core of this team. Maybe not now but in the next few years he will.
- Savard2Secord

He may be ready to find his way in the Show - but is he ready to be a complete hockey player? Playing against experienced skaters with more mature bodies (Elite Prospects shows him at 6'4" 181 lbs. - don't know if that is where he is now, but that's not a lot of weight on a tall drink of water)?

I would doubt that most 20 year olds (what he will be in July) are ready to play in the hardest league in the world.

I agree.

Yes indeed Turcotte is committed to Wisconsin and I don't think it would be a smart idea to use a 3rd overall pick on a player that is at least 2 years away from the NHL if not 4.

The Hawks need a player that is ready now, or at the very most 1 year away from jumping into the NHL and being a productive player...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of giving players all the time they need to develop so they can reach their potential, and I think the NCAA is an excellent league to make that happen. But the Hawks need a player that can make an impact now.
- Savard2Secord

One thing to always remember is that Toews played another year at UND after going 3rd then joined the Blackhawks a season later. He was strong out of the gate once he was in the NHL. Who knows if rushing him from the draft to the lineup a few months later would have impacted his development.

I agree.

Yes indeed Turcotte is committed to Wisconsin and I don't think it would be a smart idea to use a 3rd overall pick on a player that is at least 2 years away from the NHL if not 4.

The Hawks need a player that is ready now, or at the very most 1 year away from jumping into the NHL and being a productive player...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of giving players all the time they need to develop so they can reach their potential, and I think the NCAA is an excellent league to make that happen. But the Hawks need a player that can make an impact now.
- Savard2Secord

Other than certainly (probably) Hughes, and probably (possibly) Kakko, is Cozens, Turcotte, Podkolzin, etc. ready to play in the Show next season?

Thanks for the intel on Entwistle. Much appreciated to get a first hand observation of him.
- AEL_Fox

Sounds like a Cliff Koroll type of player, the Hawks can use a few of those.

Agree on all points.

Acquiring a player like Tanev wouldn't be to replace Saad. IMHO, Tanev is a 4th liner who can play a spell or two on the 3rd line if needed due to injuries. Saad is ideally a top 6 forward but am fine with him on his own line (i.e. top 9) apart from Toews and Kane.

Anisimov still brings good things to the rink so moving him would require an upgrade at center. Even if a new center is obtained whether via trade, free agency, or #3 pick, Anisimov could still slide over to wing.

Boilermaker, not picking on you and I'm not an advanced stats person to see what they say about them, but is Eakin a better player than Anisimov? The reason I ask is that if Eakin is brought in but is also easily flipped at next year's TDL, then why acquire him in the first place. Wouldn't it be better to upgrade over Anisimov with a center who can fit longer term with the team?

I guess one reason could be if the Hawks do draft a center at #3 and having a veteran center on a multi-year deal could block the draftee from that pivot spot behind Toews and Strome.
- AEL_Fox

AEL, I'm not a fancy stats guy either. I would say Eakins and AA are comparable players, both average about 40 points per year. and play the PK. Eakins wins over 50% of faceoffs

I'm just looking to get comparable pay from cheaper players and managing the cap going forward. Eakins earns about 700K less than AA for 19-20 season.

For 20-21 season, after Eakins is gone, plug in Cozens (after another year in juniors) or Entwhistle (after a year in Rockford) on ELC's for less than 1M.

Trading AA and or Eakins should bring back some draft picks.

Not directed at you AEL. but where is all this AA love coming from? A lot of people have wanted him traded for the past couple of years.

Why do you expect to hear that?
- paulr

Picking 3rd is too good to be true.

AEL, I'm not a fancy stats guy either. I would say Eakins and AA are comparable players, both average about 40 points per year. and play the PK. Eakins wins over 50% of faceoffs

I'm just looking to get comparable pay from cheaper players and managing the cap going forward. Eakins earns about 700K less than AA for 19-20 season.

For 20-21 season, after Eakins is gone, plug in Cozens (after another year in juniors) or Entwhistle (after a year in Rockford) on ELC's for less than 1M.

Trading AA and or Eakins should bring back some draft picks.

Not directed at you AEL. but where is all this AA love coming from? A lot of people have wanted him traded for the past couple of years.
- boilermaker100

Thanks for sharing your perspectives on Eakins and comparison to Anisimov. Very helpful and makes sense.

I can only speak for myself but, IMO, Anisimov is a nice player who does some good things to contribute while playing a respectable 200 foot game. Is he a must have? Not really. He does have his warts, too.

But if he is to be shipped out, the replacement needs to be much better than him. So the questions are: who are those centers, are they attainable without creating a hole elsewhere on the roster, and how much will they cost?

Could Eakins be one of them? I'd definitely explore that this summer.

That role might be filled by Caggiula.
- SoftServe

This. Really like how Caggiula plays. He gets under his opponents' skin and always drives to the front of the net.

Allow me over-think this a bit.

Anaheim is in need of a center to replace Kesler and soon to replace Getslaf as he's 33 and slowing down. They have the 9th pick which means the 3 or 4 best centers will probably be off the board ... but the Hawks have the 3rd pick which gives them first crack at all the best centers not named Hughes. Anaheim also has a pretty good top pairing LD named Hampus Lindholm, 25 years old, good on both sides of the puck, and on a decent contract ($5.2M for 3 more years). It would take a lot to pry Lindholm away from Anaheim but maybe a swap of 1st round picks with the Hawks including either Mitchell or Beaudin and another prospect and/or draft pick would do it.

Then use the Anaheim #9 pick in a trade with Toronto where Toronto gets the Anaheim 9th pick and Anisimov and the Hawks get Kapanen and Kadri.

So essentially the Hawks turn the #3 pick, Anisimov, either Mitchell or Beaudin and one or two lesser assets into (3) ready to play starters - a top pairing d-man, a top-6 winger, and a #3c who is faster and younger than Anisimov.

Crazy?
- EbonyRaptor

Hughes isn't the surefire consensus first overall pick, especially considering what the other players in the top 10 of this draft have to offer.

Hughes is not a complete player and he has several deficiencies, such as his size, his 2-way game and the fact he can be bumped off the puck quite easily. And I think some of those flaws may scare teams away from taking him in favor of Kakko or Podkolzin. Sure Kakko and Podkolzin don't possess the natural talent Hughes has, however both are offensively above average and both are "complete" players and both have size on their side..

I mean look at Alex DeBrincat, he slipped to the 2nd round (as do many smaller players).. Had DeBrincat been 5 inches taller and 40 pounds heaver he would have been a top 5 pick, but he slipped to to his size, and I could see the same happening with Hughes - mind you he's not going to slip outside of the top 10 but I could see him falling into the Hawks lap...

IMO, if Hughes doesn't go #1 he will fall to the Hawks because I can't see the Rangers drafting a player like Hughes. Kakko and Podkolzin are the type of players the Rangers like. The Rangers have always favored the bigger physical power forward type players so, if New Jersey passes on Hughes, the Rangers will most likely end up with Podkolzin (unless NJ takes him) which means Hughes would be a Blackhawk.

Either way tho, I would be thrilled with Hughes, Kakko or Podkolzin and any of the 3 could make an immediate impact on this team.

I will say that Hughes would be the best fit for the Hawks given his deficiencies. Hughes reminds me a lot of Patrick Kane at his age and I think the vets on the Hawks could really help Hughes round out his 2-way game, however offensively Hughes would be huge for the Hawks.. Not only that but Toews is a few years away from becoming our 3rd line center and the Hawks really need a guy to fill that first line center role, and any of these centers will fit the bill, so no matter who the Hawks grab at #3 will certainly be our future 1st line center. But for now I think a line of Hughes, Strome and DeBrincat would be mind-boggling... I would say toss the kid on the Toews/Kane line but that would be redundant considering Hughes is very similar to Kane, so it would make more sense playing him on the 2nd line.

So yea, I think it's possible that Hughes slips to the Hawks and my primary reason for considering it a possibility is because teams have shown us time and time again (and they never learn) that they don't like or want smaller players and it's always these smaller skilled players that slip... And if he doesn't slip it's because of his natural talent. I mean Hughes does have the same natural talent that Kane, Crosby or McDavid etc has, and sometimes you just cant pass that up because that skill cant be taught or learned - you have it or you don't.

Anisimov and Kruger confirmed to play for Russia and Sweden respectively in the World Championships next month.

https://thehockeynews.com...-new-york-rangers-rebuild

Article about what the #2 pick means for the Rangers and what they could do. A lot of our talk about the #3 pick does hinge on them. Not so much the Devils as it is pretty much a certainty they take Hughes at #1.

If some posters could get past the fact he didn't score and go back and look at his game they'd see a player who plays well in most situations, with or without the puck, who isn't shy about playing in tough areas or contact and who has shown he can produce points at lower levels. Sikura is a good player and like you say i think Hawk management see him in the Hawk's future.
- paulr

I believe it was in an article for The Athletic, but Sikura was quoted as saying that he now realizes that maybe his role isn't to score goals, so he is going to do all he can to incorporate the recommendations of the coaches.

He is a good asset to have. Aggressive, skill, speed, etc. Get him some pro training this summer and some work on his shot and he can improve. Not everyone is going to be a contributor at 20 yrs old.

I agree.

Yes indeed Turcotte is committed to Wisconsin and I don't think it would be a smart idea to use a 3rd overall pick on a player that is at least 2 years away from the NHL if not 4.

The Hawks need a player that is ready now, or at the very most 1 year away from jumping into the NHL and being a productive player...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of giving players all the time they need to develop so they can reach their potential, and I think the NCAA is an excellent league to make that happen. But the Hawks need a player that can make an impact now.
- Savard2Secord

Turcotte was not the 3rd overall pick when he committed to Wisconsin. If the Hawks are serious about picking him 3rd overall I am sure they will drill down to see how committed he is to playing at Wisconsin instead of possibly playing in the NHL.

https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/what-the-no-2-overall-pick-means-for-the-new-york-rangers-rebuild

Article about what the #2 pick means for the Rangers and what they could do. A lot of our talk about the #3 pick does hinge on them. Not so much the Devils as it is pretty much a certainty they take Hughes at #1.
- AEL_Fox

I think next week's U18 Championship in Sweden will determine if Hughes and Kakko go 1 and 2. I could see Podkolizn having an amazing tournament and going to the Rangers. That would be so sweet if Kakko drops to the Hawks.

I believe it was in an article for The Athletic, but Sikura was quoted as saying that he now realizes that maybe his role isn't to score goals, so he is going to do all he can to incorporate the recommendations of the coaches.

He is a good asset to have. Aggressive, skill, speed, etc. Get him some pro training this summer and some work on his shot and he can improve. Not everyone is going to be a contributor at 20 yrs old.
- Chunk

Except he'll be 24 at the start of next season...not just 20

He'll be an asset to offer with Seabrook hopefully when bribing Seattle

Shaw then had to go back to the AHL to learn what he needed to learn to play in the NHL, no?
- paulr

For Shaw, he actually didn't make the team out of camp, but started in the AHL and then Jan 5th 2012 he got called up and then managed to stick. It was really something how fast he got to the NHL after being drafted in the 5th round.

I always remember his start to the NHL because Jimmy Hayes was brought up around the same time (a few games before) and both guys played out the year with the Hawks. Hayes didn't have the same impact.

I agree.

Yes indeed Turcotte is committed to Wisconsin and I don't think it would be a smart idea to use a 3rd overall pick on a player that is at least 2 years away from the NHL if not 4.

The Hawks need a player that is ready now, or at the very most 1 year away from jumping into the NHL and being a productive player...

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of giving players all the time they need to develop so they can reach their potential, and I think the NCAA is an excellent league to make that happen. But the Hawks need a player that can make an impact now.
- Savard2Secord

If the Hawks need someone ready to be an impact now, then they need to make a trade. The #3 pick might end up being ready sooner rather than later, but there is no guarantee how close they will be. Until they get a player in camp/preseason it can be really difficult to tell. Even if they get someone that can make the jump, how much impact they will actually make can be really unclear. Most players, even top picks are not near 100% of the player they will be in the first couple seasons in the NHL.

I don't think we should look at the draft as a way to get a quick fix. Is it possible? Yes. Is it predictable? Not exactly. I know what you are saying, but the team has to be about more than one draft pick. They (The Hawks and the fans) can't put expectations on a new kid that they need him that badly. The Hawks have to work on filling the holes with guys who more are developed and keep this #3 as a guy who "might" be a pleasant surprise in the next year or two or three.

Other than certainly (probably) Hughes, and probably (possibly) Kakko, is Cozens, Turcotte, Podkolzin, etc. ready to play in the Show next season?
- StLBravesFan

In theory all could play in the NHL next season, it just wouldn't be best for their development.

Hughes, Kakko and Podkolzin are absolutely ready to play in the NHL and IMO the NHL is the appropriate league for their development. But it may be best for Podkolzin to maybe play another year across the pond tho, just to be safe. I mean you don't want to hurt these kids confidence by throwing them into the fire - but I don't know any of these kids personalities or how they approach the game mentally so I'm not qualified to say from a mental er psychological perspective that starting them in the NHL is a good idea. But I can say from a skill level and a talent level Hughes, Kakko and Podkolzin are NHL ready..

Cozens on the other hand is a totally different situation... His upside is huge, and I have compared him to a "poor mans Connor McDavid" (for right now), and for Cozens to really live up to his potential he's going to need development and work hard on his game, because unlike McDavid he doesn't have that natural talent - but I think if he works hard on his game he could be a similar to Connor McDavid - now don't get me wrong - I'm not saying he will be a McDavid clone but he could be very similar... McDavid unlike Cozens has the "it factor", the natural ability to effortlessly make dynamic plays in high traffic situations which makes NHL hockey look easy -- Cozens doesn't have that natural ability - at least not on the same level of McDavid,Kane, Crosby etc but interestingly enough I think he's good enough to play in the NHL now, but my concern there is that playing him in the NHL immediately may stunt his development, so instead of Cozens becoming an "elite" player he may turn out to be an above average skilled player... My personal opinion on Cozens is that another year of development and hard work will allow him to take his game to the next level and further build his confidence... So he's a tricky situation. If you want him to be the player he can be then you give him time to develop his game and get more comfortable with the type of player he is, but if you need him now then you certainly insert him into the lineup this fall but I think that could potentially hurt his growth.

At the same time tho, if Cozens was drafted by the Hawks he would be playing with some elite players and that can only help his development..

I suppose my point is that Cozens could be a better than he already is which is mind-boggling when you think about it.

I mean Cozens makes hockey look easy and the junior level but you gotta remember that the NHL is the best league in the world and some players that are used to dominating in juniors can have their confidence shattered in the NHL because they wont always get away with the same plays and overall game they use to dominate in juniors and that can frustrate some kids. And some kids can adjust their game to the NHL and others can't and I think with a kid like Cozens - he has flaws in his game that can potentially and probably will be exposed by NHL players at the NHL level and it's only because he doesn't have that "natural ability" that some players have.

Also, a lot of his success is based on his speed, and at the NHL level he's going to have to learn how to break through defenseman and find open space which is difficult at the NHL level because these are the best players in the world.

But overall I really like Cozens, and he wouldn't be a bad pick at all but do you use a 3rd overall pick on him?... I mean Kakko and Podkolzin are excellent players, they have the size, the hockey sense, the shot and the 2-way game to be very effective at the NHL level, and Hughes doesn't have the size and doesn't have the 2-way game but he does have generational offensive talent and hockey sense, but the thing is - you can teach a kid like Hughes how to play a 2 way game however what you cant teach is his hockey sense and overall generational talent with the puck..

And Turcotte is a great player too, however he's committed to Wisconsin so he's 2-4 years away from suiting up for an NHL franchise and in my opinion I would prefer it if Bowman drafted a kid that is ready now... And also, in 2-4 years will Turcotte be as good as Kakko, Podkolzin, Hughes or Cozens at that point? because in 2-4 years a couple of those kids will have already adjusted to the NHL, they'll know what's expected of them and they'll know how to play in the NHL while Turcotte will just be stepping into the NHL, and it will take him a little bit of time to get the hang of it.. But let me point out that the NCAA is fantastic at developing players and it's a lot more similar to professional hockey than the CHL, so it's not like Turcotte has nothing to learn playing NCAA hockey... And not to get too far off topic but I think it's unfortunate that some players coming out of juniors already dominate in juniors but they're not good enough to play in the NHL and they cant go to the AHL so they're basically stuck spending another year padding their stats in the CHL not developing at all because they're not being challenged, and when you're not being challenged there is nothing to really improve on or learn because everything you do works, and that can be bad for a player because all of a sudden the game becomes "easy" to them and by the time they finally get the opportunity to play against players that are more on their level their game falls apart because their game and style almost becomes habit... Of course that doesn't apply to all players but many highly touted prospects careers were cut short for that very reason...

So with Turcotte going the NCAA route I think it will be good for his development because he will be competing with and against guys that are on the same level, not only that but older and physically and more mature mentally... So with Turcotte the real question is, do you want to wait 2-4 years? and for me that's a no, not when you have the 3rd overall pick and there are players available that are just as good as not better than Turcotte. I think Turcotte will be excellent for a team that's rebuilding tho, and that's not the Hawks.

Sorry if this has been said before, but I think they have to trade this pick.

Either a package to move up for Kakko or a package to move down for a current top-4 d-man and/or top 6 F.

I would prefer the latter scenario.

The 'hawks need to win in the next couple of years which means they'll need proven commodities. It might hurt in the long run, but at some point they are going to have to rebuild. Not yet though.

This pick reminds me a little of last year Vasily = Boqvist and Cousins = Bouchard and we know who Stan took .Vasily is a more risk but big reward well Cousins is a safer pick . If I had a say it would be Cousins every day .Stan on a role now with the gift pick ,would not surprise me if Stan rolled the dice again on Vasily .And what about Zegras you know the HAWKS like their USA kids ,he could be a steal also . Nice problems to have ..