There’s no one I want more than Turcotte.











I think.





Maybe.
- Ogilthorpe2

"That looks like O'Hare down there. I think. Maybe."

If the HAWKS draft Turcotte it tells Me the PR department is running this team .Why would you waste a 3rd overall on a player projecting to be a 2nd line or 3rd line player ,and is also injury prone . Wasted pick if you ask me .This team has been going down the hometown kid road a bit lately and it got them nowhere .I would take Cozens Dach Byram Caufield Pod Zegras Boldy before Turdcotte ..

There’s no one I want more than Turcotte.











I think.





Maybe.
- Ogilthorpe2

There is no one I want more than the player Bowman and team decide is the best prospect with the most upside. I'm hoping it turns out to be a defenseman because to me that is the most important position to build a team.

None of the players outside Hughes and Kakko will contribute for 2-3 years. At that point, Kane, JT & Keith will be 2-3 years older.

Can this team, adding a UFA or 2, really compete, or are they looking at another playoff miss? My money is on the latter.
- scottak

Another playoff miss is NOT an option IMO. With Kane, Toews, Keith, and Crawford getting another year older, that plan is asinine, if in fact that's what they're thinking.

The Season Ticket Base is dwindling as we speak and this summer will tell us if they know what the heck they're doing as an organization. They can not be "Marketing Gurus" and allow this team to flounder again next year. The Blackhawks have plenty of CAP space, a #3 draft pick, a nice pipeline of defensemen in the minors, and plenty of young forwards to use as trade pieces to make creative moves for next season. Look at what the Blues accomplished last summer as an example. It can be done, if BOWMAN is a good GM. If he fails, he's the next to go.

None of the players outside Hughes and Kakko will contribute for 2-3 years. At that point, Kane, JT & Keith will be 2-3 years older.

Can this team, adding a UFA or 2, really compete, or are they looking at another playoff miss? My money is on the latter.
- scottak

I'd be very nervous taking tiny little Jack Hughes 1st overall. Great talent, looks like a 12 year old. NHL guys like Radko Gudas & Shea Weber & even Andrew Shaw smell blood when they see guys like this kid. He better be as elusive as #88.

If the HAWKS draft Turcotte it tells Me the PR department is running this team .Why would you waste a 3rd overall on a player projecting to be a 2nd line or 3rd line player ,and is also injury prone . Wasted pick if you ask me .This team has been going down the hometown kid road a bit lately and it got them nowhere .I would take Cozens Dach Byram Caufield Pod Zegras Boldy before Turdcotte ..
- oldduffman

Where do you come up with the notion Turcotte is a 2nd line or 3rd line player?

Where do you come up with the notion Turcotte is a 2nd line or 3rd line player?
- EbonyRaptor

You missed injury Prone .Hockey news and other sites

Another playoff miss is NOT an option IMO. With Kane, Toews, Keith, and Crawford getting another year older, that plan is asinine, if in fact that's what they're thinking.

The Season Ticket Base is dwindling as we speak and this summer will tell us if they know what the heck they're doing as an organization. They can not be "Marketing Gurus" and allow this team to flounder again next year. The Blackhawks have plenty of CAP space, a #3 draft pick, a nice pipeline of defensemen in the minors, and plenty of young forwards to use as trade pieces to make creative moves for next season. Look at what the Blues accomplished last summer as an example. It can be done, if BOWMAN is a good GM. If he fails, he's the next to go.
- Hawkytalk

I thought this Marketing Guru narrative was behind us with little to no evidence to support it?

Did it occur to you that Bowman wants to succeed more than you do?? His job is to make the playoffs next season, to ensure he has a solid group of prospects for the next few seasons and to balance his salary cap, all at the same time.

Going all in for next year is a huge gamble because injuries and unforeseen situations can derail the season leaving the Hawks even worse long term. Slow, deliberate and steady are the only ways to go when building a team. Draft the player they see as having the most upside, not the biggest or the most ready. Bring prospects into the lineup when they are ready to play in the NHL. Don't get into cap hell signing UFAs as stop gap solutions. Yes, next season is important but not as important as the next 5 seasons.

I'd be very nervous taking tiny little Jack Hughes 1st overall. Great talent, looks like a 12 year old. NHL guys like Radko Gudas & Shea Weber & even Andrew Shaw smell blood when they see guys like this kid. He better be as elusive as #88.
- RickJ

That said, aren't you happy the Hawks didn't select JVR or Kyle Turris over Kane for that exact reason?

I thought this Marketing Guru narrative was behind us with little to no evidence to support it?

Did it occur to you that Bowman wants to succeed more than you do?? His job is to make the playoffs next season, to ensure he has a solid group of prospects for the next few seasons and to balance his salary cap, all at the same time.

Going all in for next year is a huge gamble because injuries and unforeseen situations can derail the season leaving the Hawks even worse long term. Slow, deliberate and steady are the only ways to go when building a team. Draft the player they see as having the most upside, not the biggest or the most ready. Bring prospects into the lineup when they are ready to play in the NHL. Don't get into cap hell signing UFAs as stop gap solutions. Yes, next season is important but not as important as the next 5 seasons.
- paulr

This post makes too much sense and lacks any knee jerk reaction to something that hasn't happened yet, therefore I'm flagging it.

That said, aren't you happy the Hawks didn't select JVR or Kyle Turris over Kane for that exact reason?
- paulr

Yes they got the best player without doubt and he has stayed healthy.

And then I watch Johnny Hockey who takes massive abuse.

If the HAWKS draft Turcotte it tells Me the PR department is running this team .Why would you waste a 3rd overall on a player projecting to be a 2nd line or 3rd line player ,and is also injury prone . Wasted pick if you ask me .This team has been going down the hometown kid road a bit lately and it got them nowhere .I would take Cozens Dach Byram Caufield Pod Zegras Boldy before Turdcotte ..
- oldduffman

Some project Turcotte as a 1st line centre.

I thought this Marketing Guru narrative was behind us with little to no evidence to support it?

Did it occur to you that Bowman wants to succeed more than you do?? His job is to make the playoffs next season, to ensure he has a solid group of prospects for the next few seasons and to balance his salary cap, all at the same time.

Going all in for next year is a huge gamble because injuries and unforeseen situations can derail the season leaving the Hawks even worse long term. Slow, deliberate and steady are the only ways to go when building a team. Draft the player they see as having the most upside, not the biggest or the most ready. Bring prospects into the lineup when they are ready to play in the NHL. Don't get into cap hell signing UFAs as stop gap solutions. Yes, next season is important but not as important as the next 5 seasons.
- paulr

Still, I keep reading "local product","Illinois native" and the like as one of the reasons to draft Turcotte..

Blackhawks #3
AA
Gustafsson

To EDM for

Nugent-Hopkins
EDM #8

EDM can then take Byram to shore up their D and Hawks can take a forward at #8.
- scottak

It would take more than that to move down 5 spots.

Yes they got the best player without doubt and he has stayed healthy.

And then I watch Johnny Hockey who takes massive abuse.
- RickJ

I think to be successful a team must pick the Best Available Prospect. Kane had an advantage in that he was on a team where there were too many good players for teams to focus solely on him. Also Kane doesn't engage physical contact like Johhny Hockey does. Kane plays on the periphery, except when he needs to be in the thick of things. Kane doesn't play recklessly and Kane is able to avoid hits. Don Cherry once said of hitting Gretzky that it was like punching a rope, you never make solid contact. Kane is the same.

Still, I keep reading "local product","Illinois native" and the like as one of the reasons to draft Turcotte..
- Beaver-Warrior

There's lots of silliness coming up as reasons to draft certain prospects.... growing up in Illinois.... growing up idolizing Toews or Kane.

The Hawks scouts are professionals and they'll take the best player available (Caufield). I understand the marketing aspect of drafting a local kid, but maybe you do that in the 6th or 7th round, not with the 3rd overall.

Still, I keep reading "local product","Illinois native" and the like as one of the reasons to draft Turcotte..
- Beaver-Warrior

If Turcotte is rated by the Blackhawks scouting staff at number 3 or equal to another prospect at number 3, and all other criteria are factored in, size, position then by all means take him for the "Marketing Gurus".

There is no one I want more than the player Bowman and team decide is the best prospect with the most upside. I'm hoping it turns out to be a defenseman because to me that is the most important position to build a team.
- paulr

Can't disagree with a word of this. And whether the player is from Island Lake or Malaysia should not matter one bit.

One player who seems to have helped himself immensely by putting to rest doubts about his "floor" at the combine was . . . Vasili Podkolzin.

Seems like he and Caufield are two wildcards who legitimately could go anywhere from 3-10 and upset most draft boards.

You just HAVE to like everything about Turcotte too.

Instead of any of us lamenting in whomever isn't the hawks pick, we have to be really happy for this opportunity at a really high end NHLer player, and the fans on other sites/boards saying that it isn't fair (and their teams have HAD top five-ten picks consistently)!
- wiz1901

You have been on this board a long time. It is a rule that we have to lament every player Stan does take and lament every player Stan did not take.

Some project Turcotte as a 1st line centre.
- Tyler Cameron

Some maybe ,but he is 2nd line now ,and seeing less top competitions playing in the U.S what ever . Need kids coming out of tough hockey environments . This smells of a PR stunt, and if it is heads should roll .

You have been on this board a long time. It is a rule that we have to lament every player Stan does take and lament every player Stan did not take.
- -Doh-

Stan should draft everyone.

Some maybe ,but he is 2nd line now ,and seeing less top competitions playing in the U.S what ever . Need kids coming out of tough hockey environments . This smells of a PR stunt, and if it is heads should roll .
- oldduffman

I don’t see it as a PR stunt, I really doubt they have settled on who they want at #3 yet. So there’s really no reason for them to be hyping one player in particular. Unless you want to consider it a stunt just to stay relevant in the Chicago sports media.

See the scouting report on Turcotte. He is a COMPLETE player and the one area that stands out to me his his competiveness .... rated in this video at 5 ... out of 5. If you don't have the compete level, all other skills will suffer. How many times do we hear about a players compete level not there. I have seen him compared to Ryan O'Reilly ... Patrice Bergeron and having similar size to Paul Stasny, as well as some similarity to his game. Also seen Toews comparison and his game in the greasy areas of the ice around the net, compared to Zach Parise. What's not to like? The fact that he is a local kid has really nothing to do with him being selected by the Hawks, but it is a nice story book ending for the kid. Check out this youtube site. Andy Leoux rates other prospects also but the compete levels are not as high as Turcotte









https://youtu.be/PQu1faENNbg

Turcotte will be the pick, per inside my head sources

Some maybe ,but he is 2nd line now ,and seeing less top competitions playing in the U.S what ever . Need kids coming out of tough hockey environments . This smells of a PR stunt, and if it is heads should roll .
- oldduffman

There is no indication that the Hawks favour Turcotte over anybody else. Everybody in the organization and any fan just has to trust they know who the best player available to them is and will select him. Drafting an unknown 18 year old doesn't have much PR value in a city with many other pro sport teams.