Just look at Carey Price, where would the Habs be without him?

Price
Lundqvist
Rinne

Each one widely accepted at one point or another as the goaltending elite of the NHL...Zero cups. Solid goaltending is important, superstar goaltenders are not, and in fact I’d argue the larger salaries the big names command are actually a hindrance to building a cup contender.
- Ogilthorpe2

This is the correct position, imo. Can't have a crap goalie and win the Cup. Niemi (especially against SJ) played well and Crawford played very well in the Cup runs. Were they 1st round picks? Nyet.

I'm fine with opposing opinions, it leads to good discussion. I want the bpa taken, whoever that is, since this draft is deep & up in the air. I don't want a goalie though. The team defense is more important imo. If the goalie is the best player to lace up skates that means the team in front of him sucks & the goalie is seeing a lot of rubber on a nightly basis. Which everyone on this board has complained about & it's a trend that a goalie can't find continual success with. Something we've all seen in these recent hawk years & also complained about.

The cup winning hawks were skilled teams at every position on both sides of the puck, except goalie. Niemi, played well but not great. Emery (rip) same thing. Crow, I remember him being pulled for a stretch, great goaltender, but not perfect. He's the goalie I stick with & then see what we have in the system. Build a contender by forwards & defense first. We have too many options that we know nothing about yet as far as a goaltender goes.
- I Am The Breadman

Breadman, I agree with 99% of what you have here, an all world goaltender would be nice, but I’ll take a good team in front of an okay goaltender vs. a crappy team in front of an all world goaltender. As far as agreeing only 99%, Emery played great in 2013, he went 17-1 with a 1.94 GAA, maybe the greatest season by a backup goaltender in the history of the NHL.

Hey Wiz, considering the bolded above, what are your thoughts on the big kid Vlasic that we drafted last year?
- Chunk

I like him a lot. He plays strong and testy but there is simple no dynamic aspects so the" scouts" - draft prognosticators aren't praising him because nowadays the emphasis is on the offense men who are movers and generators.

What I like is Vlasic is very agile and fluid for a bigger guy...and USNTDP smart in terms of on-ice awareness and training

Dale must have thought he was getting a Tom Wilson and instead got himself a Kyle Beach.

And probably didn't show up on the 2nd day of the draft when Adam Henrique, Jared Spurgeon and Cam Atkinson were taken.
- RickJ

I am going to post this again about the first day in the Columbus /Kane draft - I talked to him while he was on the rink part of the draft floor and as we bother were snagging cabs/ubers to leave for the night and he was simply unaware that we had the Smolinski pick - Smolinski started the 2006–07 season with the Blackhawks but was later traded prior to the trade deadline to the Vancouver Canucks on February 26, 2007, for a conditional second round draft pick.
He told me before the start of the draft that the Canucks had an option on whether they were sending this pick to hawks, but when I checked that options was Vancouvers for the year before or this draft and since they didn't use it the year prior it was the hawks....
I realize before the thing starts you are mentally full and some questions hurled at you by some greasy little hockey draft turd nerd you might not has heard or understood, but outside prior to the proceedings I was concise and clear in my question and my understanding of the Canucks options, but he did not know he had the pick day one....then the next day he did!

I'm fine with opposing opinions, it leads to good discussion. I want the bpa taken, whoever that is, since this draft is deep & up in the air. I don't want a goalie though. The team defense is more important imo. If the goalie is the best player to lace up skates that means the team in front of him sucks & the goalie is seeing a lot of rubber on a nightly basis. Which everyone on this board has complained about & it's a trend that a goalie can't find continual success with. Something we've all seen in these recent hawk years & also complained about.

The cup winning hawks were skilled teams at every position on both sides of the puck, except goalie. Niemi, played well but not great. Emery (rip) same thing. Crow, I remember him being pulled for a stretch, great goaltender, but not perfect. He's the goalie I stick with & then see what we have in the system. Build a contender by forwards & defense first. We have too many options that we know nothing about yet as far as a goaltender goes.
- I Am The Breadman

Yup, if the Blues didn't get off to such a horrible start last year, you would never have heard of the name Binnington.

Just look at Carey Price, where would the Habs be without him?

Price
Lundqvist
Rinne

Each one widely accepted at one point or another as the goaltending elite of the NHL...Zero cups. Solid goaltending is important, superstar goaltenders are not, and in fact I’d argue the larger salaries the big names command are actually a hindrance to building a cup contender.
- Ogilthorpe2

To win a Cup a team needs either elite offense, elite defense or elite goaltending. Having two or three of these would be ideal, but one is enough if your team gets on a hot streak.

What's the moral of the story? The Hawks do not have elite offense, defense or goaltending so don't expect them to win a Cup anytime soon.

I disagree .goaltending bedrock of a team. This kid is not a run of the mill goaltending prospect ,this is a kid that will win you a series when your team is running on empty . HAWKS have the opportunity to fill a position that haunts most teams year in year out in the playoffs and regular season for next 8 to 12 years . .With the best prospect to come around in 10 plus years . Be silly to not take that chance with 9th pick .
- oldduffman

I have no problem with him, I'm just on the opposite side of the fence as you. I'd be happy adding to the center depth more & is what I prefer. Especially if Strome rumors are true, which I hope aren't.

Breadman, I agree with 99% of what you have here, an all world goaltender would be nice, but I’ll take a good team in front of an okay goaltender vs. a crappy team in front of an all world goaltender. As far as agreeing only 99%, Emery played great in 2013, he went 17-1 with a 1.94 GAA, maybe the greatest season by a backup goaltender in the history of the NHL.
- Angotti

Okay, good catch. Give credit where it's due. Most of the players from 13 are guys I miss the most.

This is the correct position, imo. Can't have a crap goalie and win the Cup. Niemi (especially against SJ) played well and Crawford played very well in the Cup runs. Were they 1st round picks? Nyet.
- mohel

The Hawks need to draft a goalie this year, I am convinced of that. It doesn't have to be in the first round, but I wouldn't wait until the 6th round either.

If the Hawks choose to pass on Askarov in the first round then in rounds 2-4 they should consider Jan Bednar, Joel Blomqvist, Samuel Hlavaj or Calle Clang. I wouldn't be opposed to taking 2 goalies this draft, one in the mid-rounds and one at the end.

Yup, if the Blues didn't get off to such a horrible start last year, you would never have heard of the name Binnington.
- LAHawk

I think Berube changing helped too. A few things came together for them. But Binnington is a good third rounder signed cheap.

I have no problem with him, I'm just on the opposite side of the fence as you. I'd be happy adding to the center depth more & is what I prefer. Especially if Strome rumors are true, which I hope aren't.
- I Am The Breadman

I don't believe they are.

The top 10 (maybe top 15) of this draft seem to be filled with solid prospects. There could be a surprise prospect available at #8 or #9 for the Hawks to grab.

My woodier of the day is just what the NHL is going to do to Arizona for their prospect tamperings...
this is in fact a big deal and I think that it a big deal but there are lots of reasons for the downplay so far, one being the fact that the Coyotes team situation is still up in the air in their decisions for team rink location and the dollar crunch, and maybe the fact that traded their first to New Jersey?

I think the league takes their first at some point as the punishment.

The Hawks need to draft a goalie this year, I am convinced of that. It doesn't have to be in the first round, but I wouldn't wait until the 6th round either.

If the Hawks choose to pass on Askarov in the first round then in rounds 2-4 they should consider Jan Bednar, Joel Blomqvist, Samuel Hlavaj or Calle Clang. I wouldn't be opposed to taking 2 goalies this draft, one in the mid-rounds and one at the end.
- DarthKane

The have Malcolm. He was a #1 pick, wasn't he?

I am not worried about the goalie position - they seem pretty good at finding them. That said, I have no problem with picking a goalie every year. Just not 1st round, and probably not 2nd.

I disagree .goaltending bedrock of a team. This kid is not a run of the mill goaltending prospect ,this is a kid that will win you a series when your team is running on empty . HAWKS have the opportunity to fill a position that haunts most teams year in year out in the playoffs and regular season for next 8 to 12 years . .With the best prospect to come around in 10 plus years . Be silly to not take that chance with 9th pick .
- oldduffman

If this kid was as highly thought of as you say he'd be projected way higher then he is. He's probably a good prospect but nothing to waste a high pick on when this team has so many other needs first. They can always sign a goalie

The have Malcolm. He was a #1 pick, wasn't he?

I am not worried about the goalie position - they seem pretty good at finding them. That said, I have no problem with picking a goalie every year. Just not 1st round, and probably not 2nd.
- mohel

The Hawks have a lot of work to do with their goaltending, in the short term and long term.

The prospect pipeline is bare, none of the kids in Rockford or the minors project to be NHL starters. Will Crawford return next season? If not the Hawks will likely have to overpay another UFA goalie (i.e. Holtby or Markstrom) or accept a lesser netminder (i.e. Greiss or Talbot).

Just look at Carey Price, where would the Habs be without him?

Price
Lundqvist
Rinne

Each one widely accepted at one point or another as the goaltending elite of the NHL...Zero cups. Solid goaltending is important, superstar goaltenders are not, and in fact I’d argue the larger salaries the big names command are actually a hindrance to building a cup contender.
- Ogilthorpe2

That right there sums up my thoughts quite nicely - thanks Ogi.

I like him a lot. He plays strong and testy but there is simple no dynamic aspects so the" scouts" - draft prognosticators aren't praising him because nowadays the emphasis is on the offense men who are movers and generators.

What I like is Vlasic is very agile and fluid for a bigger guy...and USNTDP smart in terms of on-ice awareness and training
- wiz1901

Thanks Wiz. It seems like Moberg has made himself known a few times as well. It's nice to see that we not only have some depth built up in the lower ranks, but different kinds of depth. We have some big guys, some offensive guys, some "all-around" guys, and a couple of nasties.

The Hawks have a lot of work to do with their goaltending, in the short term and long term.

The prospect pipeline is bare, none of the kids in Rockford or the minors project to be NHL starters. Will Crawford return next season? If not the Hawks will likely have to overpay another UFA goalie (i.e. Holtby or Markstrom) or accept a lesser netminder (i.e. Greiss or Talbot).
- DarthKane

Yep. I'm not too worried about it until they are good enough for it to matter.

Two things. One, Stan said he knows who next year's goalie is. Two, they'd be looking better for this draft if they had crap goaltending this year.

Scott Powers has another great article in the Athletic, here's a quick summary

1. Shalunov's future is still undecided. His agent says there are no plans to re-sign with his KHL club and he wants to play in the NHL, preferably with Chicago.

2. A. Gravel is still unsure about his future with the Blackhawks, who hold his rights until June 1. Interesting note, Gravel has a new agent - Allan Walsh.

3. The Hawks aren't close to signing a European free agent, but they're likely to target at least one in hopes of landing another Kubalik-type player.

Off topic, but are any of you guys men's league players? As much as I miss watching NHL hockey on TV and at the UC, I really miss getting out to the rink every Sunday night and skating.

Thanks Wiz. It seems like Moberg has made himself known a few times as well. It's nice to see that we not only have some depth built up in the lower ranks, but different kinds of depth. We have some big guys, some offensive guys, some "all-around" guys, and a couple of nasties.
- Chunk

This kid could be a surprise pick, he had a solid season with Prince George.

Mark Kelley was high on Vlasic, hopefully that kid develops into a steady NHLer.

Thanks Wiz. It seems like Moberg has made himself known a few times as well. It's nice to see that we not only have some depth built up in the lower ranks, but different kinds of depth. We have some big guys, some offensive guys, some "all-around" guys, and a couple of nasties.
- Chunk

Hello, Chunk. Will any of these defense prospects be as good as Keith, Seabrook and Hammer were?

I disagree. The Hawks are still trying to build depth and think it would be silly to use a top 10 pick on a goalie.

I'd rather they didn't and used the pick on a forward in a draft that is supposed to to be pretty loaded with them...probably Lafreniere as Raptor has mentioned after the Hawks win the lottery.

Darls propped the team up against NSH when the team in front was struggling a bit and Crow didn't have it for that series.

It's not like the Hawks pay no attention to their stable for goalie prospects and I still think that Subban was more than just a throw-in in the the Lehner deal.

There were some interesting stats that had him looking pretty decent when utilized more frequently vs getting spot backup duty IIRC.
- HawkintheD

I like to see those Stats ,I know Subban was not well liked in Vegas . It was concerning he was not started against Detroit this season, on the second half of a BB .I would have thought that was the perfect time for Subban to get a start .
HAWKS have no !! depth at the Goal position . Best player available at the 9th pick the way it looks right now will be Askarov .
HAWKS already have a glut of young Defenseman, that are on the smaller side and offensive type , that suggest giving up the occasional high danger chance .Be nice to have a young stud goalie to grow with them, and be there to bail them out . Nothing build's confidence in a team more then great goaltending .Time for some bold moves .!!

Scott Powers has another great article in the Athletic, here's a quick summary

1. Shalunov's future is still undecided. His agent says there are no plans to re-sign with his KHL club and he wants to play in the NHL, preferably with Chicago.

2. A. Gravel is still unsure about his future with the Blackhawks, who hold his rights until June 1. Interesting note, Gravel has a new agent - Allan Walsh.

3. The Hawks aren't close to signing a European free agent, but they're likely to target at least one in hopes of landing another Kubalik-type player.
- DarthKane

I would think most everything is on hold now that Mitchell signed. Too many question marks right now -

Is there going to be a finish to the regular season

If straight to the playoffs are the Hawks in if they go to 24 teams

Is there even going to be a playoffs

If there are games where are they going to be held

What is the salary cap next season

What conditions are the games going to be olayed under

When will next season starts

Is there going to be any compliance buy outs

Kinda difficult to do any sort of planning until most if not all the above are answered.

Hello, Chunk. Will any of these defense prospects be as good as Keith, Seabrook and Hammer were?
- mohel

Sup Mo! I know very little about the guys they just drafted. I asked about Vlasic because most of what I've read has been lukewarm at best on him, but that is mostly from national publications who likely don't do a deep dive on all the prospects. All I get to see is bits and pieces from youtube. In the video I've seen of Moberg, it's pretty impressive. He seems to diagnose well, and he has some offense.

I've seen Mitchell play a few times in person when I've traveled to Denver for work, and I think he has the highest ceiling of any of our prospects (Boq and Beaudin included) in terms of being a complete package. He is just so good with and without the puck. I have my own concerns about his size, but we've read that story before. Let's let him get out there see what he does against NHL horses.