Boqvist had concussion issue’s while playing in London.
- LAHawk
...and three in Sweden prior to his selection.
I wanna revisit that 2018 draft again.
A few here had mentioned they tagged the redhead Noah Dobson as a possible "safe" selection for the Hawks; I remember also that others desired forward Oliver Wahlstrom.
I spend far too much of my time trying to attempt to get in the heads of the NHL scouting staffs long range and why they do what they do.
I do not expect I am ever close to understanding, but I do know the past drafts and players influence the future ideas in selecting building blocks.
When you look at the 2018 Draft you see after the one guaranteed stud defender, Rasmus Dahlin teams starting after the forward barrage, Quinn Hughes, Adam Boqvist and Evan Bouchard off the board 7, 8, and 10.
Right now as far as I am concerned these three are busts as all around NHLers at this point. I can praise their skating, and offensive abilities, but they all are subpar defenders, and would want any playing for me.
So why suddenly did they get high billing and chosen so quickly?
and not Dobson?
I think I will guess the fact that in the year after his selection in the year before 2017, Cale Makar had teams looking for rookie ofeenseman that were possible comparable.
To me, that has got to be it.
Everyone knew Dobson had "a good frame and will continue to grown into it and get bigger, and surely he will become less shy playing like a larger guy. Already better than most “Q” defenders at using his mobility, reach, stick, and to have his stick on the right side of the puck carrier. Deceptively fast and always willing to lug the biscuit up ice. Because he is bigger and his stride is so fluid, he catches you off guard with how fast he can accelerate and then surprises again when he executes at top speed. Jumps up from the blue line deep in to the attack zone and has the speed to get himself back up ice." (My player profile.)
But everyone knew he needed more time, was going to have to percolate in Quebec Jr.
and that he had to improve his "head" speed. And he wasn't really a Seabrook type. His game was fairly vanilla in so far as he lacked snarl or bite, and that also put some doubts out there.
Noah Dobson lasted until slot 12.
It had more to do with arrival immediacy and development than fact you had a very good chance to draft a bigger solid balanced all around defenseman.
To me, the biggest guffaw was the tabs reach at slot three to draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
If anyone in the Blackhawk organization knew they were passing on a Brady Tkachuk, we should have offered them BOTH of our first rounders and moved up to three.
This was no hindsight ida, as I clamored about it then.
I am pretty sure the Habs could have gotten Jesperi Kotkaniemi with pick eight.
