The Hawks can eventually have blue liners consisting of Vlasic, Lev, Rinzel, KK, Kaiser, Allan, Del Mastro. Kaiser loses his waiver exemption this upcoming season. Pretty sure KK, EDM and Allan lose theirs beginning the 2026-27 season. So its keep them on the team, move them, or risk losing them on a waiver claim. Crevier is probably the odd man out at the moment.

I wonder if Murphy (or another vet) will be re-signed for the 2026-27 season and beyond to provide a veteran presence. If so, one of the kids will be expendable.

My 2 cents is that someone will moved by next summer.
- boilermaker100

I expect more than one will be moved by the end of this summer.

The only draftee that I don’t see being passed on by NYI and SJ is Schaefer. So the Hawks will get one of Misa, Hagens, Martone, Frondell, or Desnoyers, not too shabby. The other option is a trade, however that’s less likely to happen. That being said, I can see the Toronto pick being in play, along with a prospect or two for a top six forward. Like VA mentioned take BPA, today’s need may not be the need in three years. I remember the Hawks drafting a power forward about 15 years ago, presumably to play on Toews’ left side(KB), that didn’t turn out well.

Yzerman the genius is proving rebuilding takes a long time and there's no sure thing.
- rpeters01

Yes, however the Wings have not been very lucky with the lottery balls in the past few years. If I’m not mistaken they have not drafted top three during his tenure. If you look at all the cup winners in the last twenty years or so, they’ve all had a top three pick in their lineup(not sure about the Blues). Vegas had Eichel, who was a top three pick by the Sabres.

Yes, however the Wings have not been very lucky with the lottery balls in the past few years. If I’m not mistaken they have not drafted top three during his tenure. If you look at all the cup winners in the last twenty years or so, they’ve all had a top three pick in their lineup(not sure about the Blues). Vegas had Eichel, who was a top three pick by the Sabres.
- Angotti

It really isn't the same, you can't rely on drafting top talent in the 2nd and 3rd round. He got home runs with the lightning but the odds of duplicating that is really really slim. I completely agree about not drafting in the top 5 either, that's a killer

I don't like drafting simply for size. See: Quenville, Hayden, Dach, McNeil, Hayes and Beach.
- rpeters01

I agree in part ,size is not everything . But ! you also can't teach it . If his skating is not up to par ,I can't see KD selecting him . He may select Hagens (NYI) OR Misa (SJ) if either is available , could Schaefer fall to the Hawks ?. I have saw Stranger things. It should be must watch TV . I also like Desnoyers as my dark horse ,seems to put up numbers everywhere he is .

It really isn't the same, you can't rely on drafting top talent in the 2nd and 3rd round. He got home runs with the lightning but the odds of duplicating that is really really slim. I completely agree about not drafting in the top 5 either, that's a killer
- BetweenTheDots

Well, technically they have the #1 pick in the 2007 draft. :lol

I agree in part ,size is not everything . But ! you also can't teach it . If his skating is not up to par ,I can't see KD selecting him . He may select Hagens (NYI) OR Misa (SJ) if either is available , could Schaefer fall to the Hawks ?. I have saw Stranger things. It should be must watch TV . I also like Desnoyers as my dark horse ,seems to put up numbers everywhere he is .
- oldduffman

Martone’s skating is fine. He’s just not a speedster. He gets to where he needs to. Look at Matthew Tkachuk, he was the second slowest skater after Patrick Maroon. And he had the third fewest 18 mph bursts per game after Maroon and Ovechkin. I’m pretty sure you’d take Tkachuk on your team. Martone is a much better skater than Tkachuk.

I had the same kind of question (in reverse) about how Shaefer stayed at #1 after being out the whole year. People say he's just that good (which is fine, they likely know more than I do), but everyone else has almost an entire season's worth of extra tape to scrutinize.
- Chunk

Chunk, I thought Scheaffer would be this yrs 1st overall from watching him put up a measly 17 points in 56 games last yr in the OHL. Not many pts but this kid's stride draws all the attention of the arena so your eyes are drawn to him. Then you zero in and see a 6ft 2in kid work the shift/game with his feet, brains and incredible reads. The ability to dominate a shift and rarely get a point. ...... Hands might not have been the best but the kid was no hack in that regard.

AND, this was as a 16 yr old!! The kid didn't turn 17 until Sept 5th when the season was already. The cutoff for a kid to turn 18 in a draft yr is Sept 15th so Schaefer will be one of the youngest in the draft. If he played all yr he'd of played as a 17 yr old just like the yr before he was one of the very youngest 16 yr olds in Major Junior.

And this yr he played 17 OHL games but he presented as a thicker player building on last yr when he ran the joint as a 16 yr old. A thicker and wiser kid who could read the ice already. .... But, again not lighting up the scoresheet with 22 pts in those 17 games. Good numbers but not Dobson, Bouchard, Parekh idiot numbers scoring 30 goals and 100 points.

Thing about all the evaluations on Schaefer nobody mentions his low pt totals so far yet some think he's a once every 5-10 yr Dman. He sure could be but I don't see any light between him and Buium who was drafted last yr. ...

I'm an early one on the don't win the #1 pick this yr. If I were KD I have Misa close enough to go ahead and draft for the need of a top 6 C with size and all the attributes you wanna see out of what looks like a sure fire NHL top 6 centerman.

But if I were SJ I draft Schaefer cuz D is a need for them. Hawks are flush with blue chippers in the pipeline.

A big edit: At this winters U20 WJC Schaefer looked fantastic. Big, smart and his 4 way skating was elite and really fast. ........ That's what brought him to the top of the rankings even though he only played 1 and a half games at the WJC this yr. He looked that good.

The Hawks can eventually have blue liners consisting of Vlasic, Lev, Rinzel, KK, Kaiser, Allan, Del Mastro. Kaiser loses his waiver exemption this upcoming season. Pretty sure KK, EDM and Allan lose theirs beginning the 2026-27 season. So its keep them on the team, move them, or risk losing them on a waiver claim. Crevier is probably the odd man out at the moment.

I wonder if Murphy (or another vet) will be re-signed for the 2026-27 season and beyond to provide a veteran presence. If so, one of the kids will be expendable.

My 2 cents is that someone will moved by next summer.
- boilermaker100

BM, damn glad to see you post. I hope it means you'll be doing so more often cuz you bring a lotta info, and maturity, to this place.

Martone’s skating is fine. He’s just not a speedster. He gets to where he needs to. Look at Matthew Tkachuk, he was the second slowest skater after Patrick Maroon. And he had the third fewest 18 mph bursts per game after Maroon and Ovechkin. I’m pretty sure you’d take Tkachuk on your team. Martone is a much better skater than Tkachuk.
- paulr

Thanks for the info ,I have only seen highlights .I like what I hear about Martone and would not be upset if he were the pick. I believe we need some size and grit, and if he is anything like the Tkachuk boys sign me up .

(Pick slides to 2027 if Florida doesn't have their 2026 pick.)

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I just think it is a fairy tale that the Leafs even consider tarding him for the 3rd overall darft pick.

Both ideas seem far fetched.

and so does a Sharks Isles trade where the Islanders decide to pass on Schaefer and trade down and take Hagens at slot 2.

Although this seems a reasonable idea since they get more pieces froma. team with lots of young pieces, but after Misa's year, goal totals, they would have lots more "explaining to do that Lucy (Lucille Ball), b/c the kid scored so many times!

What I do on my mock on Lines is continaully shift players, b/c the readers see a new name by their team and then they go get at my profile. no more no less.

Lots more work to do, as so many many first rd. pick trades are not finalized.
And I got a lot more to imput.


Oh, and decisions on the current crop of players doesn't happen until they are no longer able to shuttle them back and forth w/o them going through waviers where they can get plucked out w/o getting anything in return.


- wiz1901

Wiz, couple of other far-fetched ideas -

1) Could one of the second tier d-men, like Mrtka, get enough buzz to vault into the top 3 and push down a forward

2) If Roger McQueen is fully healthy (no idea how anyone could tell for sure), would he be a top 3 candidate? He is a huge guy and very skilled, if he could be power-forward physical he would be a monster.

---------------

Don't see Knies being traded by TOR, even if the #3 is in the package - they traded a few young guys already at the deadline. I do think KFC will be taking calls on the #3 pick though, right up until the card goes in. Could trade it for young vets, or even obtain a vet and a lower pick in a trade down.

----------------

And as everyone has said, no need to trade young guys at least until next summer. I would rather trade future picks to get players right now. Have to keep Kaiser and Crevier up in CHI. Korchinski should be worth more in May 2026 that he is right now.

Vlasic - Rinzel
Kaiser - Murphy
Del Mastro - *veteran*/Soderstrom
Crevier

Korchinski - Levshunov
Kuzmin - Allan
Harding - *AHL vet*

Draft BPA

Trade for Isaac Howard using Toronto's 1st

Offer sheet William Cuylle (Rangers) $4.58 x 4 million (costs a 2nd round pick in 2026).

It really isn't the same, you can't rely on drafting top talent in the 2nd and 3rd round. He got home runs with the lightning but the odds of duplicating that is really really slim. I completely agree about not drafting in the top 5 either, that's a killer
- BetweenTheDots

He got Raymond with a #4 pick in round 1 and Seider with a #6 pick in round 1 the year before that, so technically they’ve hit on their high picks even though they haven’t had a top 3.

I think the issue has been filling talent around those guys. Plus Larkin’s probably a really good #2 center or a good 1A or 1B if you have another top 6 center. They don’t.

He got Raymond with a #4 pick in round 1 and Seider with a #6 pick in round 1 the year before that, so technically they’ve hit on their high picks even though they haven’t had a top 3.

I think the issue has been filling talent around those guys. Plus Larkin’s probably a really good #2 center or a good 1A or 1B if you have another top 6 center. They don’t.
- HawkintheD

And i think that's why it's not the same, 2 extra 1st round picks and one of those was a goalie?, since Stevie took over, 7 extra 2nd rounders but now we are talking a 30% chance of them playing a 100 games in the bigs. So 3 out of 10? Hard to fill that roster out that way.

https://www.flohockey.tv/...nhl-draft-lottery-results

Not sure who Chris Peters is, but he has Hagens going first and Misa going to Nashville with the fifth pick.

Good article about Spencer Knight and his thoughts after the past couple of months with Chicago.

https://rg.org/news/hocke...ole-in-chicago-blackhawks
- boilermaker100

He is just a really good competitor and battler. Really like that about him along with his quick reactions in net. Great to see his confidence and hunger. Not every game from him was great since the trade, but he is a great addition to the team adding more competition in net.

https://www.flohockey.tv/articles/14185299-nhl-mock-draft-following-2025-nhl-draft-lottery-results

Not sure who Chris Peters is, but he has Hagens going first and Misa going to Nashville with the fifth pick.
- Angotti

I saw him admit that odds are Matthew Schaefer is still probably the guy the Isles will pick but he was making the case that NYI maybe want the hometown guy. Hagens might still end up being one of the very best in this draft. Talented player no doubt!

This seems like a draft where there isn't a ton of separation in the top 5 or so, as they all have some different strengths. Still probably a good bet that Schaefer is #1 overall, but it's not like 2023 or 2024 where the #1 pick was absolutely 100% without a doubt.

I don't like drafting simply for size. See: Quenville, Hayden, Dach, McNeil, Hayes and Beach.
- rpeters01

Definitely agree, especially in the modern NHL. With those top picks it's about the skating/skill/compete more so and size while a factor is more like a tie breaker.

Seeing Hawks got the 3rd overall pick matone is my pick if Shaffer and Misa are gone.
Hypothetical trade idea
Hawks trade the 3rd overall to.the NY islanders in exchange
Hawks get barzel and calm ritche Colorado's 2026 1st
Islanders get Shaffer and hagens able to resign dobson and others
Hawks get 2nd line center and a power forward plus three first round draft picks in next years draft which is supposed to be a deeper and better draft than 2025.
This could apply to other teams if Hawks want immediate help.

He got Raymond with a #4 pick in round 1 and Seider with a #6 pick in round 1 the year before that, so technically they’ve hit on their high picks even though they haven’t had a top 3.

I think the issue has been filling talent around those guys. Plus Larkin’s probably a really good #2 center or a good 1A or 1B if you have another top 6 center. They don’t.
- HawkintheD

I think they overall have had "meh" overall defensive depth in recent seasons to go along with mediocre goaltending and yeah, mostly middle 6 guys and not enough top end talent.

Not my report, but FWIW I've heard some opinion that Korchinski has been playing his best hockey at the pro level in these Calder cup playoffs, has been physically engaged and at times the best skater on the ice.

https://www.flohockey.tv/articles/14185299-nhl-mock-draft-following-2025-nhl-draft-lottery-results

Not sure who Chris Peters is, but he has Hagens going first and Misa going to Nashville with the fifth pick.
- Angotti

Not related to me!

Definitely agree, especially in the modern NHL. With those top picks it's about the skating/skill/compete more so and size while a factor is more like a tie breaker.
- breadbag

At 17-18 years old you just can't tell the Joe Thornton's from the Mark McNeil's.
Now if we had something like the 3rd and 6th pick I'd be much more willing to take a flyer.

Steve, anything you post about Hawk practices or any level of hockey you happen to see or been following is very very helpful in this day an age of paywalls everywhere you go to get something with some meat on it.

And especially so when you're posting what you see on Hawk draft picks, especially top 5 picks so your Lev thoughts are helpful. As far as what Lev looks like right now a guy like you who sees a kid at 5ft and follows him to being a 6 footer you understand and see what development is.

With Lev, for me, it's gotta be to look at his path as my first thing to do in evaluating him. He leaves his homeland in Belarus as a 17 yr old kid to a new continent and doesn't speak the language. First yr turns heads in the USHL and the Hawks draft him. Leaves and plays 1 yr at Michigan State.

This yr the Hogs/Hawks/AHL/NHL. Good Lord, that is a meteoric rise. 3 yrs from playing Belarus Jrs to playing in the NHL!! A new continent, didn't speak the language, never in 1 place for more than a yr here. Didn't speak the language.

That's crazy, and as you know tells you a whole lot about the kid. He's big (6ft 2 in 210 lbs), has shown explosion, buttery hands, is a good balanced skater, and his skating will improve, rangy, very athletic who reads and reacts. All this and he's 19 gonna be 20 late Oct.... All the traits needed to go beast mode in the NHL when he's a man.

As long as he doesn't regress I pretty much don't care what he looks like as he figures it out until he's 23 or so. That's when we see what we get in a 23 yr old that moved to a new continent as a 17 yr old, weighs 220lbs, with the luxury of having been in the same place for more than a yr to develop properly and has 250 AHL/NHL games experience.

I see a lot of Doughty in this kid, but a better skater but someone compared him to Brent Burns which is a very good observation. I can see that as a kind of floor, a flawed, big, talented ,mobile Dman that puts up points and a ceiling of a Doughty type who runs the ice when he's on it impacting the game in all 3 zones, all game long.

To me Lev is the poster child of a kid who needs developing cuz he's so young and his interupted meteoric rise. ........ I see the kid impacting NHL games in many different ways when he's a grown man.
- Mr Ricochet

Thanks. Not questioning his character. He was very mature when we talked to him in Vegas. I like the Hawks got his buddy Kuzmin to help him adjust. If he is 80% of Doughty it will be amazing.

Maybe some of the guys already on the roster like Bedard or Nazar or some of the guys filtering through RFD (if they play there next year) like Moore or Greene or some of the guys still making their way up like Boisvert, Lardis, Vanacker, or Kantserov.

You mention Dach who I thought started to play well and looking like he could carve out a role in the lineup next year before he got hurt. It looked like he had taken some coaching to heart and was hitting guys but not getting out of position when doing it, winning and some board battles and scoring some greasy goals.

If he is on the team in the next few yrs and playing that type of game in a bottom or middle six role, those are exactly the kind of guys you need to make a difference in a playoff series.

Yes still a long way to go but the sun’s starting to peek out from behind the clouds…for me anyway.
- HawkintheD

Who in the system could stand up to Sam Bennett?