Very risky pick. He may go the football route and Davidson will look extremely foolish.
- paulr

They are all risky

You don’t know who Lanny MacDonald is??
- paulr

If a-man truly doesn't he missed some ass kicking battle between Oilers and Flame in the day...

They are all risky
- BetweenTheDots

Yes Dots, that’s very obvious. But this is extremely risky in that he can make far more money playing football and if he has a great season and D1 colleges start making offers it may be too difficult for him to commit to hockey. Unless … Chicago can convince him to forgo his final high school season.

If a-man truly doesn't he missed some ass kicking battle between Oilers and Flame in the day...
- wiz1901

MacDonald always had that goofy mustache and squeaky voice but he was as tough as nails.

Underwhelming draft IMO .Wanted Porter with that top pick, but am glad we chose Frondell over Caleb .Desnoyers seemed at little to cocky , and that Q League is definitely a step down in the CHL .Seems KD really thinks he is the smartest guy room .Left a lot of good players on the board ,and 3 picks to move up for a great young QB WOW !! . Maybe it will look better in the morning ,or 5 years from now .GO HAWKS !!

MacDonald always had that goofy mustache and squeaky voice but he was as tough as nails.
- paulr

Looks like he actually trimmed his mustache a little since his playing days.....

The Hawks get three quality forwards and people are getting their panties in a bunch that they reached???

These last guys picked are all icing on the cake if they reach the NHL.

I guess I don't see which options you watched getting selected AFTER them, where they YOUR guys?

If not the OTHER SCOUTING staffs didn't like them either.
- wiz1901

Hawks have been fine with waiting on guys to be ready. Seems they still continue that trend with these picks. Instead of blinding speed they went more for the size/beef overall right now. Time will tell how it works out.

Yes Dots, that’s very obvious. But this is extremely risky in that he can make far more money playing football and if he has a great season and D1 colleges start making offers it may be too difficult for him to commit to hockey. Unless … Chicago can convince him to forgo his final high school season.
- paulr

I'm going to trust the 20 people they have in the draft room and doing their due diligence.

Everyone seemed to hate the Rinzel pick but that's looking pretty good right now.

I don't expect them all to work out but the odds are so much better if they are drafted in the 1st round, and 2 years in a row they've managed to draft 3 players in each year.

TRADES

1. Domi for DAL #2 2025 - Became part of the trade for Mason West.

2. McCabe trade to TOR update:
To CHI - Nestrasil, 2026 2nd, Anderson, Gogolev
To TOR - McCabe, Lafferty, M. Holinka, 2025 5th

They are all risky
- BetweenTheDots

The last two picks are certainly cans kicked down the road if they work out at all. Does it mean the Hawks will be heavily involved in free agency next offseason though to fill voids on the big club?

I'm going to trust the 20 people they have in the draft room and doing their due diligence.

Everyone seemed to hate the Rinzel pick but that's looking pretty good right now.

I don't expect them all to work out but the odds are so much better if they are drafted in the 1st round, and 2 years in a row they've managed to draft 3 players in each year.
- BetweenTheDots

My only concern is if he goes to football. Otherwise a top tier athlete, not many guys are elite in two sports. And if he stays the hockey course he could become a star player. But there’s going to be a ton of pressure from colleges and part of their sell I’m sure will be to remind him there is the potential for salaries two to three times higher in Pro football.

Remember when I said that Hurricane pick was in play a month back or so?

wow we got three guys I wanted!

wow just wow

Mason West
A dual sport athlete, Edina H.S. QB is also a big hockey centre Mason West and the highest rated high schooler on the CSS North American list at # 50. The 17-year-old Centre-right wing ranked first in goals (27), second in points (49) in 31 games this his junior year. Currently playing in the USHL with Fargo. So he is currently in the process of which sport to pursue, since he will be getting scholarship offers from many different teams and no intention of attempting to to play two collegiate sports.Mason West is the highest rated high schooler on the CSS North American list at # 50. The 17-year-old Centre-right wing ranked first in goals (27), second in points (49) in 31 games this his junior year. Currently playing in the USHL with Fargo. So he is currently in the process of which sport to pursue, since he will be getting scholarship offers from many different teams and no intention of attempting to play two collegiate sports. That’s what currently is clouding his journey. He is oh so tall, but not really overly dominant. He uses his large long package to quickly generate a lot of power in protecting the puck, his hip pocket possessions much safer than his handling that needs more work. Plays strong on the cycle. He gets to the seams that open in coverage. Displays flashes of high end playmaking, and will funnel pucks down low, or quickly get them laterally circle to circle in the attack zone. He passed the puck off the boards low to high, used give-and-go passes to get to the net, and cut inside to the slot. Dominates at his size all over. Beside nice straight line speed, and those first three steps are not what guys this size display. There are still many areas for improvement that need to be developed further that might lead to his actually fulfilling his ceiling of a top six player, as a pro. Can he be more creative and add more explosion and use his higher end skills to their advantages? Will he feel more confident in his handling, hockey vision and awareness. Does he as a large player add some bite? You would love for him to achieve a second-line centre upside.
- wiz1901

My only concern is if he goes to football. Otherwise a top tier athlete, not many guys are elite in two sports. And if he stays the hockey course he could become a star player. But there’s going to be a ton of pressure from colleges and part of their sell I’m sure will be to remind him there is the potential for salaries two to three times higher in Pro football.
- paulr

Sounds like his plan it to play hockey. I imagine that the Hawks already vetted it out and like the probability, or they wouldn't have traded up to take him.

WTF? Was that necessary for both 2nds?

Wheeler's profile

West is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. He’s a two-sport athlete at Edina High in both hockey and football. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 27th among North American skaters in their final rankings, but he’s also a three-star quarterback recruit who has offers to play football at Miami, Marshall, Kent State and South Dakota. He’s also an August birthday who is nearly 6-foot-6. He has been an honorable mention on my lists this year because I wanted to see him play in the USHL before slotting him. He played well enough for Fargo down the stretch (nine points in 10 regular-season games, his first games in the league) to warrant a second-round rating, though.

You can see some of the natural athleticism in his skating (which could still use another step but isn’t awkward for his size), handling and dexterity. He can make plays into space and can catch and tip pucks. He also sees the ice well and plays the game with good poise and his eyes up, though there’s even some room to grow and develop his game there as well. He’s also a natural center, though there are some who view him as a winger up levels. Teams are very intrigued by both his raw talent and athleticism and strength but also the runway he still appears to have ahead of him.
- Revco38

He even threw in next years 5th so apparently so.

The Hawks get three quality forwards and people are getting their panties in a bunch that they reached???

These last guys picked are all icing on the cake if they reach the NHL.

I guess I don't see which options you watched getting selected AFTER them, where they YOUR guys?

If not the OTHER SCOUTING staffs didn't like them either.
- wiz1901

KFC, Doneghey and McIver have had an incredible draft history so far. To have 3 in their first draft make it is incredible. I have no reason to doubt their choices, and I am sure if they chose someone like West, he will be playing hockey and will be in the NHL in a few years

Sounds like his plan it to play hockey. I imagine that the Hawks already vetted it out and like the probability, or they wouldn't have traded up to take him.
- breadbag

Watching his football tape what little they showed he has a very slow throwing motion. I would say "stick to hockey kid."

KFC, Doneghey and McIver have had an incredible draft history so far. To have 3 in their first draft make it is incredible. I have no reason to doubt their choices, and I am sure if they chose someone like West, he will be playing hockey and will be in the NHL in a few years
- wizardofi

Well hopefully so, but they haven't shown they are winning NHL players yet.

Sounds like his plan it to play hockey. I imagine that the Hawks already vetted it out and like the probability, or they wouldn't have traded up to take him.
- breadbag

Hope you’re right.

TRADES

1. Domi for DAL #2 2025 - Became part of the trade for Mason West.

2. McCabe trade to TOR update:
To CHI - Nestrasil, 2026 2nd, Anderson, Gogolev
To TOR - McCabe, Lafferty, M. Holinka, 2025 5th
- totem

I was one who wanted Lafferty back when we got his rights a year ago. KD passed on what he wanted. Injured or not he was a total zero this past season.

I was one who wanted Lafferty back when we got his rights a year ago. KD passed on what he wanted. Injured or not he was a total zero this past season.
- rpeters01

KFC did trade for Laffy's rights, but Laffy decided to sign in Buffalo

Sounds like his plan it to play hockey. I imagine that the Hawks already vetted it out and like the probability, or they wouldn't have traded up to take him.
- breadbag

He said he would play football this fall, but not after. Will be strictly hockey after that.

My only concern is if he goes to football. Otherwise a top tier athlete, not many guys are elite in two sports. And if he stays the hockey course he could become a star player. But there’s going to be a ton of pressure from colleges and part of their sell I’m sure will be to remind him there is the potential for salaries two to three times higher in Pro football.
- paulr

Tirabassi said he either received offers or was getting interest from some D1 schools and he told them that he was sticking to hockey after his last HS season. He wants to win a state championship in both football and hockey.

Edit:
“West is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. He’s a two-sport athlete at Edina High in both hockey and football. NHL Central Scouting ranked him 27th among North American skaters in their final rankings, but he’s also a three-star quarterback recruit who had offers to play football at Miami, Marshall, Kent State and South Dakota before choosing to pursue hockey. He’s also an August birthday who is nearly 6-foot-6. … He played well enough for Fargo down the stretch (nine points in 10 regular-season games, his first games in the league) to warrant a second-round rating, though, and there are some who view him as a late-first. Despite having chosen hockey, he’s committed to playing his senior year of football at Edina in the fall before re-joining the Force.” — Scott Wheeler

My only concern is if he goes to football. Otherwise a top tier athlete, not many guys are elite in two sports. And if he stays the hockey course he could become a star player. But there’s going to be a ton of pressure from colleges and part of their sell I’m sure will be to remind him there is the potential for salaries two to three times higher in Pro football.
- paulr

Don't forget NIL money, Chief. Doesn't sound like he's a top tier QB prospect, but he can still possibly make more cash the next three years playing QB than hockey. That said, I assume the Hawks are reasonably comfortable that he's made his choice.

Don't forget NIL money, Chief. Doesn't sound like he's a top tier QB prospect, but he can still possibly make more cash the next three years playing QB than hockey. That said, I assume the Hawks are reasonably comfortable that he's made his choice.
- mohel

Think the highest D1 school to recruit (not sign) are lower mid american conference.

Donagahy stated that he has signed at MSU for hockey. All the reporters have said he told teams he is done with football after this season.

Sure kids can lie, or change their mind, but i don't see a reason to worry about something that isn't a problem at this point.

I'm going to assume if the Hawks thought there was even a 1% chance he'd go football, they wouldn't have made that trade giving up what they did to move up.

If he was a division 1 sure fire QB, he wouldn't need to be returning for one more year to play football and win a championship, he would've won it last year.

He's playing HS football in MN, not TX or FL

They can pay NIL for Hockey also

In case anyone is wondering, Wheeler has an article out about the winners/OT winners/OT losers/losers of the 1st round

Winners: Teams I believe won out over their competition by consistently hitting where they selected.
Overtime winners: Teams I believe did well with where they selected, even if they might not have picked the exact player(s) I would have.
Overtime losers: Teams I believe could have done better but might, in time, get passing grades.
Losers: Teams I believe will underperform relative to where they selected.

He has the Hocks as OT losers:

Chicago Blackhawks
Pick No. 3: Anton Frondell
My ranking: No. 6
Pick No. 25: Vaclav Nestrasil
My ranking: No. 53
Pick No. 29: Mason West
My ranking: No. 46
I believe the Blackhawks were hoping to get Misa and that after fielding calls for the No. 3 pick, they were inclined to sit tight once rumors began swirling that the Sharks might not take him. Frondell isn’t a consolation prize for them, though. Before the chatter about Misa, I believe Frondell was their initial target. So their excitement about the player is sincere. And while I’m partial to Hagens and Martone as prospects, I have Frondell in the same tier and understand why Hagens (at 5-foot-10.5, with their pool skewing smaller) and Martone (who doesn’t have the pace/skating they prioritize) weren’t fits for them. In Frondell, the Blackhawks get some needed size and strength, another big shot opposite Connor Bedard’s on the power play, and a player who could either move to the wing and become a linemate of Bedard’s, or slot in at 2C, freeing up Frank Nazar for a move to the wing. There are folks who’ve comped him to Aleksander Barkov and Anze Kopitar. I’m not there, and do have some questions about his ultimate offense, but he profiles as a legitimate top-six forward and a good fit.
Nestrasil emerged as a late-first/early-second range guy in this draft class as the year went on and I’m not sure he was going to be there for them at No. 34 to start Day 2, so while I was a little lower on him the selection wouldn’t be viewed as a reach within the league. He’s a big, rangy, hardworking, committed two-way winger who showed some flashes of offense. He projects as a third-line winger and potentially an up-and-down-the-lineup type.
West is a fascinating gamble, but a definite gamble as a first-round pick. His strong play in the USHL late in the year was an important showcase for someone who had played exclusively high school until then, but his sample is still at a lower level than the rest of these players and I do think it matters that he’s going to play football instead of hockey in the fall to play out his senior year at Edina High. He has committed to Michigan State and says he’s all-in on hockey, but some teams felt he wasn’t, and didn’t like that he was risking injury and not playing in the USHL until after his football season was over next year. He’s a huge player and standout athlete, obviously, and he’s got some skill, but he also needs to impose himself more. It’s more size and he’s an interesting prospect, but there’s some definite risk. With a deep pool, the Blackhawks can afford to take that risk, I suppose.
The Blackhawks clearly set out to get bigger within their pool at this year’s draft, and I do think that’s an important priority for them given the number of sub-6-foot prospects they have.