Holy cow....LMAO.....

3 of the 10 scouts had this guy in the top 31....another reach. Bowman is rolling.
- kwolf68

I know we butted heads kwolf before..... wtf..... agreed with you a 1000%..... 4 years until this kid makes an impact if any....

when I was looking for the Beaudin shout out, I found this on sportsnet:

But perhaps one of the reasons why defencemen Noah Dobson, Quinn Hughes and Evan Bouchard are currently projected to go higher in this year’s draft is that they have better reputations in their own end.

Not that teams should be shying away from Boqvist. Most would put a premium on his influence in controlling possession, knowing that’ll mitigate whatever flaws there are in his defensive game. And they’ll consider that as his body fills out over time—and as he benefits from pro coaching—he’ll find his way in the D-zone.
- wiz1901

One more year in Sweden and then 1-2 years under Colliton in the AHL and I think Boqvist is going to shut some people up at how good he'll be. I'm really excited about him the more I thought about it.

Need more time for the second guy - I just really liked Sandin - but I'm legit happy about Boqvist now.

For sure he should be fired. Should have been shown the door last year. I wouldn't want him managing a junior C team
- scott.jackson

I think there are plenty of (smart?) hockey guys in the organization that help build the draft board. Stan must have picked up something from them, plus adding his insights. Decision making is probably by consensus, and we have been debating how their decision making works (or doesn’t work ad naseum for years). I am pretty sure that Stan does not veto the group.

They see a trend in the game and they are trying to capitalize on it. Are they suffering from groupthink about trying to load up on young fast defenders? Maybe. I think we can all agree that defenders take longer to develop, and that is probably what leadership must be thinking: Get Defense early in the draft; get forwards later. The forwards drafted tomorrow might make the Hawks first long before the first round picks taken this evening.

Mood?

I think there are plenty of (smart?) hockey guys in the organization that help build the draft board. Stan must have picked up something from them, plus adding his insights. Decision making is probably by consensus, and we have been debating how their decision making works (or doesn’t work ad naseum for years). I am pretty sure that Stan does not veto the group.



They see a trend in the game and they are trying to capitalize on it. Are they suffering from groupthink about trying to load up on young fast defenders? Maybe. I think we can all agree that defenders take longer to develop, and that is probably what leadership must be thinking: Get Defense early in the draft; get forwards later. The forwards drafted tomorrow might make the Hawks first long before the first round picks taken this evening.
- hpk90

Not one pick that will impact the roster next year... definitely a stretch at 8... but I don’t see how we’re any better before the draft started...

Whatever, these smallish, defensive challenged, offensive puck movers may turn out to be Erik Karlsson V2.0. Or maybe not.
- kwolf68

Boqvist isn't defensively challenged. He needs work for sure but like 98% of Swedish D-men, he is fundamentally sound.

Even if half of the D prospects develops, they can't all fit in. When does this put Jokiharju, Forsling and Mitchell on the depth chart, only to name the top few? Options for trading from position of strength? I am not sure about that. Everyone knows that Hawks will have to cut some of these eventually and neither is gonna be like Jones, Trouba or Hamilton...

It is nothing against Boqvist or Beaudin in particular, but the type of the 1st round Wings just had is more to my liking. Take forwards first, defenders later. Wahlstrom and Veleno would set up this team better and they should be in the league sooner too.

But it is what is, good luck to both Boqvist and Beaudin, they are among us now and I hope they are going to have tremendous careers in Chicago!

PS: do you remember when the Hawks used to pick only kids with their last name starting with B? Times, they never change

Not one pick that will impact the roster next year... definitely a stretch at 8... but I don’t see how we’re any better before the draft started...
- bigfly46

At best there are 4 players to impact any roster next year.

Boqvist isn't defensively challenged. He needs work for sure but like 98% of Swedish D-men, he is fundamentally sound.
- Elbows15

Generally I like Swedish players, but he could have been gotten later.

And they are battling 210+ forwards in the crease and along the boards. How many small defenders can you draft?? Jokiharju, Mitchell, Boquist, #27 too. You need Dmen with size too. bowman sucks and they will be in the lottery again next year.
- EnzoD

Bowman continues to show he's out over his skis along with his hockey guys..wahlstrom was there at 8...but the Bowmans love their swedes...Bowman could f*ck up a one car funeral...but I expected as much tonight. When is Rocky going to figure it out?

Love when they scrambled live when he made the pick at 8...uh he's the next coming of Karlson...uh...Lazerus said he had five stories ready to go and Boqvist wasn't one of them...

Love when Tappan interviewed Stan after the 2nd pick... and he guaranteed Crawford will be ready to go...'wowsa'.

Even if half of the D prospects develops, they can't all fit in. When does this put Jokiharju, Forsling and Mitchell on the depth chart, only to name the top few? Options for trading from position of strength? I am not sure about that. Everyone knows that Hawks will have to cut some of these eventually and neither is gonna be like Jones, Trouba or Hamilton...

It is nothing against Boqvist or Beaudin in particular, but the type of the 1st round Wings just had is more to my liking. Take forwards first, defenders later. Wahlstrom and Veleno would set up this team better and they should be in the league sooner too.

But it is what is, good luck to both Boqvist and Beaudin, they are among us now and I hope they are going to have tremendous careers in Chicago!

PS: do you remember when the Hawks used to pick only kids with their last name starting with B? Times, they never change
- stonefire

Then they become tradeable assets. NGL, I wanted Wahlstrom but Veleno was falling by a lot of teams. Has to make you wonder why

Thought this would fit. Article on head scout Mark Kelley and this part touches on how Stan Bow looks at the draft:

“It’s important that you have to trust because ultimately Mark’s the guy,” Bowman said. “He knows these guys better than I do. I try to make a point of seeing the top 30, 40 players because at least when we’re looking at that first guy that I have some kind of frame of reference. As we get beyond that, he knows these guys and I have to really defer to his opinion and I have to trust he’s seeing it the way I would see it if I were a full-time scout and I can’t be.

“It’s been easy to develop that trust, though. We’ve had a lot of conversations. We’ve been together for a lot of years now. I think it’s to the point he knows exactly what I’m looking for and I understand how he motivates our staff and how he leads them and guides them. People don’t really see that part of it. People just see, well, you have scouts and they watch games and do reports, but there’s a lot of managing that has to happen. You have to guide these guys and challenge them to see certain things in players or look at past certain things. Mark has done a great job from that perspective.”

The first kid is talented fine I’d of been happy with a crease cleaning defensemen but’s fine . Why go get another of the same player who is also 2/3years out. WE haven’t gotten better for next year which is fine if there starting a rebuild why didn’t we trade more players ive lost count how many midget defensemen we have stillness don’t have any center prospects or top 6 wings. Hopefully Stan has a trade for our second midget that’s that helps the big club

Generally I like Swedish players, but he could have been gotten later.
- kwolf68

Possibly, but who was going to trade with the Hawks to give them a later pick? Not the Rangers, Oilers, or Stars. Doubtful of the Islanders unless they really wanted Wahlstrom, but he ended up falling to them anyway. Doubt Boqvist would have gone outside the top 10, not when he was rated top 5/6 most of the year.

Bowman continues to show he's out over his skis along with his hockey guys..wahlstrom was there at 8...but the Bowmans love their swedes...Bowman could f*ck up a one car funeral...but I expected as much tonight. When is Rocky going to figure it out?

Love when they scrambled live when he made the pick at 8...uh he's the next coming of Karlson...uh...Lazerus said he had five stories ready to go and Boqvist wasn't one of them...

Love when Tappan interviewed Stan after the 2nd pick... and he guaranteed Crawford will be ready to go...'wowsa'.
- DK002

You know Mark Kelley is the guy that really drafts, right? Like Bowman is the type of GM that makes decisions by committee.

Laz also thought Ottawa was going to take Boqvist so that's why he didn't write about him.

Generally I like Swedish players, but he could have been gotten later.
- kwolf68

Doubtful. He has been in the top 10 all season. I wanted other players myself but after giving it some time, this kid has high end elite level skills. I guess at the end of the say, I can't fault Bowman for making the riskier pick over the safe choice.

I saw people were all over Wilde on this board. He has all the tools but I have seen many profiles saying he lack a toolbox.

Not sure what to make of the Beaudin pick. Draft has been stated to wide open from 20 to 50 though.

OK---these two kids are solid prospects. Neither player is a bum. Lets see how it shakes out

Just a note of interest, but apparently Carlsson played some as Boqvist's partner in the SHL last season. Maybe that's how they saw so much of him and came to like him.

Boqvist is about the same height as Erik Karlsson...and he's 25 pounds lighter. I'd have to think a 17 year old can put on 25 pounds in 3 years.

Boqvist is about the same height as Erik Karlsson...and he's 25 pounds lighter. I'd have to think a 17 year old can put on 25 pounds in 3 years.
- kwolf68

Karlsson was the exact same weight at 165 when he was drafted too.

I wonder how many people would have cried when the hawks drafted a small skinny Duncan Keith.

Turned out pretty good for that smurf

If 1 of these guys turns out to be him, well worth it
- PatShart

JR was 5'11" 170- and as he tells it they asked him to step on a scale and he refused stating "Ive never seen a scale score a goal".

Karlsson was the exact same weight at 165 when he was drafted too.
- L_B_R

Yep. NOT saying he's gonna be the next EK...but we need to quit using size as a factor to bash this kid. He's 17. This is a down the road pick. Maybe Bowman put the Hawks ahead of his personal gain. He did NOTHING to help the Hawks in the short term, but may have delivered something in the long term, potentially after he's gone.

Sure, I wanted the center or the big D but maybe those were not the right picks.

tell me what that means and where I can find it?

I know Rogers owns it...I am gonna figure it is their on line ticker - I went there couldn't find it....
- wiz1901

Hey Bill - I DM'd you.

I tried to grab a pic but didn't grab one in time. I'll let you know if there is a repeat I can watch.

Yep. NOT saying he's gonna be the next EK...but we need to quit using size as a factor to bash this kid. He's 17. This is a down the road pick. Maybe Bowman put the Hawks ahead of his personal gain. He did NOTHING to help the Hawks in the short term, but may have delivered something in the long term, potentially after he's gone.

Sure, I wanted the center or the big D but maybe those were not the right picks.
- kwolf68

For sure, it's quite a feat to becoming the next Karlsson, though their comparisons is pretty legit. Their draft profiles could be swapped out and you couldn't tell a difference, especially Karlsson expecting to be 2-3 years out from the NHL.

Ended up that Karlsson played one more year in Sweden, played a little the AHL, then was NHL full time before the the end of that year, then broke out his sophomore season. Boqvist could follow a similar path, though stay in the AHL for a full season cause he's younger than Karlsson would have been then imo.

Like that's all completely speculative but who knows. I was initially sad cause I was really high on a forward tbh but I'm excited about the potential.

One more year in Sweden and then 1-2 years under Colliton in the AHL and I think Boqvist is going to shut some people up at how good he'll be. I'm really excited about him the more I thought about it.
- L_B_R

I have read all the fire Stan posts.

Tell me how you replace top four defenders if you don't draft them?

Teams don't really trade many of them.

You have to develop them.

Sure it looks like I am playing devil's advocate, but...

Adam Boqvist has had a ton of things written on him, and at his current age it is clear these are things he does beyond that age:
Maked the first pass, his shots are ones that beat goalies, period. In the attack zone, he has an entire toolbox of skills includig the ability to see (like an NFL QB) the first option, second and third, and is a natural fluid attacker playmaker shooter when he motors in or east and west. Boqvist sees plays and options on plays and uses what I wopuld call superior edging to navigate the attack zone. (Go look at ANY FOOTAGE on him, and you will see some of what I am saying..he sees, turns, tricks opens, takes off, fakes and shoots. The shots are hard quick ones.
You don't find one of these guys late in the round or in a trade or as a overage signing.
This is a guy slots as a top pair point producer and will play PP as he progresses to that first pair from the second. You can teach defense, not high end skills like his.
There was a reason Bouchard and Dobson were scary to me...because I wanted dynamic, and I wanted difference makers and sure they have skills but not to this high extent.
and that right handed defenders are difficult to find TRUE and dynamic ones even more so.
and the other kid Nicolas Beaudin put himself on the map because of his quick puck decisions, and as a power play QB.
He is a carbon copy of Boqvist, and Hughes, and Toronto's pick Sandin...maybe a notch below skill wise and a 5' 10.5 175 lb smaller frame, but remember Bobby Hull was 5' 10" 180.
He had 80 points in 79 regular and playoff games.Tied for most points by a defenseman....
Beaudin has 111 points (17 goals, 94 assists) in 158 QMJHL games for Drummondville.
That is one of the bigger totals of anybody in this class.

I just know the game has changed so much and it doesn't seem that compiling a draft list that has these dynamic attackers is in itself a criteria to think you fire the GM.
He tells his scouting staff what they feels is the predominant parts they want the prospects to have and MarK Kelley and a whole lot of guys find them grade then, not Bowman.

I just don't know how at this very time these picks are so badly thought of.