Tyler Cameron: In Mark We Trust, the Man Behind Over a Decade of Blackhawks Drafts Do you always draft the best player available? Or can your decision be swayed by drafting by a positional need?

These are questions that Mark Kelley is asked all the time and ones that he and his staff dissect rigorously all year. Kelley's job is to watch these players and gets to know them on and off the ice. He relies on his scouts who have been strategically placed and sent out to watch specific players to relay thoughtful analysis back to him.

First in TC era! For MLB and NHL, I always says BPA. NFL and NBA you could go either way.

Great right up Ty, especially the part where you mentioned me!

We all have our favourites at this point, but if the Hawks keep the pick they should end up with an excellent prospect. The best case would be the Rangers passing on Kakko, but I agree that doesn’t happen (or is highly unlikely). My top 3 remain Caufield, Byram and Cozens.

Great right up Ty, especially the part where you mentioned me!

We all have our favourites at this point, but if the Hawks keep the pick they should end up with an excellent prospect. The best case would be the Rangers passing on Kakko, but I agree that doesn’t happen (or is highly unlikely). My top 3 remain Caufield, Byram and Cozens.
- DarthKane

I had to put you in there.

While I don't think Caufield is selected by the Hawks he's going to be one hell of a pick for someone.

First in TC era! For MLB and NHL, I always says BPA. NFL and NBA you could go either way.
- Assman22

I'm in the same boat as BPA... my problem is, I'm not sure who that is.

If it's a "tie" between Byram and Cozens... who do I think they'll take? I say Cozens based on the need.

TJ -

Best guess on their pick if they stay at 3?

A lot of the forwards seem very sexy. If they keep the pick I bet they take that D man.

If the Blackhawks can trade back to 4-6 and add some assets and still get a very very good forward.

Should be fun

I'm in the same boat as BPA... my problem is, I'm not sure who that is.

If it's a "tie" between Byram and Cozens... who do I think they'll take? I say Cozens based on the need.
- Tyler Cameron

This is quote from Scott Wheeler (The Athletic):

But as I have said all year, in both my preliminary top 62 and my midseason top 62 (and even my tentative summer top 31), there is no clear-cut No. 3. There is, however, now a clear tier that follows Kakko and extends roughly half a dozen players deep. And the truth is that I would listen to an argument for any of those players at third overall.

You should add Payton Krebs on that list. He´s got all the tools to become great player in NHL at some point.

I know he's down the list a bit but I liked Zegras a lot on the U18 team.

Really silly question, but is the Vlasic on the U18 in anyway related to the one on the Sharks? I was trying to do math and see if he could be a son.....and then I thought about Teen Mom. Not sure what is going on this morning....

If the Blackhawks can trade back to 4-6 and add some assets and still get a very very good forward.

Pending who goes 1-2, I'm ok with this. I'd even be fine with trading back to 7 if Buffalo would overpay with their two first rounders in 2019 and another pick/prospect. Otherwise, go with your gut and take BPA at 3.

With the little knowledge I have I would like Hawks to draft Coz.. The Russian Pods is intriguing, from what I read his style of play is what the Hawks need. Is there a concern he won't come over ?
Some here seem to want avoid him.
Some have also said we should draft defencemen Byram because we can find a forward easier . Think we might be forgetting how long it took us to find a centre to play behind Toews

I know he's down the list a bit but I liked Zegras a lot on the U18 team.

Really silly question, but is the Vlasic on the U18 in anyway related to the one on the Sharks? I was trying to do math and see if he could be a son.....and then I thought about Teen Mom. Not sure what is going on this morning....
- phantasmo

Marc-Edouard is his cousin.

This is quote from Scott Wheeler (The Athletic):


You should add Payton Krebs on that list. He´s got all the tools to become great player in NHL at some point.
- MjulQvist

Adding Krebs!

Thanks MjulQvist!

With the little knowledge I have I would like Hawks to draft Coz.. The Russian Pods is intriguing, from what I read his style of play is what the Hawks need. Is there a concern he won't come over ?
Some here seem to want avoid him.
Some have also said we should draft defencemen Byram because we can find a forward easier . Think we might be forgetting how long it took us to find a centre to play behind Toews
- HamiltonHawk

If Podkolzin was playing in the OHL right now, I believe he would be a clear #3.

I haven't seen Bynam play ..... Do you see any Morgan Rielly or Seth Jones potential in him? If so, they will take him because they love wheelhorse defenceman and have some centers like the kid who played for Switzerland in the World Juniors.

Or can Dozens or Turcotte give them a kid center like Philly got in Nolan Patrick.

Just don't draft a 155 lb forward.

I'm in the same boat as BPA... my problem is, I'm not sure who that is.

If it's a "tie" between Byram and Cozens... who do I think they'll take? I say Cozens based on the need.
- Tyler Cameron

I say "BPA" if there is a clear "BPA" when they pick.

If there are 4 or 5 or 6 who are close enough that there is no clear choice, then your "BPA" is really the one that fits your need.

Hawks need top-line / top-pairing skaters at center and at defense - skaters with speed, size, ice-sense, 200-foot play.

I'd be OK with them choosing any of the "usual suspects" - even if some other players would be better at (as Dr. John says) "dis, dat, or d'udda".

The combine at the end of the month in Buffalo:

Is it usual for ALL prospects to be there - or do some stay away for one reason or another?

TJ -

Best guess on their pick if they stay at 3?

A lot of the forwards seem very sexy. If they keep the pick I bet they take that D man.

If the Blackhawks can trade back to 4-6 and add some assets and still get a very very good forward.

Should be fun
- mrpaulish

I would tend to agree. If nobody clearly stands out from a pack of 4-6 players then by all means trade down a few and add some assets. A big question is, what is the value/cost to move up a few spots. As someone mentioned before, would you swing a deal to get 5 & 23 from LA, 7 & 30 from Buffalo, 9 & 28 from LA?

if the likes of Cozens, Dach, Turcotte, Byram, Podkolzin, Caufield, Krebs are all about the same some team is going to really have to value one of them more than others to move up.

I haven't seen Bynam play ..... Do you see any Morgan Rielly or Seth Jones potential in him? If so, they will take him because they love wheelhorse defenceman and have some centers like the kid who played for Switzerland in the World Juniors.

Or can Dozens or Turcotte give them a kid center like Philly got in Nolan Patrick.

Just don't draft a 155 lb forward.
- RickJ

Agree on the small forward. Kelly and his group haven’t whiffed on too many first rounders since Stan’s been GM. McNeil is really the only one, so I think they’ll get a great player.

I’ve only read and watched a bit of video, so my picks are hardly educated, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Turcotte or Bryan with the their pick.

If they could get either and move back a few picks while acquiring another 1st rounder and a prospect, that’d be great too.

I’ll be lurking as the kings pick 5th and could very well pick one of those players 😬

A bit off topic for this blog, but I posted this on the previous blog this a.m. as response to EbonyRaptor regarding a big ticket FA acquisition this summer by the Hawks.

No please. The cap space number that the Hawks are supposed to have this summer ($15M - $17M) is misleading and setting up Hawks fans to be disappointed when Stan doesn't spend nearly that much. Even with the comment by Stan that he must look to next summer too with the implication being not all $15M-$17M is free to sign free agents this summer - I think too many Hawks fans are expecting a couple high-end free agents to be signed of maybe one mega-player (Karlsson) and another mid-level guy and I just don't see how the math works on that. Two mid-level guys seems more likely.
- EbonyRaptor



ER, Agree that a Hawks shouldn’t spend like drunken sailors on one big name FA. Let’s look at the numbers in more detail. Per Capfriendly Hawks have 15 players on the roster for next year, and assuming the cap goes up 3.5 million, they will have a bit over $22M in cap space. Let’s assume they resign their RFA’s Perlini, Kampf, Sikura, Forsling/Koekkoek, sign Kabulik, bring up Joki and use Delia as a backup. Those 7 players complete the roster and cost say a generous $9M, leaving $13M in cap space going forward.

Now, do we want basically the same team next year as this past season? Probably not. So, let’s say we sign a Tanev and Chiarot type for a total of $6M, replacing a Perlini/Hayden and Forsling/Koekkoek, adding a net of $4M to the cap, leaving $9M in cap space going forward.

Let’s go to the 20/21 season and assume the cap goes up another $3.5M giving the Hawks $12.5M in cap space. The 7 players signed above will be on the roster for that season, so add them to the capfriendly roster gives then 15 players. We all know that Debrincat, Strome, Kahun, and Caggiula are RFA’s. Say we sign them all for 7.5, 5, 2.5, and 2M = $17M. Assuming we draft a forward with the #3 pick and bringing up an Enwistle/Hagen will fill 2 spots at $2M, one replacing Hayden/Perlini at a net cap gain of $1M. Let’s say a couple of prospect D-men are ready to replace either Dahlstrom/Forsling/Koekkoek and Gus at the same dollars.

So, in 20/21, Hawks will add $18M to the roster, have to replace/resign Crawford and will be $5.5M above the cap. To me, looks like the Hawks will have to free up about $10M in cap space by next summer. Who goes? Saad, Anisimov, Murphy at a combined $14M plus, all without NTC could be moved to make cap space and open up roster spots for younger players.

I haven't seen Bynam play ..... Do you see any Morgan Rielly or Seth Jones potential in him? If so, they will take him because they love wheelhorse defenceman and have some centers like the kid who played for Switzerland in the World Juniors.

Or can Dozens or Turcotte give them a kid center like Philly got in Nolan Patrick.

Just don't draft a 155 lb forward.
- RickJ

If Cozens and Turcotte grade out about the same and have the same upside, I would take Cozens. Hawks have beaten the "local" player drum with first round picks Schmaltz and Hartman and later picks like Hinostroza, Louis and others. Local kids are great for PR, but sometimes the hype and pressure don't meet the reality

I know he's down the list a bit but I liked Zegras a lot on the U18 team.

Really silly question, but is the Vlasic on the U18 in anyway related to the one on the Sharks? I was trying to do math and see if he could be a son.....and then I thought about Teen Mom. Not sure what is going on this morning....
- phantasmo

I really like zegras at times looks like jack Hughes

I would tend to agree. If nobody clearly stands out from a pack of 4-6 players then by all means trade down a few and add some assets. A big question is, what is the value/cost to move up a few spots. As someone mentioned before, would you swing a deal to get 5 & 23 from LA, 7 & 30 from Buffalo, 9 & 28 from LA?

if the likes of Cozens, Dach, Turcotte, Byram, Podkolzin, Caufield, Krebs are all about the same some team is going to really have to value one of them more than others to move up.
- TheTrob

Rumor has it Kings will look to trade down, but anything is possible. I wouldn’t give 2 firsts for 3OA

Agree on the small forward. Kelly and his group haven’t whiffed on too many first rounders since Stan’s been GM. McNeil is really the only one, so I think they’ll get a great player.

I’ve only read and watched a bit of video, so my picks are hardly educated, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Turcotte or Bryan with the their pick.

If they could get either and move back a few picks while acquiring another 1st rounder and a prospect, that’d be great too.
- HawkintheD

If you're gonna Whiff, whiff big. Actually they did pretty well with the rest of that draft, Saad, Shaw, Danault, Dahlbeck, Clendening all NHL players (of various success)

If you're gonna Whiff, whiff big. Actually they did pretty well with the rest of that draft, Saad, Shaw, Danault, Dahlbeck, Clendening all NHL players (of various success)
- TheTrob

Agree. Saad was supposed to be a high first rounder before he fell due to injury and possible attitude concerns.

McNeil may not have panned out but their other 1st, one of their 2nd’s and a fifth are all having rellly good NHL careers.

Like I said, whatever they decide, I think they’ll get a really good player.