I think it's Eiserman he fits their MO, he can skate, is a gym rat, has no problem with contact, competes, oh and it sounds like his shot is better than Bedards.
- BetweenTheDots

He's a bad skater with poor balance but a good shot. I don't know what you're talking about

If Eisermans shot is as strong and accurate as Makar, they gotta draft him

Then you probably want Levshunov. He has the most size and nasty of the top ten prospects.
- Chief4Feathers

The other Russian defenseman is bigger. Way bigger

He's a bad skater with poor balance but a good shot. I don't know what you're talking about
- GPHawksfan

Really? I haven't read that in any scouting report.

The other Russian defenseman is bigger. Way bigger
- GPHawksfan

Do you have a name - I’m looking at the top ten on most scouting reports?

Plus IMO Marner only waives to come to the Hawks if he signs an extension. KD isn’t going to do that.
- LAHawk

The proposition in the last blog where Chicago acts as a middle man sending Jones to Toronto and Marner to somewhere else with the Hawks getting a NHL player + prospect or whatever was an interesting thought. I don't think it's likely but I dunno.

If Eisermans shot is as strong and accurate as Makar, they gotta draft him
- BetweenTheDots

And if he skated like Makar, San Jose would take him.

Do you have a name - I’m looking at the top ten on most scout ingredients reports?
- Chief4Feathers

I'm assuming Anton Silayev.

And I'm still taking Zeev Buium and not looking back.
- dahawks8819

Buium is a really really nice player. I just don't see them not getting a blue chip prospect at #2. Simply a matter of preference. ...... Unless it's Lindstrom, a centerman, I do hope they go Dman because of the value of the position. Centerman/Dman then winger.

I could see a franchise breaking that rule for Demidov but just the same gimme Buium, D!ckinson or Levshunov. If handedness and size are prioritized, or as a tie breaker, I can see KD going with Levshunov.

And if he skated like Makar, San Jose would take him.
- Angotti

Another interesting note is Eiserman will be one of the youngest draft eligible players

Although i did see someone showing clips where he's not interested in playing defense, that's not good

Time for the scouts to show their stuff. Seven or eight good players there but they have to get one of the two or three who turn out best. I will be OK with the selection regardless of position.

If the card was in my hand and had to be submitted now, I would probably go with Levshunov. Expect him to be ready for a full-time NHL slot just as Murphy's contract is expiring. High floor, high ceiling.
- totem

I agree with this and more importantly think the Hawks do too. Add Levshunov is a righty with size and he'll probably win any tie breakers with any other Dmen the Hawks are looking at.

I do think a there is a chance of Buium being a better offensive NHLer than Levshunov though.

I'm assuming Anton Silayev.
- breadbag

Ok, thanks. Yeah, he’s 6’7” but about the same weight at @210lbs.

I agree with this and more importantly think the Hawks do too. Add Levshunov is a righty with size and he'll probably win any tie breakers with any other Dmen the Hawks are looking at.

I do think a there is a chance of Buium being a better offensive NHLer than Levshunov though.
- Mr Ricochet

The Blackhawks need to build through free agency plus the draft.
Or, you see if former sweater 88, and 86 want back over and TT can bring Chatfield, a RD who is an UFA and others want to improve the 2024-25 version in the Indianhead.
Count on your current draft “win” by way of the order staying with the point totals not lottery ball changes.
Have your scouting staff give you the name of the best player who plays defense in this draft class as a back up, if the staff is wavering at their forward options and see not enough talent at the position to get a decade career impact forward. Is it “Kempe-time” in Chicago with a selection of a skating running back named Cayden Lindstrom, who flies with solid feet and fits the team dynamic by way of Phil Esposito?
And the Chetwynd, BC, Canadien may not be the #1 pick out of British Columbia, he can be the 2nd one and an African Canadien version of that rookie Phil Esposito, a players the Indianhead as been unable to replace, BIG, DOMINANT, SCORING Centre. Lindstrom’s playing strengths are the closet to that fresh up from the St. Braves (/Catherines farm system, etc.) rookie, Phil Esposito.
His departure via trade to the Boston Bruins at the start of the Orr era, raised his game, and he could dominate in the Russia series with scores, so why wouldn’t Chicago call out for the best piece in the draft to ensure success, even though it truly was a Mack Celebrini win that would have solved Chicago’s need of right now linemate with 200 foot defensive prescence.

The Hawk loss of Macklin Celebrini pick sends the staff having to look and see the rest of the rest with centre Becky Catton as closet 200 foot replacement .
Hawk scouting will need a few adds through this draft class, so they probably have no preference in position now. If defense is truly their initial pick, they will be trying to add to the present back-linesooner, well, within two seasonswith pre-commitment hopes that Sam Rinzel owill be filling their right backline.vacancy. So, select a defenseman and not get an advance player at forward?

Another interesting note is Eiserman will be one of the youngest draft eligible players

Although i did see someone showing clips where he's not interested in playing defense, that's not good
- BetweenTheDots

They are not going to take Eiserman with that second pick overall and they shouldn´t. Yes he has a great shot and is good scorer but so was/is Patrick Laine too.

Ivan Demidov would be my only choice now and him and Bedard together in near future could be like art on ice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLbI37aD-Ws

Wasn’t there a mistake last year by a TV broadcaster right before a commercial break?

Didn’t Weekes announce the Blue Jackets were drafting 3rd before the results were officially released?
- DarthKane

That wasn't the actual draw though - it was all determined before that went to air on the same day. It was more a broadcaster production mess up than a lottery result mess up.

I didn't reaiize that capfriendly had a scouting section on current players and prospects. A lot have multiple evaluations over a timeline. Graded and projected. A nice summary in one place.

https://www.capfriendly.com/scouting-reports

He's a bad skater with poor balance but a good shot. I don't know what you're talking about
- GPHawksfan

Never read that anywhere about him, what are YOU talking about?!

Buium is a really really nice player. I just don't see them not getting a blue chip prospect at #2. Simply a matter of preference. ...... Unless it's Lindstrom, a centerman, I do hope they go Dman because of the value of the position. Centerman/Dman then winger.

I could see a franchise breaking that rule for Demidov but just the same gimme Buium, D!ckinson or Levshunov. If handedness and size are prioritized, or as a tie breaker, I can see KD going with Levshunov.
- Mr Ricochet

If they dont take eiserman or demidov those two will haunt ther hawks for the rest of their careers

Boston looked really good last night. A Original 6 East final would be fun!
- SaskHawkFan

Boston looked real good for three games last year against tampa also

On The Hockey Prospects show last weekend on NHL radio they said Demidov’s skating style is a knee injury in the making, especially cause he does not have Mitchkov’s build.

I think with a lot of these kids who "project" it's the off ice stuff that I think you need to look at.

I think when you look at a kid like Eiserman who has a plus skill, the shot is really something special, and as an 18 year old he has his diet and off ice program dialed in enough to already have a NHL build. Lidstrom is similar. Turned 18 this year, skates very well, has a nice shot and an NHL build at that age. There's no filling out there - it's just adding raw strength.

Those kids who have their diet and programs figured out at that stage I think shows a special level of dedication where they're going to have success as professionals because they already have the habits.

I think that Levshunov sits in that same category. There won't be a culture shock since it looks like he's assimilated. The Powers article on the athletic was great. The kid isn't a moron and actually goes to class (3.7 GPA - it's Michigan state fwiw but thats probably not the norm for hockey players). Goes to church with an older lady in the community. Apparently is out and at basketball games with friends. So he's not some weird nerd that sits in his room and plays video games or is 100% hockey all of the time. Probably a guy you want for locker room culture.

I think there's a lot there to like. Oh and he has a NHL build today and a lot of raw ability and power.

That is probably a player that slots Jones more appropriately in more low leverage situations in 3ish years. If Rinzel pans out the worst case is 2A and 2B. With Korch and Vlasic on the other side it could be a very mobile, big and dangerous blue line kinda like Vegas.

Anyway, it's another tough player to pass on.
- fattybeef

The greatest need is scoring, you take a forward. Then i trade to move up and pick one of the defensemen if wvailable. If not i would go after catton. I was all in on lindstrom until the back issue… at 17 its a red flag. They can pick up a d man in a trade or fa to place hold till the kids in the system are ready.

If they dont take eiserman or demidov those two will haunt ther hawks for the rest of their careers
- LFS

Even if whoever they do take ends up better than these two?

The greatest need is scoring, you take a forward. Then i trade to move up and pick one of the defensemen if wvailable. If not i would go after catton. I was all in on lindstrom until the back issue… at 17 its a red flag. They can pick up a d man in a trade or fa to place hold till the kids in the system are ready.
- LFS

You never draft for need. You draft best player available. Use FA and trades for needs. NHL draft history is littered with guys that absolutely lit up junior/college/EU only to fall flat in the bigs. Not to mention, we have no idea what most of the current prospects will end up being. No one has any idea of what Nazar, Moore, Lardis, Kantserov, Hayes, Greene, Dach, and a host of other prospects top out as until they get to the show.

If they dont take eiserman or demidov those two will haunt ther hawks for the rest of their careers
- LFS

That could be said about many of these prospects. The key for Chicago is to identify how each guy projects in 3-5-10 years not worry about who may or may not haunt them. Their guy may be Eiserman or Demidov or Buium or Lindstrom or one of four or five other guys. Also I suspect there will be many different opinions from different members of the scouting staff. There are going to be many sleepless nights ahead for KD and his staff. It would have been much easier if Bettman didn’t hate the Hawks and they won the draw last night.

Fills a need for Toronto. At face value doesn't make the Hawks more competitive which they've said is a priority this year.

Plus I don't know that he would waive to go to Toronto and get poop on even more than he does in Chicago.

Utah or Seattle make some sense. Ottawa maybe. Those teams a package around their top ten pick this year maybe makes eating another lottery year easier. Say they walk away with Levshunov, Catton and Hage - I think they still need to add a hall insurance policy but that sure makes eating another bad year palatable and Wiz's dream can come true of getting Bedards cousin next year.
- fattybeef

If Toronto wanted to take on the entirety of Jones contract, I would make that deal in a heartbeat.

I think fans are becoming unrealistic with the Hawks being more competitive versus making the playoffs. They will surely be more competitive this year, but I don't have playoffs on the BINGO card just yet.

Marner is also a PPG player and two years younger than Jones. I would make a swap in a heartbeat if it was on the table. I like Seth Jones and don't think he's nearly as bad as many make him out to be, but if the Hawks could get out from under that contract and they have a team willing to take it on, make that deal.