Today’s blog focusing on goalies is the last installment of the current series presenting considerations for the Blackhawks in the upcoming NHL Draft. I promise that more than Yaroslav Askarov will be discussed in this blog.
--
WHO'S UP FOR GRABS
It’s been abundantly clear since the last draft that Yaroslav Askarov is the only goalie worth drafting in the 1st round. After the opening round there are other netminding prospects with great potential to consider including Jan Bednar, Joel Blomqvist, Drew Commesso, Nicolas Daws, and Brayden Peters.
While he is a slam dunk to go in the 1st round, it is more disputable what part of the opening frame of the draft Askarov will be taken. It’s tough to pinpoint the exact spot he will be selected so let’s break the round into thirds instead.
Most draft boards seem to have Askarov in the middle third (picks 11-20) and very few have him in the lower third (picks 21-31). His stock has skyrocketed, though, since the KHL season began recently. As a result, some draft experts see him in the upper third as a top-10 talent.
For me personally, I see Askarov in the 8-12 range. He is an elite talent who is expected to be an NHL franchise goalie in due time. It wouldn’t be surprising if he is even better than Russian comrade and reigning Stanley Cup champion Andrei Vasilevskiy.
To put it another way, the Panthers drafted Spencer Knight last year at 13th overall and many view Askarov as a better goalie prospect than Knight. Thus, the top 10 or shortly thereafter seems to be a logical projection for where Askarov will be taken.
--
BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE
Without a doubt, Askarov is the best goalie available in the 1st round. It is improbable that he will be available at 17th when the Blackhawks make their selection and possibly not even past 13th.
If Askarov does happen to still be on the board when it’s Chicago’s turn, should the Hawks take him?
Let’s chart out one possible scenario for what it would take for Askarov to be passed over through the first 16 picks. Here is a list of 23 draft prospects who are viable candidates to be amongst the first 17 picks (listed alphabetically, not in a projected draft order):
* Rodion Amirov
* Justin Barron
* Mavrik Bourque
* Quinton Byfield
* Jamie Drysdale
* Kaiden Guhle
* Dylan Holloway
* Alexander Holtz
* Seth Jarvis
* Alexis Lafreniere
* Hendrix Lapierre
* Anton Lundell
* Dawson Mercer
* Cole Perfetti
* Jacob Perreault
* Jack Quinn
* Lucas Raymond
* Marco Rossi
* Jake Sanderson
* Braden Schneider
* Tim Stutzle
* William Wallinder
* Connor Zary
If Askarov is still there once 17th rolls around, who would you rather draft: him or one of a half dozen or so prospects not drafted yet at spots 1-16?
I imagine that list of 23 may not even include some of your own favorites for the Hawks to consider as their #1 pick.
Another question to ask -- again if Askarov is still there for the taking at 17th -- is whether this is the year when it would be wise to consider drafting a goalie in the 1st round, especially one who is a future all-star caliber tender.
If not, when
would it be ideal to draft a netminder with the team’s first pick? And when will that year come up again when an elite-level tender is projected as a 1st rounder?
The simplest answer to those questions is that Askarov is the right choice only if he is the best player available at 17th given who else is on the board along with him.
For instance, if Mercer and Askarov are undrafted when it’s Chicago’s turn to select, they should take Askarov if they deem him the better player. Likewise, they should take Mercer if they think the opposite.
--
CALL ME MAYBE
Regardless of whether Askarov is Chicago’s pick at 17th, there are opportunities in the other rounds to nab a(nother) goalie. A team can never have enough lottery tickets to stock the cupboard with goaltender prospects.
For all draft prospects -- whether forwards, defensemen, or netminders -- my top trait to prioritize is compete level. Applying that template, goalie prospects Drew Commesso and Nicolas Daws fit the bill.
Joel Blomqvist is one to watch, too, with his excellent technical skill.
Others to consider based on their high athleticism and sharp reflexes are Jan Bednar and Brayden Peters.
--
DO NOT CALL LIST
Despite having a cool name, one goalie prospect I would pass on is Calle Clang as some prospectuses describe him as inconsistent. Not a good word to read in a scouting report.
--
RESTOCKING THE SHELF
Even if the Blackhawks don’t draft Askarov in the 1st round, I would find it disappointing if they didn’t use any of their later picks to add another goalie to the pipeline.
At present, Matt Tomkins is the only goalie who Chicago has drafted and signed to an NHL contract. Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen have NHL contracts but were free agent signees. Malcolm Subban is an unsigned RFA.
As far as other goalie prospects in the system who are not yet inked to a pro contract, there is Ivan Nalimov and Dominic Basse. Both are Chicago draft picks.
Nalimov is back in the KHL after being in Rockford on an ATO for a hot minute. Basse will be starting his NCAA career at Colorado College where forward prospect Josiah Slavin is.
Undrafted free agent signee Tom Aubrun will start off with the Indy Fuel on his AHL contract.
--
READERS Q&A MAILBAG
Last chance! If you have any questions you want to ask about the draft and/or free agency, please send me a private message or email me at
[email protected].
Thank you to those who have reached out already! All questions will be answered and featured in a mailbag blog due out this Monday.
--
See you on the boards!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»