In the 2017 NHL Draft, I wanted Isaac Ratcliffe (Flyers), Alexandre Texier (Jackets), or Maxime Comtois (Ducks) but the Blackhawks drafted Henri Jokiharju instead at 29th.
Then in the 2018 NHL Draft, I wanted Evan Bouchard (Oilers), Oliver Wahlstrom (Islanders), or Noah Dobson (Islanders) but the Blackhawks drafted Adam Boqvist instead at 8th.
Also in the 2018 NHL Draft, I wanted Joe Veleno (Wings), Serron Noel (Panthers), or Bode Wilde (Islanders) but the Blackhawks drafted Nicolas Beaudin instead at 27th.
And in the 2019 NHL Draft, I wanted Alex Turcotte (Kings), Dylan Cozens (Sabres), or Trevor Zegras (Ducks) but the Blackhawks drafted Kirby Dach instead at 3rd.
Yesterday in the 2020 NHL Draft, I wanted Dawson Mercer (Devils), Braden Schneider (Rangers), or Hendrix Lapierre (Capitals) but the Blackhawks drafted Lukas Reichel instead at 17th.
What lessons have I learned?
For one thing, I learned that patience to let prospects actually develop and let their play justify their selection is necessary as I am happy with the future in store for Boqvist, Beaudin, and Dach as leading the new wave of Blackhawks.
Even though he is no longer in the organization, I was especially pleased with the Jokiharju pick as he showed promise as a top 4 defender while in Chicago’s system.
Another lesson learned is that the months of scouring the internet to read up on and watch videos of the current crop of draft prospects brings an emotional attachment to coveted players that only the peculiar and often irrational nature of fandom can breed.
Yet, if you think logically about the prevailing drafting mantra -- best player available -- by breaking it down into tangible and easier to digest pieces, then you may start to feel better about who was actually selected.
--
BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE, REVISITED
Looking back at my
blog previewing draft options at forward, I outlined the ideal attributes of the best player available for a forward draft prospect:
*
Compete Level: Does the prospect hustle on every play, contest every puck, and play to the whistle?
*
Hockey Sense: Does the prospect have an innate ability to make intelligent plays in any situation?
*
Offensive Skillset: Does the prospect bring a diverse set of talents to either drive offense and/or complement those that do?
*
Defensive Awareness: Does the prospect have a defensive conscience to not only neutralize the other team but also take care of their own end first and support their teammates?
*
Skating Ability: Does the prospect have either speed and agility or the smarts to be positionally sound if lacking one or both of these skating qualities?
In addition to these traits, another characteristic to consider is the wherewithal to address any major flaws in their game. Addressing these shortcoming can be through:
*
Coachability: Does the prospect take well to feedback and integrate what they learn?
*
Resourcefulness: Does the prospect have the ability to compensate for weaknesses through other means (see Skating Ability above for an example)?
*
Positional Versatility: Does the prospect have the competence to slide over to another position if the one they were drafted as doesn’t work out at the pro level?
Does Reichel check off a lot of these boxes? Based on several scouting reports, he definitively checks off 7 of 8 boxes with the last box marked with a maybe:
*
Compete Level: Check.
*
Hockey Sense: Check.
*
Offensive Skillset: Check.
*
Defensive Awareness: Check.
*
Skating Ability: Check.
*
Coachability: Check.
*
Resourcefulness: Check.
*
Positional Versatility: Undetermined but possible.
On that last trait, Reichel plays LW so it is not known if he can effectively play the other wing but that isn’t exactly necessary.
And while he wouldn’t be relied on to play center, his hockey IQ, skating ability, and 200-foot play are all highly rated so it doesn’t seem that he would struggle as a pivot if he had to temporarily take on that role here and there.
--
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE?
In previous blogs, I will admit that I did not talk about Reichel as a viable option at 17th. Specifically, I placed him in the category of draft prospects who were likely selected after 17th whether late in the 1st round or in the 2nd round.
Again, looking back at my blog previewing forward draft options, these post-17th prospects included Thomas Bordeleau, Brendan Brisson, Samuel Colangelo, Tyson Foerster, Ridley Greig, Jake Neighbours, Marat Khusnutdinov, John-Jason Peterka, Vasily Ponomaryov, and Reichel.
Reichel is far from a bad pick at 17th as it just wasn’t where I -- as merely a fan of the game who is not in the business of scouting and prognosticating draft prospects -- expected him to be picked. In fact, many in this business saw Reichel as a fast riser and one to watch in the 1st round.
Looking back at who I wanted at 17th -- Mercer, Schneider, or Lapierre as far as who was still on the board -- and seeing where they actually got picked makes you think even more if Reichel may have truly been the best player available when it was Chicago’s turn.
In other words, there were 15 other teams that skipped over Mercer and Schneider and 16 other teams that felt there were better players available before Lapierre. So it wasn't just the Blackhawks who deemed other prospects to be the best player available at their drafting slot.
Another way to look at it, several other prospects who were projected as 2nd rounders or later got drafted in the opening round. Yegor Chinakhov (Jackets) was the biggest surprise as he was rated as high as the 200 range of draft-eligible players. Shakir Mukhamadullin (Devils), Foerster (Flyers), Neighbours (Blues), and Ozzy Wiesblatt (Sharks) are other examples in addition to Reichel.
--
FORWARD THINKING
What is there to look forward to now that Reichel is in the fold as arguably the only legitimate top 6 forward prospect in the system?
Lots, actually. Let’s look at some sound bytes from last night to help whet your appetite.
Quotes from Blackhawks Vice President of Amateur Scouting Mark Kelley:
"He exceeded their expectations and then he made the team as an important part of the team." (on Reichel’s ability to play at the pro level in the German Elite League rather than on an U-20 team)
"He has a lean, long body. He has good bone structure. He has a body that can carry more muscle than he has right now. He's not a small kid. He's not a really a slight kid, but you can see the potential for that body to grow."
"The thing that stands out is his hockey IQ and his ability to make plays. Because of the IQ, his ability to play with skill players, we think he has the potential to be an impact player and play in the top six.
"Very inclusive." (on Reichel’s hockey IQ)
Quotes from Reichel himself:
"My game style is maybe like Elias Petterson because I’m not the biggest guy, not the strongest guy on the ice, but I’m a smart guy, I’m a good skater and I like to shoot."
"When I was young, my favorite player was always Patrick Kane."
"My favorite team was always Chicago. Now I’m a Blackhawk, too, and that’s so awesome."
"Two years." (after being asked when he expects to make it it to the NHL)
--
ROUNDING OUT
Now that Round 1 is complete, we can shift focus to Rounds 2-7. Bowman himself proclaims this year’s draft being deep in talent through the 3rd. The Hawks have one 2nd round pick and two 3rd round picks. Then the remaining rounds they have one each in the 4th, 5th, and 6th but none in the 7th.
Here is a list of prospects to watch:
At forward, keep an eye on Colby Ambrosio, Brett Berard, Blake Biondi, Thomas Bordeleau, Luke Evangelista, Sean Farrell, Theodor Niederbach, Ryder Rolston, Artem Schlaine, and Daniel Torgersson.
On the blueline, my list of hopefuls include Ethan Edwards, Helge Grans, Daemon Hunt, Tyler Kleven, and William Villeneuve.
I wouldn’t be upset if the Hawks drafted defensemen Emil Andrae and Topi Niemela but they don’t fulfill a need as they are offensively talented mail carriers.
And for netminders, I would consider Joel Blomqvist, Drew Commesso, and Nicolas Daws.
--
See you on the boards!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»