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Top-10 Prospects : Blackhawks (1-10) |
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The Blackhawks are a very interesting team, not only because they’ve now won two Cups with that crazy core, but because they’ve continued to retool on the fly several times and continually seem to pull new role players and young talent out of their rear. Andrew Shaw, Bryan Bickell (ok not so young), Brandon Saad, Marcus Krüger and so on keep coming out of the wood work to pick up the torches left by other players like Ladd, Big Buff and Versteeg. This time around Bolland and Frolik are the two Cup winners out and luckily the Bhawks have some candidates to replace them immediately.
I’m interested in their drafting strategy because with so much top-end talent already on the club, they’ve been able to draft for need and have targeted a lot of two-way threats as a real trend for the team, probably knowing that down the line the bottom-six will need changes and some might develop into replacements for Sharp and Hossa.
As per usual this list doesn’t include players with 50+ NHL game experience or a player who played the vast majority of this shortened year and became a “legitimate NHLer.” So that is why Saad does not make an appearance on this list in case you were wondering.
1. Teuvo Teräväinen : Centre/Left Wing, 18th Overall, 2012, 18 years old, 5’11 177lbs, Jokerit in the SM-liiga
Teräväinen is easily the Blackhawks best prospect; he oozes a ton of offensive creativity and has continually shown improvements. In his draft year his late birthday (5 days from the 2013 draft cut-off) had him as a second rounder for much of the season until nearing the very end when scouts were placing him in their top-10 as he really came on strong to end his domestic season and had an excellent U18 tournament (ended up winning the SM-liiga Rookie of the Year). He has fantastic on-ice vision and excellent hockey IQ as well as very good puck-handling. On the PP he controls the game and lets his awareness and smarts shine. The issues are that he is still extremely physically weak and that against physical opponents he sometimes shies away to the perimeter. That probably won’t be a factor in a few seasons once he isn’t built like a 13 year old, but he was always billed as a bit of a longer term prospect due to his size and extreme young age for his draft. Not sure if he will make the NHL as a centre, like guys like Kessel, Kane and Parise his game might be better suited for the wing at the next level. He will be expected to play the starring role (if Barkov is in Florida and not sent back) for Finland in the U20’s this season and he’ll look to continue developing his defensive game for Jokerit.
Potential : Top-Six Scorer
2. Phillip Danault : Centre, 26th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 6’0 186lbs, Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL
Danault is something the Blackhawks will be looking for down the line as he’s been consistently one of the best if not the best defensive forward in the QMJHL for the past three seasons. He has a high compete level and is one of the peskiest players when hounding for the puck. He has really nice start up speed which is something that has really helped him become a penalty killing expert. The main questions are whether his offensive game will be strong enough in the NHL which will determine his ultimate potential. He’s shown some strong playmaking abilities, but his shot still isn’t great and he takes a load of low percentage weak shots (Jason Blake Syndrome). There is almost no doubt in my mind that he’s a future NHLer, and likely a defensive specialist that can help shutdown a big line, it’s whether he can take the next step that is the question. He’ll play in the AHL next season.
Potential : Could be a Second Line Centre if things go right, more likely an excellent shutdown Third Line Centre
3. Jeremy Morin : Right Wing, 45th Overall, 2009, 22 years old, 6’1 196lbs, Rockford IceHogs in the AHL
Morin was a key part of the Byfuglien trade and is known as a potential power forward. He excels at special teams play both on the PP and PK, and is a threat at any time. He has a big slap shot one-timer which is extremely effective on the PP. He plays a power game and while he’s dealt with some health issues earlier in his career, he’s been healthy and showing why he has an elite shot. His skating has improved, though he will never be more than average which might be a detractor at the next level. One thing I’ve been really surprised at is how good he is on the penalty kill and how he was one of the most dangerous scorers because of his anticipation. His 30 goals were good for fifth place in the AHL. Next season he might finally make the Blackhawks fulltime after having a few brief stints.
Potential : Top-Six Power Forward
4. Mark McNeill : Centre/Right Wing, 18th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 6’2 215lbs, Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL
Once again like Danault he’s still a bit of a tweener and has some question marks as to his ultimate offensive potential. He’s a physical two-way centre (though has played a lot of wing) that has shown a lot of leadership abilities and gets praise from scouts and his coach for that. His offensive game hasn’t really developed as well as most wanted, though for the most part he has had to be the talisman of offense for the Raiders who have not been a strong team, and I think it is evident he’s more of a complimentary guy going forward. His defensive game is very strong, he hits hard and often, he’s very strong at puck protection and cycling, so he will probably find his way into the NHL based on that alone. His skating still needs work though he isn’t bad in that aspect. He still has a lot of tools and the size to go with it to fulfill the 2nd line potential they were probably hoping for in 2011, though at this point being a great third liner is more likely. Next season he will start in the AHL.
Potential : 2nd/3rd Line Two-Way Centre
5. Adam Clendening : Defenseman, 36th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 6’0 197lbs, Rockford IceHogs in the AHL
After the AHL season he had I kind of want to put Clendening higher, but those lapses in his own end are still a concern. He had just an excellent rookie season in the AHL and was one of the top offensive defenders in the league. He was one of the top PP specialists in the AHL and had 17 assists and 6 goals on what was one of the best PP’s in the AHL. A few of the other prospects on this list helped that out, but it was Clendening who was the QB. He has a ton of offensive creativity and there are times he can make plays out of nothing. His skating was a bit of a knock on him when he was originally drafted, but by all accounts he’s drastically improved in that area and is very mobile. The major concerns are in his own end, he’s a guy who thinks a little too much of going into the offensive zone, he tries to pressure plays sometimes and force the movement, which causes turnovers and oops they scored. It shouldn’t be really held against him as a 20 year old rookie in the AHL for making mistakes and getting burned on high risk plays, it’s something that he will be working on and hopefully as he matures so will that aspect of his game. If he can fix some of the holes he could be a serious top-four defender, even if he doesn’t fix his game overall, considering some of the flak Keith gets from Blackhawk fans over his PP abilities they should be very keen on Clendening. Next season he will play in the AHL again and see if he can build on a great rookie season.
Potential : Top-Four Offensive Defenseman
6. Ryan Hartman : Right Wing, 30th Overall, 2013, 18 years old, 5’11 185lbs, Plymouth Whalers in the OHL
Hartman made a rather seamless shift to the OHL, something that has caused several highly skilled American/European players issues, (Tinordi, Miller, Saad, Tlusty, Campbell and a whole host of others), one reason for this is his style is perfect for the CHL game. He’s a bulldog who gives his all and plays bigger than his 5’11 stature. The 18 year old did yeoman’s work for the United States in the U20’s being the youngest player on their squad, he added 2 goals and an assist while playing on the second PK unit and leading the team in hits. His physicality and relentless forecheck are major pluses on his side, but he has been known to go overboard and throw the cheapshots. He’s hard to play against and can burn you on the score sheet as a complimentary player. Some question his offensive upside though; which is why he’s slipped in most rankings from his projected 15-18 ranking to 30th. He can play in all situations and brings it all over the ice, if he wasn’t 5’11 there would be very few question marks. Could be a real steal in that Chicago system, ad next season he will play again in Plymouth.
Potential : 2nd/3rd Line Power Forward
7. Brandon Pirri : Centre, 59th Overall, 2008, 22 years old, 5’11 174lbs, Rockford IceHogs in the AHL
The leading scorer in the AHL might finally be ready for primetime, and I think most fans are hoping he is their answer as the second line centre. He’s continued to improve each season offensively and has shown some excellent playmaking abilities and really top flight puck possession. He loves to control the puck and handle it, one of the reasons he doesn’t play well on the wing and needs to be a centre to be effective. His physical game is improving and he was throwing more hits than ever last season, but he’s still pretty slight of build. His skating has improved, but it’s still a bit of a concern, and I worry that at the NHL level he would really only be effective on the PP. Next season he will either steal that second line position from Kruger or Handzus, or he will start again in the AHL.
Potential : Second Line Centre or Bust
8. Antti Raanta : Goalie, Undrafted, 24 years old, 6’0 187lbs, Ässät in the SM-liiga
Raanta was one of the big free agent goalies from Europe this season. He had a dominating season both domestically and internationally. He was the SM-liiga Best Goaltender, Best Player in the Playoffs, Best Player in the Regular Season as Ässät won the championship. He also started for Finland at the WC’s and was one of the better goalies in the tournament. Like all free agent goalies, especially those who have an abnormally great season out of the blue there are major question marks…we all remember “The Monster.” However he was a free asset and the Blackhawks did pretty well with that other no name Niemi and he didn’t even win a boatload of awards at any point in his SM-liiga career. Next season he will start in the AHL to get acclimatized to the North American game.
Potential : Who really knows at this point…might be a starter?
9. Dillon Fournier : Defenseman, 48th Overall, 2012, 19 years old, 6’2 184lbs, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL
Fournier is a really good skater and likes to rush the puck. He does have some offensive upside, but aside from the pretty good shot he has, his passing isn’t the greatest, so you have to wonder if that offense will translate. Defensively he’s pretty good; his skating really helps in that regard. He has a tendency to make some risky plays. He plays a physical game, but he isn’t built for that yet as he’s still in need of major bulking up if he wants to play like that at the next level. Next season he will play his final season in the Q.
Potential : 4-6 Two-Way Defenseman
10. Joakim Nordström : Centre, 90th Overall, 2010, 21 years old, 6'2 192lbs, AIK in the Elitserien
Nordström made the move to the AHL after his season ended in Sweden. He's a very talented two-way player who has very quick feet and shiftiness. He can play on the penalty kill and is very responsible all over the ice. He was also a very strong face-off man in Sweden. He scores a lot of garbage goals around the net, but overall his shot isn't that good. He throws a few hits, but positioning is his real strength. His offensive upside isn't all that high, though he hasn't had many chances in an offensive role so far in his young career. He needs to gain strength to make the NHL.
Potential : Bottom-Six Two-Way Centre
Notables :
Kevin Hayes (Not a fan, don’t really see much out of him other than his size, kind of a gentle giant with a good defensive game, as a first round pick and at 21 he’s been a big disappointment in the NCAA, he’ll play his final year at Boston College next season, hopefully he can get some phantom assists off of Johnny Gaudreau)
Jimmy Hayes (6’6 winger, had a taste of the NHL, wish he would be more physical with that crazy size and strength he possesses, his a bit inconsistent with the offense though could be a quality third line guy in a few years)
Dylan Olsen (Not having the best development pattern, though at 22 is still young, he was always a gamble of a pick coming out of the AJHL…might not have worked out, could still be a 5-6 defender baring some massive improvement)
Ben Smith (Probably the most NHL ready of the group, he’s a bit undersized but fearless and a real sparkplug player, will likely never be more than a bottom-six guy, but he shows heart and that’s all the Hawks need from him)
Stephen Johns (Mobile 6’4 defender, brings a big of a mean streak, has played three solid seasons in the NCAA, seems like he’s staying one more year before going pro)
Maxim Shalunov (Big, inconsistent winger, had a poor season domestically though made the U20’s as a bottom-six player, sometimes flashes some real talent and a world class wrist shot, doesn’t bring it every game, is a long shot as an NHLer)
Kyle Beach (Starting to look more and more like a bust unfortunately, the 11th overall pick in 2008 is 23 and hasn’t found his scoring touch in the pro level, he still hits hard and will fight so he could make a living as a bottom-six guy if he’s lucky)
Thanks for reading. Coyotes up next, then the Rangers on Monday.
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