I have waited to chime in on the prospects.
John, read what you wrote and understand completely to your reasoning in matters of prospect accession.
We all know that most draft years provide only of few rare impact players, some top line guys, and despite the pre-draft hype mostly quality NHL players who more or less get picked in the top 13 slots.
If you are good, you don't get the same assurances teams picking earlier do. Even if the teams mess up and guys selected later come on quicker or the pass on what later is clearly a better player, by and large, they do get a rostered guy eventually.
Some draft years that might happen for almost the entire round.
Other years if you are picking where the hawks have, you judge character, toolbox and skills in junior and have to hope the young guy has the gumption, head, and tenacity to not quit on their dream.
I may have followed/watched many of the names you mentioned more than most, but have always been the first to say, "Cool your jets, JJ! -Danault woun't be there THAT quick."
The March TT love fest was my most recent.
It is nice to think each team's goal is to select a top six wing/top three defender each draft. But the development and maturation process is transparent by simply looking at Edmonton.
We all know the arrival of Shaw as a spot player role guy has been a big addition.
And it is impossible to dismiss Brandon Saad as an equal to any of the past drafts selections in the late top ten.
To me Saad has lots and lots of upside.
And I am very willing to agree with you that there is NO budding superstar down on the farm.
To me, Saad was that guy potentially and time will tell if he can continue to elevate his game, No he is not MacKinnon -
few are.
And no he isn't the fireball spark that Drouin might be.
But you usually
draft really low for those types, right, so no reason for them to be in the conversation.
I think there has be a big emphasis put on drafting for guys that can play to their speed, whether they are speedsters, or guys that need to get going first, but once going,
can handle & work with the puck quickly and effectively.
So now the guy who adamantly preached the slow path to the NHL (the way the wings still really adhere to), me is going to defend the development of McNeill, Danault, and Hartman.
To me it is a moot point to decide at this juncture that they are going to occupy bottom six slots. It doesn't matter right now. NO gimmes, but pretty good indication they are gonna play when strong enough and instinctive enough.
Their inner toughness tells me there aren't quiting.
and tell you what I feel as they do develop in Rockford, they will be guys who will be able to play up and down the forward lines.
You don't have to go further than
http://www2.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/
and just peek at say the second line on most NHL teams and you find players of similar ilk making the other two guys a better fit.
So, maybe we don't see the next future 8 mil cap forward there...
and when the Ducks started Ryan Getzlaf for his first full season, three and a half years after drafting him, they probably didn't feel he was gonna want it so badly that he would eventually be a 8 million plus Cap either.
And if each and every Hawk prospect there now or not there yet craps the bed, I think we know what they will do...they trade a top defender for a top forward to make up for it play with "depth" guys in the 5-7 slots.
Or they make room sweep salaries and sign a nice UFA because you still have Toews, Kane and a franchise players want to come to.
I just don't see the panic. Hawks’ current prospect pipeline doesn't have to produce players equal to those they have on their NHL roster, but you would LIKE it to.
There are no guarantees.
I could argue that San Jose's centre Logan Couture hasn't reached the status of their top guys...it doesn't amount to anything. The depth you surround Couture with along with skill determines his impact and their success.
There are many youngsters already in Chicago to build around.
I am certain the the depth and relative upside of the Rockford group ensures they are btter off than mosy organizations.
and don't let that cap hit of the Dymanic Duo scare you.
It is easy to feel these giant 10.5 million deals handcuff things.
(Granted, right now there is need for space)
I just think that you are going to be very surprised by thr jump the Cap will be taken over the course of the next seasons.
That TV deal in Canada is a huge injection of money to each team.
And of course the owners are not going to want to share dollar for dollar with the players. There will be enough to go around.
Oh, and I think that all those low bars you set for the Hawk babies are understandable and good way to proceed thinking about them, but I think it won't take long inro November to see if Johns is a whole lot better than your scouts think, and we will know if the others are progressing because it cerainly looks like a much stronger AHL roster overall.
