I knew something was fishy when Rutger McGroarty decided to go back to Michigan for a third season.

He's clearly ready to come out.

If he's dealt, some team is getting a real asset on the ice and in the room. Kid's a serious leader.

Per Cam Robinson

He goes on to say

Let’s just say that if the Jets are bringing him up in talks (as reported) then it’s very likely it’s because the player isn’t happy

College game now with the LIV money will give these kids more power to decide who they want to play for.

Oh and Paul if this is true does this mean he has no integrity like Cutter? Since it seems you are the ethics/integrity specialist here.

They're going to want to resign Stamkos right?
They'll probably need some cap room for that.
Wouldn't it be better to maybe try and pry Cirelli ?
His contract/term/age fit what the Blackhawks are doing,right?
- captainserious

TB is still cup hunting so Cirelli would be a deal breaker

Or maybe that what they want you to think

- vabeachbear

Considering he weighed in over 190 and is over 6 feet tall i think he's going to be a Blackhawk. His ability with the puck on his stick is undeniable.

I knew something was fishy when Rutger McGroarty decided to go back to Michigan for a third season.

He's clearly ready to come out.

If he's dealt, some team is getting a real asset on the ice and in the room. Kid's a serious leader.

Per Cam Robinson

He goes on to say

Let’s just say that if the Jets are bringing him up in talks (as reported) then it’s very likely it’s because the player isn’t happy

College game now with the LIV money will give these kids more power to decide who they want to play for.

Oh and Paul if this is true does this mean he has no integrity like Cutter? Since it seems you are the ethics/integrity specialist here.
- BetweenTheDots

The Saudi's are into hockey now?

The Saudi's are into hockey now?
- mohel

Oops nice catch

I knew something was fishy when Rutger McGroarty decided to go back to Michigan for a third season.

He's clearly ready to come out.

If he's dealt, some team is getting a real asset on the ice and in the room. Kid's a serious leader.

Per Cam Robinson

He goes on to say

Let’s just say that if the Jets are bringing him up in talks (as reported) then it’s very likely it’s because the player isn’t happy

College game now with the LIV money will give these kids more power to decide who they want to play for.

Oh and Paul if this is true does this mean he has no integrity like Cutter? Since it seems you are the ethics/integrity specialist here.
- BetweenTheDots

Do s that mean Ryan Greene doesn’t want to sign with the Hawks? He decided to go back for his third year

Do s that mean Ryan Greene doesn’t want to sign with the Hawks? He decided to go back for his third year
- LAHawk

Maybe, i don't know. Then again we aren't hearing the Blackhawks shopping him around either. I know many fear the Russian factor but it seems to me kids that go to college sign less with the teams that drafted them than the Russians do.

Not the question. The question is “is Demidov better than Levshunov?” It’s an obviously silly question because they play different positions. It will all come down to what the Hawks brass holds in higher regard, and what they are willing to overlook in terms of risk.

I’ll also posit that this draft pick won’t make or break the Hawks. The depth they are able to build will be the most important IMO.
- Chunk

Couple things here, Chunk. Do we really know that the two choices for the Hawks are Demidov and Levshunov? I really doubt the Hawks have leaked anything so even though a beat writer like Powers, who's close to the organIzation, says it's between the two players I doubt we really know.

Not hard to see the Hawks liking Lindstrom or Buium. I'm not at all bought into Demidov and Levshunov are indeed the two choices KD has narrowed it down to.

Pick won't make or break the club? Maybe not but let's assume Demidov ends up a 100 pt NHLer or Levshunov a better Doughty. Would having a player like that, or not, make or break a club? ...... You could overcome not having such a player I suppose but the path is much smoother with better odds if you have an elite difference maker like that.

My mantra for the club last yr was do no harm. This yr it's you can't miss on the #2 cuz there is a difference maker there and I want him on the Hawks.

The Saudi's are into hockey now?
- mohel

They do got hockey over that way --- about 15 years ago - the captain of the team I was on in the Sydney area had played for a team from Dubai ... (it was news to me that they had rinks there)... so - who knows? I guess it might be possibility...

I think they are leaning Demidov. Demi is head and shoulders better than the next available forward. Levshunov is barely ahead of 3 or 4 other Defensemen
- wizardofi

I've been reading some damn fine posts during the prospects/draft talk threads the last little while here. As a jrs fan I love seeing it.

Want to add something about Levshunov. Firstly, and despite going to jrs games for 15 yrs, I always have to remind myself, especially with the advantage of hindsight, it's not how good a player is at 17/18 it's how good they are at 25. It is very real and very hard to determine.

After having seen Lev and Buium, Parekh and D!ckinson too, in plenty of games real time and clips if you asked me I could choose one to play for the Gold in one game tomorrow it would be Buium. But, if you asked me which one to play in the same game in 2030 I can't say but gun to my head it's Buium.

There is no doubt Levshunov has size, + skating, better than average hands, a fantastic tool kit that crustly old scouts love and project very highly. More so than the rest of the D prospects. .....

IMO we have to squint a bit projecting Levshunov whereas you don't with Buium or D!ckinson. IMO they are farther along in their development and we can see that but the crusty old hockey people rank Lev highest.

Over the yrs I've come to give those guys a lotta consideration and they like Levshunov and I really can see why but I planted my flag with Buium being the best outa this class when all is said and done.

I haven't really moved in being fine with Lev, Buium, D!ckinson or Lindstrom being the Hawks pick with Demidov being the best BPA. ....... If the Hawks land on Demidov will come and play here and take him I'm beyond thrilled. Kid is a Datsyuk.

I’m also including guys they’ve already picked. I’ve vomited this so many times I’m sure I’ll get censored, but they’ve made 22 picks in the last two years, with a crap ton of those on the first three rounds. If they hit in 30% of those and add two more this year, that’s a great start.
- Chunk

Right on, Chunk. Would anyone have said Connor Brown was impactful during the regular season? Would anyone say he's made an impact of the Finals?

That is depth even though he didn't come up with EDM. ..... 5 yrs from now the Hawks have a real shot at 4 line depth with guys waiting their turn. With an upper 1/4 of an elite 4 man core you can do some damage.

Maybe, i don't know. Then again we aren't hearing the Blackhawks shopping him around either. I know many fear the Russian factor but it seems to me kids that go to college sign less with the teams that drafted them than the Russians do.
- BetweenTheDots

Players that NCAA out should go back into the draft an not be free agents. I know, they would be a little old but still...

Yea this debate sucks just because someone feels what the Blackhawks did was unethical, he thinks everyone else should feel the same way.

I'll also add, i think I'm a pretty stand up guy myself, i only raised my nephew and nieces 8, 11 and 12 years old because my sister lost her way. Didn't ask the gov for any help other than claiming them on my taxes and providing for them as i did for my own children.
- BetweenTheDots

From the side of the tracks I've lived my life on that's indeed what we call it. A stand up guy....... God bless you and your wife, Dots!

Wonderful you never needed the gumment to help you out but good to know the help was there for those little kids if you didn't stand up, Dots.

I've been reading some damn fine posts during the prospects/draft talk threads the last little while here. As a jrs fan I love seeing it.

Want to add something about Levshunov. Firstly, and despite going to jrs games for 15 yrs, I always have to remind myself, especially with the advantage of hindsight, it's not how good a player is at 17/18 it's how good they are at 25. It is very real and very hard to determine.

After having seen Lev and Buium, Parekh and D!ckinson too, in plenty of games real time and clips if you asked me I could choose one to play for the Gold in one game tomorrow it would be Buium. But, if you asked me which one to play in the same game in 2030 I can't say but gun to my head it's Buium.

There is no doubt Levshunov has size, + skating, better than average hands, a fantastic tool kit that crustly old scouts love and project very highly. More so than the rest of the D prospects. .....

IMO we have to squint a bit projecting Levshunov whereas you don't with Buium or D!ckinson. IMO they are farther along in their development and we can see that but the crusty old hockey people rank Lev highest.

Over the yrs I've come to give those guys a lotta consideration and they like Levshunov and I really can see why but I planted my flag with Buium being the best outa this class when all is said and done.

I haven't really moved in being fine with Lev, Buium, D!ckinson or Lindstrom being the Hawks pick with Demidov being the best BPA. ....... If the Hawks land on Demidov will come and play here and take him I'm beyond thrilled. Kid is a Datsyuk.
- Mr Ricochet

Excellent breakdown. Thanks. You're seeing what I have been hearing

Florida will have last change. And if they can get their top six playing against a Nurse/Ceci pairing that could make the difference. Momentum not as prominent with two days between games.
- 6628

Nurse is playing with Broberg and probably that will remain the same. Momentum won't mean much at this point, it's more about who has more top end talent and who is digging deeper.

I've been reading some damn fine posts during the prospects/draft talk threads the last little while here. As a jrs fan I love seeing it.

Want to add something about Levshunov. Firstly, and despite going to jrs games for 15 yrs, I always have to remind myself, especially with the advantage of hindsight, it's not how good a player is at 17/18 it's how good they are at 25. It is very real and very hard to determine.

After having seen Lev and Buium, Parekh and D!ckinson too, in plenty of games real time and clips if you asked me I could choose one to play for the Gold in one game tomorrow it would be Buium. But, if you asked me which one to play in the same game in 2030 I can't say but gun to my head it's Buium.

There is no doubt Levshunov has size, + skating, better than average hands, a fantastic tool kit that crustly old scouts love and project very highly. More so than the rest of the D prospects. .....

IMO we have to squint a bit projecting Levshunov whereas you don't with Buium or D!ckinson. IMO they are farther along in their development and we can see that but the crusty old hockey people rank Lev highest.

Over the yrs I've come to give those guys a lotta consideration and they like Levshunov and I really can see why but I planted my flag with Buium being the best outa this class when all is said and done.

I haven't really moved in being fine with Lev, Buium, D!ckinson or Lindstrom being the Hawks pick with Demidov being the best BPA. ....... If the Hawks land on Demidov will come and play here and take him I'm beyond thrilled. Kid is a Datsyuk.
- Mr Ricochet

Is buium remid you of Makar?
who of all the possible defenseman has that type of skill set that who Im taking
If so Im all in and maybe the hawks trade back to say 4 or 5
Saying demidov is datsyuk just makes the decision that much more complicated plus the fact he is actually 6' 1" tall

You all know how I love arguing with Pronman’s “opinions” so I looked over his skaters list, so
John Mustard is faster than anyone,
Jett Luchanko, is one.
Trevor Connelly, when he carries, is the most elusive prospect period.
Zeev Buium is a far better skater than the guys he listed.
Lucas Petterson
Cole Huston (how U think he gets it done?)
Tig Iginla…how is he not on this list?
I would not be disappointed if he was a hawk b/c his skating with the puck with his balance in traffic and East-West work on his edges is exceptional.
Ian Demidov - yup I wrote it.
Despite my issues with his inability to use his right skate’s outside edges, he uses that superb lateral jump cut and East-West motions to leave defenders “flat-skated” unable to follow.

And Corey took his real nerd photo off the Athletic, replacing it with his hip beard look…lipstick on a pig and all that…
- wiz1901

You know Wiz, a few yrs ago you and I messaged about evaluating prospects and I said I have a flaw that everything I see is thru a goalie's eyes and that has got to be flawed to an extent, and I have blind spots cuz of it. I hope I've evolved a tad, guess you could have worse flaws, but a kid like Demidov to my eyes, a goalie's eyes, is freaky dangerous, a truly rare player like Datsyuk was. A player that as a goalie scares the sh!t outa you no matter where he is on the ice.

My experience makes me not over think a kid like this. Don't care about his size, speed, strength, shot, any measurable really, or how he does what he does he's dangerous like few are. I don't over think that.

But, I will listen to those who know that says his skating is a possible injury issue and I know this from experience. The few times I fought, or scrummed, as a goalie the outward position of my skates, due to the goalie pads, to give me leverage could be felt as a strain on my knees. Every time.

Guess the fancy word for pointing your blades outward is called the tomahawk and Demidov uses that to slither, jump, deceive with gears to carve up defenses/structure. If indeed that causes his legs/knees to be vulnerable it's a concern although I don't know if it does one way or the other.
.

If Demidov is the pick no amount of glee, if he comes over, is too much IMO.

Couple things here, Chunk. Do we really know that the two choices for the Hawks are Demidov and Levshunov? I really doubt the Hawks have leaked anything so even though a beat writer like Powers, who's close to the organIzation, says it's between the two players I doubt we really know.

Not hard to see the Hawks liking Lindstrom or Buium. I'm not at all bought into Demidov and Levshunov are indeed the two choices KD has narrowed it down to.

Pick won't make or break the club? Maybe not but let's assume Demidov ends up a 100 pt NHLer or Levshunov a better Doughty. Would having a player like that, or not, make or break a club? ...... You could overcome not having such a player I suppose but the path is much smoother with better odds if you have an elite difference maker like that.

My mantra for the club last yr was do no harm. This yr it's you can't miss on the #2 cuz there is a difference maker there and I want him on the Hawks.
- Mr Ricochet

No, but the question posed was something along the lines of who is the BPA at #2? I made the rhetorical statement “is Demidov better than Levshunov?” Simply because those are the two most commonly discussed for the Hawks. I know full well you can’t really compare forwards and defensemen, so I wasn’t looking for an actual answer, but trying to make the point that one player isn’t going to change the fate of this team (especially after Bedard was selected).

I’m to the point now that I don’t really care who they select. He will very likely be a very good and important piece of the team for many years. The more important development is the team KD puts around the top picks. As always… IMO

I wish he would. The woke crowd will go nuts, of course none of them ever did anything at 16 yrs old they were sorry for and wouldn't redo the situation if they had the chance...................

Everyone here who does the same, should think back to when they were 16 what they did, what they might have said about others, and think about if there was a cell phone or social media to track all you did

- vabeachbear

You dont make decisions based on the woke crowd. You wont ever appease them because they are haters.
The Hawks have the organization and the structure after the Beach disaster to draft this kid if hes available
Lets not forget what the woke crowd wanted to do to a falsely accused Patrick Kane

Is buium remid you of Makar?
who of all the possible defenseman has that type of skill set that who Im taking
If so Im all in and maybe the hawks trade back to say 4 or 5
Saying demidov is datsyuk just makes the decision that much more complicated plus the fact he is actually 6' 1" tall
- molly2522

Even if Demidov were out of the equation the decision is complicated due to the multiple players of great quality inside the top 7 of this draft. A couple Dmen that can be reasonably projected as #1 pairing guys and forwards like Lindstrom and for me Catton. Then add Demidov to the riddle.

No, Buium doesn't not remind me of Makar. Firstly, Makar is probably the top Dman in the world but in style, no cuz as good a skater as Buium is he's not at Makar's level. .... IMO Buium is a ++ skater with + hands his IQ is elite in all 3 zones and his best trait. It makes him dangerous even at his own endline cuz he's gonna make the right decision. I see his ceiling of a Josi but better in all 3 zones.

If there is a player that can even become a Makar lite it's Parekh. Paul and I, Paul's seen him live multiple times, agree he's taken a step back in our own rankings after having seen him play in the Memorial Cup playoffs.

He was injured early in the playoffs and been scratched because of it so we can't know if he was healthy but the kid was nowhere near his dangerous self leaving lots of open ice to wrist one from 35 ft or pass. Didn't jump in as the 4th forward like he did 5-6-7 times a game as he put up an incredible 96 pts in the OHL, the best jr league on earth.


But the kid displays exceptional, maybe even rare, offensive IQ. Just like Makar.

Nurse is playing with Broberg and probably that will remain the same. Momentum won't mean much at this point, it's more about who has more top end talent and who is digging deeper.
- breadbag

BB, with Ceci back last game I thought I saw Nurse with Ceci and Broberg with Ekholm. No?......... But I agree, as the commentators have pointed out, Nurse has been really good paired with Broberg.

From the side of the tracks I've lived my life on that's indeed what we call it. A stand up guy....... God bless you and your wife, Dots!

Wonderful you never needed the gumment to help you out but good to know the help was there for those little kids if you didn't stand up, Dots.
- Mr Ricochet

Thanks Rico, we were blessed to be financially and structurally sound to take on these kids. Yea my girl is a good woman

I guess I'm going to eat my words about Demidov being drafted outside the top 10. I don't know if it's all the love for him out there or when i watch his high lights he reminds me a lot of Kane the way he commands the puck on his stick. After his weight in, i see the Blackhawks drafting him 2nd OA.

No, but the question posed was something along the lines of who is the BPA at #2? I made the rhetorical statement “is Demidov better than Levshunov?” Simply because those are the two most commonly discussed for the Hawks. I know full well you can’t really compare forwards and defensemen, so I wasn’t looking for an actual answer, but trying to make the point that one player isn’t going to change the fate of this team (especially after Bedard was selected).

I’m to the point now that I don’t really care who they select. He will very likely be a very good and important piece of the team for many years. The more important development is the team KD puts around the top picks. As always… IMO
- Chunk

Yes, you guys were talking about the pick being between Levshunov or Demidov. My point is it's reasonable to wonder if it's a Buium, Lindstrom or even Siliyev or D!ckinson. I'm not at all convinced the pick is between Lev or Demidov.

But, the Hawks are probably having to make a decision, comparing, on a forward or D. If they see Lev as a Doughty, Demidov as a Datsyuk, Buium as a Josi, D!ckinson as a Shea Weber or Lindstrom as a Peter Forsberg they are comparing and deciding between a forward and D.

Do I not understand you, Chunk?

You dont make decisions based on the woke crowd. You wont ever appease them because they are haters.
The Hawks have the organization and the structure after the Beach disaster to draft this kid if hes available
Lets not forget what the woke crowd wanted to do to a falsely accused Patrick Kane
- molly2522

Excellent point, imo.

Waddell open to moving 4th pick

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...erall-pick-in-right-deal/