Theo Fox: Top Prospects: Forwards
Part 1 of a 3-part series reviewing the Blackhawks prospect rankings.

Today: Forwards
Wednesday: Defensemen
Friday: Goalies

Wow Numero Uno

Gotta be honest, kinda Meh, looking at that list.

# 2
Let's hope someone from this list goes be on expectations! Let's hope we can trade a Keith for another first for drafting another forward.

Thanks for article Theo!

Maybe a good year to secure another top 5 draft pick--need some top end talent in the system.

Lots of bottom and middle six (which, to me, means mostly 3rd line) - only one too-6 (which, to me, means could be 1st line) - and he’s two years out.

What I’d like to see (which is probably too much even for a hard working blogger like you who posts at 3 / 4 AM but who does have another life out there) is some kind of deep comparison of Blackhawk prospects with those of other teams. We like this guy in “our” system, that guy looks pretty good, the guy over there isn’t likely to make it - but when they do or don’t get here, they’re gonna be playing against Nadhville’s “today prospects”, and St. Louis’, and Minnesota’s, and Dallas’...are they likely to be able to compete?

Good blog, Theo.

So, bottom & middle projection players. Not so good. I guess that's what low drafting for awhile gets you. I wonder if there is a deeper problem. Is it just the player? Is it his development? Is it his ceiling is just determined? A culmination of these?

Lots of bottom and middle six (which, to me, means mostly 3rd line) - only one too-6 (which, to me, means could be 1st line) - and he’s two years out.

What I’d like to see (which is probably too much even for a hard working blogger like you who posts at 3 / 4 AM but who does have another life out there) is some kind of deep comparison of Blackhawk prospects with those of other teams. We like this guy in “our” system, that guy looks pretty good, the guy over there isn’t likely to make it - but when they do or don’t get here, they’re gonna be playing against Nadhville’s “today prospects”, and St. Louis’, and Minnesota’s, and Dallas’...are they likely to be able to compete?
- StLBravesFan

And identifying other teams' top F prospects can lead to some trade scenarios using the Hawks D prospects. Hawks have to obtain some young top F talent since they have the market cornered on the bottom 6 types.

Looks like a prospect pick for the old Los Angeles Kings. Did Stan and staff spend too much time trying to fill the grit that the Hawks have lacked for the past few years, and forgot about the best talent first part?

Nice write up Theo. As far as that list, just wow, we must have the weakest group of forward prospects in the league.

I saw Slavin play a number of times with the Steel, and liked his game a lot. He did seem more interested in winning battles, retrieving the puck and feeding his line mates than he did in taking advantage of his own scoring opportunities. I'm interested to see how he develops over a few years at Colorado College.

Entwistle
, look forward to seeing him in Chicago this season after the Hawks fall out of playoff consideration.

The bad news: that's a pretty sorry prospect list.
The good news: that sorry list didn't include Dach and DCat who will be major pieces in the future core group.

If there's a takeaway - it's the need for the Hawks to be bad for a couple years to get a couple top-10 draft picks.

Oh my Theo....why you make this list.

I was Just getting over the joy of seeing Mercer unexpectedly available as our 1st round pick......just to see us pass him up for Reichel. Now I see this.

Hope the heck Reichel pans out, because I see Mercer popping in goals for the Devils by 21-22....and being a top line player for many years.

I saw Slavin play a number of times with the Steel, and liked his game a lot. He did seem more interested in winning battles, retrieving the puck and feeding his line mates than he did in taking advantage of his own scoring opportunities. I'm interested to see how he develops over a few years at Colorado College.

Entwistle
, look forward to seeing him in Chicago this season after the Hawks fall out of playoff consideration.
- scottak

So, by week 3 or 4?????

Good blog, Theo.

So, bottom & middle projection players. Not so good. I guess that's what low drafting for awhile gets you. I wonder if there is a deeper problem. Is it just the player? Is it his development? Is it his ceiling is just determined? A culmination of these?
- I Am The Breadman

Some of the questions you’ve asked I think are a bit difficult to answer without maybe another year going by.

Dent was the farm team coach til 2017 and the system didn’t seem to produce much, so was some of that drafting? Him? Colliton was there for a year I think and now you have King, so I think we need another year to see what King is doing with players at that level, before giving the farm system and recent drafts a thumbs up or down.

The Hawks have generally done a decent job drafting in the first round even while drafting lower.

The attention to drafting defense the last few years and the fact that 2 of the best offensive talents drafted (12 and 77) are with the big club paints a bit better overall picture, for me anyway.

Oh my Theo....why you make this list.

I was Just getting over the joy of seeing Mercer unexpectedly available as our 1st round pick......just to see us pass him up for Reichel. Now I see this.

Hope the heck Reichel pans out, because I see Mercer popping in goals for the Devils by 21-22....and being a top line player for many years.


- hawk35

I think the Hawks have done fairly well in the first round of the Draft especially compare to the Devils. Just because they didn't take the guy you wanted doesn't mean the guy they did take isn't any good. Bowman and crew do pretty decent in the draft. It's his trades that don't make sense all the time.

This Bowman rebuilding or retooling or whatever plan you want to call it is a tinker toy set with lots of sticks but not enough wheels to make something out of it.

Some of the questions you’ve asked I think are a bit difficult to answer without maybe another year going by.

Dent was the farm team coach til 2017 and the system didn’t seem to produce much, so was some of that drafting? Him? Colliton was there for a year I think and now you have King, so I think we need another year to see what King is doing with players at that level, before giving the farm system and recent drafts a thumbs up or down.

The Hawks have generally done a decent job drafting in the first round even while drafting lower.

The attention to drafting defense the last few years and the fact that 2 of the best offensive talents drafted (12 and 77) are with the big club paints a bit better overall picture, for me anyway.
- HawkintheD

I was focused more on the note of where they project & a good portion just won't ever make the big club. Those I think are balanced with drafted & traded for.

Yeah, hard to gauge with young kids, I do understand. With the multiple coaches, I didn't think of that. Does each coach try to do something else or are there core skills that are taught in Rockford, no matter the coach? I wonder about that ...

12 & 77 are on their way, but got a while to go. Still young & I like their trajectories. 12 is rounding out, but that took away goals. He'll need to bounce back ... but also not bounce around the line-up.

The bad news: that's a pretty sorry prospect list.
The good news: that sorry list didn't include Dach and DCat who will be major pieces in the future core group.

If there's a takeaway - it's the need for the Hawks to be bad for a couple years to get a couple top-10 draft picks.
- EbonyRaptor

In addition to Dach and DeBrincat, there's also Kubalik as a top 6 talent who has 3 or less years of NHL experience.

If Strome and Nylander can bust through to start reaching potential, then that's a few more. Big if with these two but still hope.

Add in Reichel and say 1-2 more possibly on the horizon in the 2011 and/or 2022 drafts, then it's not so bad.

And identifying other teams' top F prospects can lead to some trade scenarios using the Hawks D prospects. Hawks have to obtain some young top F talent since they have the market cornered on the bottom 6 types.
- boilermaker100

Yes, that is an option to always keep in the back pocket. If a D prospect is traded away, though, let's hope for a bit more excitement with the return rather than a repeat of Jokiharju for Nylander.

Nylander could still work things out and hit potential or close to it -- he has the tools -- but there weren't that many who were rejoicing when that trade went down.

And many understood why Jokiharju was traded (for the reason you stated) but the return was a tad underwhelming given the inconsistent effort Nylander has been known for.

Good blog, Theo.

So, bottom & middle projection players. Not so good. I guess that's what low drafting for awhile gets you. I wonder if there is a deeper problem. Is it just the player? Is it his development? Is it his ceiling is just determined? A culmination of these?
- I Am The Breadman

My take is it's mainly on the limits of the player. The more recent draft picks have a common thread of stronger compete level and dedication to defense but that still doesn't heighten their ceiling, hence, a glut of middle and bottom 6 forwards.

Coaching can only do so much to get prospects to learn the systems and apply their talents consistently at the pro level. Not saying you're stating this but a coach can't turn a Matthew Highmore into a Brayden Point.

If a player wants to make that quantum leap, I think that's on the player to work on their craft to elevate their game to that higher level.

Lots of bottom and middle six (which, to me, means mostly 3rd line) - only one too-6 (which, to me, means could be 1st line) - and he’s two years out.

What I’d like to see (which is probably too much even for a hard working blogger like you who posts at 3 / 4 AM but who does have another life out there) is some kind of deep comparison of Blackhawk prospects with those of other teams. We like this guy in “our” system, that guy looks pretty good, the guy over there isn’t likely to make it - but when they do or don’t get here, they’re gonna be playing against Nadhville’s “today prospects”, and St. Louis’, and Minnesota’s, and Dallas’...are they likely to be able to compete?
- StLBravesFan

Good blog idea. Let me see if I can work that in, at least some variation of it.

I'm a night owl and live on the West Coast so I tend to post blogs after midnight my time so not too late for me versus the Midwesterners and East Coasters.

Some of the questions you’ve asked I think are a bit difficult to answer without maybe another year going by.

Dent was the farm team coach til 2017 and the system didn’t seem to produce much, so was some of that drafting? Him? Colliton was there for a year I think and now you have King, so I think we need another year to see what King is doing with players at that level, before giving the farm system and recent drafts a thumbs up or down.

The Hawks have generally done a decent job drafting in the first round even while drafting lower.

The attention to drafting defense the last few years and the fact that 2 of the best offensive talents drafted (12 and 77) are with the big club paints a bit better overall picture, for me anyway.
- HawkintheD

One other factor to consider is that Dent and Quenneville didn't seem to be on the same page. That could've been a communication issue between the big club and the farm team, not because those two had a conflict.

After being fired, Dent made comments that alluded to dissension between him and what the Hawks were doing.

Today, King and Colliton are on the same wavelength mainly because they coached the Hogs together for a season+ before Colliton was promoted to Hawks head coach.

That doesn't mean King can miraculously create 1st liners and 1st pair defenders. He can at least get prospects ready to play the Hawks systems upon recall and not waste time floundering.

Soooooo 1 good forward prospect? Got it.

Soooooo 1 good forward prospect? Got it.
- FinnGod

So any prospect who isn't a 1st liner is no good? Teams need talent up and down the roster to compete.

Just trying to broaden thinking on the value of prospects. Yes, the Blackhawks need more top 6 talent but it doesn't mean the prospects who are in the system are crap.

Same with the Hurricanes or any other team.

i think we need to consider that Top 6 does not exactly mean 1st ballot HOFers only. We have been spoiled past 10 years (19, 88, 81) - extremely rare on a SC winning team