Theo Fox: Cutting the Mustard A look at the Blackhawks prospects who were invited to World Junior Championship camps for Team USA and Team Canada and what the implications are for their development trajectories and NHL ceilings.

Ein

I'd like to get ahead of the curve and label the following Canadian Hawk prospects busts.

Cut:

* Nolan Allan, D
* Ethan Del Mastro, D
* Kevin Korchinski, D
* Colton Dach, F
* Ryan Greene, F
* Paul Ludwinski, F

Ein

I'd like to get ahead of the curve and label the following Canadian Hawk prospects busts.

Cut:

* Nolan Allan, D
* Ethan Del Mastro, D
* Kevin Korchinski, D
* Colton Dach, F
* Ryan Greene, F
* Paul Ludwinski, F
- HawkintheD

You’re late to the game, D…. These prospects were considered busts moments after they were drafted. None of them have the potential of a Ivan Zhigalov, Niko Huuhtanen or Declan McDonnell. #stanfail #kylefail #allthefails

The Athletic ranked each team’s contract effectiveness and to no surprise the Hawks ranked 29th, down from 26th last year.

Raddysh was the highest ranked contract with an A-, and the Hawks didn’t sign him to that deal! Blackwell and Athanasiou were B-, the rest were Cs and Ds.

Florida, Colorado and Toronto were the top 3 and overall I thought the list was well put together with 1 exception. I would have ranked Carolina in the top 3 (they were ranked 7th). The contracts for Aho, Teravainen and Svechnikov are excellent deals and great cap management.

I read where Thompson will be out 4 weeks with that incurred knee-on-knee injury.

The 2023 WJC tourney is only 5 months away. Hopefully he and some of the other Hawks prospects are selected for the US and Canadian teams.

The Athletic ranked each team’s contract effectiveness and to no surprise the Hawks ranked 29th, down from 26th last year.

Raddysh was the highest ranked contract with an A-, and the Hawks didn’t sign him to that deal! Blackwell and Athanasiou were B-, the rest were Cs and Ds.

Florida, Colorado and Toronto were the top 3 and overall I thought the list was well put together with 1 exception. I would have ranked Carolina in the top 3 (they were ranked 7th). The contracts for Aho, Teravainen and Svechnikov are excellent deals and great cap management.
- DarthKane

I would've thought they'd be ranked 32nd or 33rd considering the Cap Hell this team's in.

I would've thought they'd be ranked 32nd or 33rd considering the Cap Hell this team's in.

HawkintheD

What cap hell are they in? They are currently $10 million under the cap this year even with Keith's retirement penalty, and with Kane and Toews off the books next year they will have to take on salary to just reach the floor.

I would've thought they'd be ranked 32nd or 33rd considering the Cap Hell this team's in.

HawkintheD

What cap hell are they in? They are currently $10 million under the cap this year even with Keith's retirement penalty, and with Kane and Toews off the books next year they will have to take on salary to just reach the floor.
- LAHawk

I know it’s early where you live. Have another cup of coffee and read the post through a Darth or BOD lens.

I know it’s early where you live. Have another cup of coffee and read the post through a Darth or BOD lens.
- HawkintheD

Too early for me to recognize red font.

It's quite a mouthful, Theo, to say Korchinski will develop into a number one.

I really have reservation calling most of these drafted kids to become true #1 first pair NHlers.

I guess it my perception that there are few true #1 around when you start with the top talent and try saying 28 more names in the mix as true #1

Miro Heiskanen...is he comparable to the top four of Hedman, Jost, Makar, etc.

I am not willing at this point, to try and put Kevin Korchinski's name, or say that rinzel is a top four, let alone more.

Now watching these young studs in the Ivan Hlinka - Gretzky tourney and salivating that the majority are going to be around late in the first (Tampa pick) and the early second for Hawk selection, but the true eye opener was Finn 16 year old defender Aron Kiviharju, who at 15 saw action in the Finnish pro league. His edging and instincts, tools are outstanding as an attacker ...now I might see the team drafting him in 2024 calling him a possible top pair guy, because it is not only a projection, ads he shows it against the guys in that very strong thick 2022 forward class.

I wish / hope / pray Korchinski can be what we need up top.

(I don't know if I could take the two Czechia Slovakia defenders taken before him as #1 either....)

The Athletic ranked each team’s contract effectiveness and to no surprise the Hawks ranked 29th, down from 26th last year.

Raddysh was the highest ranked contract with an A-, and the Hawks didn’t sign him to that deal! Blackwell and Athanasiou were B-, the rest were Cs and Ds.

Florida, Colorado and Toronto were the top 3 and overall I thought the list was well put together with 1 exception. I would have ranked Carolina in the top 3 (they were ranked 7th). The contracts for Aho, Teravainen and Svechnikov are excellent deals and great cap management.
- DarthKane

The Athletic is cheering teams for underpaying their employees?

It's quite a mouthful, Theo, to say Korchinski will develop into a number one.

I really have reservation calling most of these drafted kids to become true #1 first pair NHlers.

I guess it my perception that there are few true #1 around when you start with the top talent and try saying 28 more names in the mix as true #1

Miro Heiskanen...is he comparable to the top four of Hedman, Jost, Makar, etc.

I am not willing at this point, to try and put Kevin Korchinski's name, or say that rinzel is a top four, let alone more.

Now watching these young studs in the Ivan Hlinka - Gretzky tourney and salivating that the majority are going to be around late in the first (Tampa pick) and the early second for Hawk selection, but the true eye opener was Finn 16 year old defender Aron Kiviharju, who at 15 saw action in the Finnish pro league. His edging and instincts, tools are outstanding as an attacker ...now I might see the team drafting him in 2024 calling him a possible top pair guy, because it is not only a projection, ads he shows it against the guys in that very strong thick 2022 forward class.

I wish / hope / pray Korchinski can be what we need up top.

(I don't know if I could take the two Czechia Slovakia defenders taken before him as #1 either....)
- wiz1901

Hey Wiz. What kind of players are Nemec and Jiricek? Similar to Korchinski, or more all-around players?

The Athletic ranked each team’s contract effectiveness and to no surprise the Hawks ranked 29th, down from 26th last year.

Raddysh was the highest ranked contract with an A-, and the Hawks didn’t sign him to that deal! Blackwell and Athanasiou were B-, the rest were Cs and Ds.

Florida, Colorado and Toronto were the top 3 and overall I thought the list was well put together with 1 exception. I would have ranked Carolina in the top 3 (they were ranked 7th). The contracts for Aho, Teravainen and Svechnikov are excellent deals and great cap management.
- DarthKane

Kind of surprised that Domi for a year at $3M isn't considered above average. Better than 0.5PPG over his career (including last year) and adds some grit to the lineup.

The Athletic ranked each team’s contract effectiveness and to no surprise the Hawks ranked 29th, down from 26th last year.

Raddysh was the highest ranked contract with an A-, and the Hawks didn’t sign him to that deal! Blackwell and Athanasiou were B-, the rest were Cs and Ds.

Florida, Colorado and Toronto were the top 3 and overall I thought the list was well put together with 1 exception. I would have ranked Carolina in the top 3 (they were ranked 7th). The contracts for Aho, Teravainen and Svechnikov are excellent deals and great cap management.
- DarthKane

Florida has Bob. How can they be top 3?

Kind of surprised that Domi for a year at $3M isn't considered above average. Better than 0.5PPG over his career (including last year) and adds some grit to the lineup.
- Chunk

Should have kept Strome and his bargain contract.

Should have kept Strome and his bargain contract.
- rpeters01

Had he won arbitration he wouldn’t have had a “bargain contract “.

Had he won arbitration he wouldn’t have had a “bargain contract “.
- paulr

It was a red font post.

It was a red font post.
- rpeters01

Maybe I need another coffee like LA?

Maybe I need another coffee like LA?
- paulr

i did an Americano, bigger jolt to the system.

Theo did not say he was going to be a top 5 in the NHL.
By definition there are 32 number one defensemen in the league.
You can say some teams do not have a true number one defender and other teams have two.
I believe Theo was saying he could be in the top 32 in the league or number one defender on the Hawks some day.

https://twitter.com/spitt...4hjCPwxQyUS5m2ex4HTw&s=01

Pretty slick

Nice work, great subject matter, Theo. At the start of a tear down you have a good few yrs following the progress of and dissecting Hawk prospects.

Good to see so many Hawk prospects even at WJC camps. Of course better if they make the squads but it does say something to the quality of the pipeline that they are thought f well enough to be in the mix for spots.

And due to the WJC being made up this month we'll be back at it with another WJC at Christmas so we'll see it all play out again with a bunch of kids playing this summer age out for the next one.

https://twitter.com/spitt...4hjCPwxQyUS5m2ex4HTw&s=01

Pretty slick

That defenseman looks like he needs to return his skates to the rental shop

https://twitter.com/spittinchiclets/status/1554893851176976385?t=hS4hjCPwxQyUS5m2ex4HTw&s=01

Pretty slick
- BetweenTheDots

Find a game Bedard is in at YouTube. Every. Single. Shift. This dude is flat out dangerous and in so so many ways. Shot, creativity, vision, speed, touch, feet, hands, pure skill, compete, will, hunger, IQ, anticipation, reads. If there is a way to be dangerous this kid has it in his tool kit..... And this is against kids 2-3-4 yrs older than him.

Theo did not say he was going to be a top 5 in the NHL.
By definition there are 32 number one defensemen in the league.
You can say some teams do not have a true number one defender and other teams have two.
I believe Theo was saying he could be in the top 32 in the league or number one defender on the Hawks some day.
- Ztra

IMO with Korchinski's size, skating, hands the foundation is there for a 60+ point Dman who can skate the thing out. ... Is a 6ft 2in ++ skating Dman who can run the #1 PP, skate it out on his own and pot 60+ points a #1 Dman regardless how he does in his end in today's NHL?