Zach Jarom: Who Are The Hawks Top Five Prospects?

Hola!

Good article Zach. Thanks for keeping the conversation going during these dog days of summer. Only two more months until the first game.

It probably won't be until the 25/26 season that Nazar, Lev and EDM are full time contributors with Moore, Lardis and Kantserov likely coming on board in 26/27. Then Boisvert and Vanacker et al. And two more 1st round picks in 2025 one likely in the top 7-10. I like how KFC has them coming in waves over the next several years.

And who knows if one or two of Greene, Hayes, Ludwinski, Allan, Mustard, and Spellacy hit along the way.

If anyone is interested, CenterIce package on DirecTV will cost $70 for the season. Three payments of $23.33.

Sam Rinzel getting no love?

Hola!
- mohel

Primero?

Let me add my vote for Rinzel.

Sam Rinzel getting no love?
- rpeters01

Good catch. I knew I was omitting someone. There are so many in the pipeline it's hard to remember them all.

Merrick Vanacker signing his ELC intrigues me mightily. I'm guessing he's getting more ink a year from now.

Merrick Vanacker signing his ELC intrigues me mightily. I'm guessing he's getting more ink a year from now.
- 35Tony0

His ELC can slide twice, and will certainly slide once. If he turns out to be good, we'll probably see him (other than a cup of coffee/reward) after 1-2 more years in Junior and 1-2 more in Rockford.

His ELC can slide twice, and will certainly slide once. If he turns out to be good, we'll probably see him (other than a cup of coffee/reward) after 1-2 more years in Junior and 1-2 more in Rockford.
- mohel

Ah, thanks for the info.

His ELC can slide twice, and will certainly slide once. If he turns out to be good, we'll probably see him (other than a cup of coffee/reward) after 1-2 more years in Junior and 1-2 more in Rockford.
- mohel

Can he play Junior if signed?

Can he play Junior if signed?
- rpeters01

Yep. He's just like KK last year, I believe; Juniors or the NHL.

Yep. He's just like KK last year, I believe; Juniors or the NHL.
- mohel

He couldn't sign a contract if he wanted to go to the NCAA. He has to wait until he decides to leave, like Levshunov.

Merrick Vanacker signing his ELC intrigues me mightily. I'm guessing he's getting more ink a year from now.
- 35Tony0

Another player that fits the skate, skill and compete gene model. Wiz had a nice scouting report on him at the end of the last blog. He'll continue to be team mates with Lardis.

If KD can draft a bunch of different size and skill set players that have that dog in them like Bagel does this will be a fun team to watch every night.

Arty
KK still a prospect
Nazar The beauty of their closest to ready forward prospect is that he really is very capable to project as a NHL centre even though he is not a huge guy. You don't have to limit where he plays in the line-up either, has he is hockey smart and versatile enough to fill in anywhere and understand his role. His quick stick and uber quickness along with his understanding of play in three zones helps him stay in teh line-up as you don't to typecast him as a one way guy who needs to play top six whne he isn't asked to.

Rinzel
Moore
(until Moore scores and wins face-offs, he offers little confirmed upside as a top six centre)
Boisvert
Same goes with Sacha Boisvert with a different slant of tools. Until Boisvert shows more savvy with his attack zone handles that become passes, and he displays much better East-West lateral quickness, he ends up a scoring left winger.
Kaiser can skate, is not a big body, and can play some. I just don't know how much he plays before the guys in this '24 draft start arriving, then, he is gonna have to compete to stick around.
Greene - he's a centre with jump, elads, and has chops as an attacker.
Hayes - looks like a right wing whose two way game progressesd as his feet improved.
Del Mastro - oh, he will play in the NHL;what will be determined is how high he can elevate his all-around game that solidifies he can be a future top 4.
Landis. LHRW but ends up on LW
Vanacker LW
Teammates and both can score, have different noses to pucks, and though slight, seems to be really to bulk up and take the punishment the the pro game is all about.

You know, I think that before there's a jury verdict on Josh MacNevin, you gotta think that he fits the role because he comes from the strong Providence college defensive hockey system, and the fact that he played defense there four years tells us he understands that end of the assistant coach of defensemen job. He did it for four years for the WHL Kelowna Rockets (and Lethbridge prior). I guess questions will remain can this “young” Josh MacNevin (47) communicate and teach the defensive position from the bench. Sure they could try to find some married family man about his age or younger and ask him to uproot his family for him minor pro assistant coaching job. MacNevin is only a dozen years retired from pro hockey after playing in Sweden for an extensive time. Kyle & staff could've found some ex-former NHL defenseman who filled out a pro roster as a lesser light and you hand him the grooming job for a young Blackhawk draftees. Just outta nhl competition, he tries probably feels his usefulness is more related to that, to do like he still a player coming off like a living lesson, and less of a strategist, and I want the young prospects see the staff as there for the team, not the kids are there to idolize an old pro.
You'll agree with me that you're looking to bring somebody in who can ensure better production at both ends of the ice from the defense prospects they bring to Rockford, and where MacNevin coached prior is less important than how he teaches the position of defense, especially in this era where the attacking teams cause new problems for the defensive position.

Steve from Glencoe?

Arty
KK still a prospect
Nazar
Rinzel
Moore
(until Moore scores and wins face-offs, he offers little confirmed upside as a top six centre)
Boisvert
Same goes with Sacha Boisvert with a different slant of tools. Until Boisvert shows more savvy with his attack zone handles that become passes, and he displays much better East-West lateral quickness, he ends up a scoring left winger.
Kaiser can skate, is not a big body, and can play some. I just don't know how much he plays before the guys in this '24 draft start arriving, then, he is gonna have to compete to stick around.
Greene - he's a centre with jump, elads, and has chops as an attacker.
Hayes - looks like a right wing whose two way game progressesd as his feet improved.
Del Mastro - oh, he will play in the NHL;what will be determined is how high he can elevate his all-around game that solidifies he can be a future top 4.
Landis. LHRW but ends up on LW
Vanacker LW
Teammates and both can score, have different noses to pucks, and though slight, seems to be really to bulk up and take the punishment the the pro game is all about.
- wiz1901

What’s up with Allan? I don’t see him on these lists Wiz, even as honorable mention.

Arty
KK still a prospect
Nazar
Rinzel
Moore
(until Moore scores and wins face-offs, he offers little confirmed upside as a top six centre)
Boisvert
Same goes with Sacha Boisvert with a different slant of tools. Until Boisvert shows more savvy with his attack zone handles that become passes, and he displays much better East-West lateral quickness, he ends up a scoring left winger.
Kaiser can skate, is not a big body, and can play some. I just don't know how much he plays before the guys in this '24 draft start arriving, then, he is gonna have to compete to stick around.
Greene - he's a centre with jump, elads, and has chops as an attacker.
Hayes - looks like a right wing whose two way game progressesd as his feet improved.
Del Mastro - oh, he will play in the NHL;what will be determined is how high he can elevate his all-around game that solidifies he can be a future top 4.
Landis. LHRW but ends up on LW
Vanacker LW
Teammates and both can score, have different noses to pucks, and though slight, seems to be really to bulk up and take the punishment the the pro game is all about.
- wiz1901

I wonder how long of a leash some of the guys on the team will have.

Like if that fast Russian is just dreadful - how long until he gets waived or dumped. Or if Reichel or Kurashev or Korchinski are not good how long until they get waived?

I think the most interesting part of this season will be how much of a meritocracy it actually ends up being.

Arty
KK still a prospect
Nazar The beauty of their closest to ready forward prospect is that he really is very capable to project as a NHL centre even though he is not a huge guy. You don't have to limit where he plays in the line-up either, has he is hockey smart and versatile enough to fill in anywhere and understand his role. His quick stick and uber quickness along with his understanding of play in three zones helps him stay in teh line-up as you don't to typecast him as a one way guy who needs to play top six whne he isn't asked to.

Rinzel
Moore
(until Moore scores and wins face-offs, he offers little confirmed upside as a top six centre)
Boisvert
Same goes with Sacha Boisvert with a different slant of tools. Until Boisvert shows more savvy with his attack zone handles that become passes, and he displays much better East-West lateral quickness, he ends up a scoring left winger.
Kaiser can skate, is not a big body, and can play some. I just don't know how much he plays before the guys in this '24 draft start arriving, then, he is gonna have to compete to stick around.
Greene - he's a centre with jump, elads, and has chops as an attacker.
Hayes - looks like a right wing whose two way game progressesd as his feet improved.
Del Mastro - oh, he will play in the NHL;what will be determined is how high he can elevate his all-around game that solidifies he can be a future top 4.
Landis. LHRW but ends up on LW
Vanacker LW
Teammates and both can score, have different noses to pucks, and though slight, seems to be really to bulk up and take the punishment the the pro game is all about.
- wiz1901

Nolan Allen - He clearly was guy who in his final draft year was unexceptional, never showing little "O" and even his usual meticulous defensive play was showing until the very end of that seaosn. His pick as a first rounder was shocking to me, but that entire year with the Seth Jones deal where we tarded first rounders was quite disturbing.
Ok I thought was more than willing to be undisciplined to show his dirty side. EdM naother Icehog defender knows when to pick his spots, but Allen had more than one call that were unnecessary and hurt his team. I think frame wise, he is not that far away but I just don't see him leapfrogging anybody until he plays some dominant AHL games.

What’s up with Allan? I don’t see him on these lists Wiz, even as honorable mention.
- Angotti

I am driving through Tennessee

Arty
KK still a prospect
Nazar
Rinzel
Moore
(until Moore scores and wins face-offs, he offers little confirmed upside as a top six centre)
Boisvert
Same goes with Sacha Boisvert with a different slant of tools. Until Boisvert shows more savvy with his attack zone handles that become passes, and he displays much better East-West lateral quickness, he ends up a scoring left winger.
Kaiser can skate, is not a big body, and can play some. I just don't know how much he plays before the guys in this '24 draft start arriving, then, he is gonna have to compete to stick around.
Greene - he's a centre with jump, elads, and has chops as an attacker.
Hayes - looks like a right wing whose two way game progressesd as his feet improved.
Del Mastro - oh, he will play in the NHL;what will be determined is how high he can elevate his all-around game that solidifies he can be a future top 4.
Landis. LHRW but ends up on LW
Vanacker LW
Teammates and both can score, have different noses to pucks, and though slight, seems to be really to bulk up and take the punishment the the pro game is all about.
- wiz1901

Throw in Bedard and it makes 13. Still should have signed Nylander.
#KDfail.

I am driving through Tennessee
- wiz1901

Be safe. I’m heading up there next month. I normally take 75 to 24, to 57…

Coach likes Allan a lot. I think he’ll push to have him on the team this season. Can’t possibly be worse than Murphy.

What’s up with Allan? I don’t see him on these lists Wiz, even as honorable mention.

Young Dach falling off the radar as well. Health is an issue, but with his size and skill, wouldn't be surprised to see him establish himself as a solid bottom 6 guy