Sportsnet's top 2025 prospects, October edition.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/...rankings-october-edition/
Top 10 - Hagens, Martone, Scheafer, McQueen, Misa, Ryabkin, Hensler, Frondell, Moore, Spence.
IMO Hawks will finish in the bottom 5, possibly as low as the 7th pick due to the lottery.
- boilermaker100
I haven't viewed this but that certinly cannot be the rankings, right?
On the 2025 Draft front:
I now have adjusted my top two rounds my Lines.com draft board, and there is a top 12 echelon of players and furure #1 goalie Prince George's Joshua Ravensbergen or big RD Blake Fiddler sitting there for the Toronto pick.
(I just am not sure
Joshua Ravensbergen lingers to the Maple Leaf first rounder;i guess that wiull depend upon if Toronto winss a lot, advances in the playoffs as that make drop that second first rounder and I am gonna bet someone selects Ravensbergen. Sure there are a trio of other goaltenders one might consider, but they all stand around or less than 6 foot, and the big Swiss goalie is not in my first tier of 'tenders...
Post note:
This draft is unlike the past couple without an undisputed #1 and
four players vying for that first overall:
Hagens
Martone
Anton Frondell
and LD defender Matthew Schaefer
Roger McQueen, and Ivan Ryabkin could all go in the top three.
I think at present, big Roger McQueen and Russian Ivan Ryabkin and continually improving and now play top line centre Michael Misa, and Malcolm Spence not in their headlights just yet.
These players are not going to linger.
All year folks ask me who would you put on the hawks draft focus, and instead spending time later I want to have my Hawk draft intentions here so Bamford or someone doesn’t ask me again:
I think the Hawks intentions radically change from the two first round choice with goal after the first round will be to draft players with excellent possible futures but at this juncture, they won’t garner interest since they are far from finished guys, ready to handle the stronger, faster pros.
They will take the best player with the first pick but only one defender will be considered: Schaefer
I don’t think the Blackhawks will win a move-up to #1 or #2, but whenever they pick, I could see the focus go to scorer forward, but I don’t have the Matt Schaefer lad second overall and wonder if that would be the back end scoring punch from a left shot. I don’t if the Blackhawks like him. I do think Hawk brass isl ignorant of the Red Wings’
Axel Sandin-Pellika ascension as a prime candidate as an offensive generator, that smaller offensemen-type.
The type the Hawk team has yet find in the their drafts in the past be their “Makar.”
So I see the Blackhawks easily selecting
Matthew Schaefer a defender.
I cannot think the Blackhawks would pass on many of the top of this 2025 class.
I see them identifying another goalie prospect, and not be hesitant to elect him him in that first round, maybe not in the top 8, but if they can get the goalie there, do not hesitate.
They draw the best two prospects with those two first rounders, with no hesitation if there is a goalie there they really adore.
After that first round each Blackhawk pick will of the ling term developmental type, where they like aspects of the player but they know the development path will take time. So they won't necessarilly "reaching" for players after the first round as much as selecting the ones that like that have great potential IF they improve.
Not thinking there will be Chicago picks with short developmental paths, so they will not hesitate after the draft’s big names are selected to take:
Yaroslav Bryzgalov Des Moines - big 200+ winger or
Ben Kevan Des Moines - a L.A. area RC/W speedy and creative, and
Let’s not forget the diminutive 158 lb.
Adam Benak, who at 5’ 7” is far too advanced and is simply dangerous and would also be an easy Blackhawk pick by way of Czech Republic. He is a lethal attacker who scores for the Youngstown Phantoms and will be in the NHL. I wouldn’t pass on him.
Bryzgalov isn’t playing soon, but I can see that he will be given a chance to be on a team. His dad was a pretty good West Coast NHL goalie.
But whatever picks are in the wallet after the first round, there will be little interest in moving up, just hold those later picks and look at these players, all on longer developmental tracks and so there is not a problem, taking their scout's favorites, wherever / whenever they next pick is. You work the hunches like when the staff bet on the big RD defender Sammy Rinzel
I guess next couple years that the Sabres get use of Jiří Kulich a future 2nd line utility guy, we hope to have yet another large all around attacker / defenders...
I still think the Axel Sandin-Pellika defenseman is what they lack and I am gonna guess they will keep looking...