2019 Draft

[KBIB]

I like what you all say about Byram and would love it, but to pass on a game changing forward like Pods or Turcotte the D man almost has to be Keith or Hedman or Burns level. Imo.

That might be grasping and too much to ask?

With Bovwuist here and a numbers crunch mentioned, I hope they go with the young forward.

Turcotte. And he gets here soon.

How young do you think he could be safe to play on that hip in NHL at his age? Given time he likely heals stronger at 17.

But we need physical Pods.

I feel like we can’t go wrong here.

Watching Turcotte skate, I am 100% convinced the hip isn't an issue.

Maybe down the road, but not now.

After watching this kid, I have to put him over Byram, and I'm a defense first guy.

This kid might be the best player in the draft.

I said it, better then Hughes and Kakko.

 

[Raskolnikov]

My question is will he be better than Pods and why? and how close is he to NHL?

Byram helps the most now, I think that is clear...

but who will help the most 3 seasons from now when they are all here and mature?
If Pods is that good that most would nod to him plus he brings a physical game...I'm still interested...but right now I too am leaning Turcotte

 

[KBIB]

My question is will he be better than Pods and why? and how close is he to NHL?

Byram helps the most now, I think that is clear...

but who will help the most 3 seasons from now when they are all here and mature?
If Pods is that good that most would nod to him plus he brings a physical game...I'm still interested...but right now I too am leaning Turcotte

You are correct.

Byram would be the best defenseman prospect we have, including all the recent picks. I think he's NHL next year, he has nothing left to prove in juniors.

And I think he plugs into the top four. I could see him and Murphy bringing a different dynamic to the Hawks blue line we haven't seen in a bit. Both hit, both can skate, and did I mention both can hit? It would be fun seeing guys clear the front of the net physically instead of the whole "active stick" treatment.

Pods dominates players his own age. It's not even debatable. Everyone saying he's over hyped haven't watched him in the u18s. Teams have been focusing on him.

Turcotte has already committed to wis.
But good lord what a special player. Honestly, I think the gurus have put do much hype into the top two that they can't say another forward is just as good.

Here's my comparisons

Hughes- a faster Kane who forces the play with speed while Kane slows the game down

Kakko- Hossa. Watching Kakko is like watching Hossa. Even their backhand in identical

Turcotte- everyone says Ryan oreily, but to me, he looks like a smaller, faster Toews of last year. A guy who's gonna be an 80 point guy in the NHL and be elite in his own end. He's too aggressive and too committed to defense.

Byram- I see Doughty. Which means, a top pairing Norris guy.

Pods- he get compared to Nash, but imo, a meaner, left handed Panarin with a little Datsyuk thrown in.

Any of these guys will be studs.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

Makes me wish we had more than one top five pick lol

 

[Raskolnikov]

Lucky we got one. Now I understand Bowman’s smile during lottery proceedings. He knew he got a star.

 

[KBIB]

Makes me wish we had more than one top five pick lol

Agreed.

The pundits saying this is a two player draft are shitting all over the rest of the kids.

This might be the deepest draft of top line talent in awhile.

 

[LordKOTL]

You are correct.

Byram would be the best defenseman prospect we have, including all the recent picks. I think he's NHL next year, he has nothing left to prove in juniors.

And I think he plugs into the top four. I could see him and Murphy bringing a different dynamic to the Hawks blue line we haven't seen in a bit. Both hit, both can skate, and did I mention both can hit? It would be fun seeing guys clear the front of the net physically instead of the whole "active stick" treatment.

Pods dominates players his own age. It's not even debatable. Everyone saying he's over hyped haven't watched him in the u18s. Teams have been focusing on him.

Turcotte has already committed to wis.
But good lord what a special player. Honestly, I think the gurus have put do much hype into the top two that they can't say another forward is just as good.

Here's my comparisons

Hughes- a faster Kane who forces the play with speed while Kane slows the game down

Kakko- Hossa. Watching Kakko is like watching Hossa. Even their backhand in identical

Turcotte- everyone says Ryan oreily, but to me, he looks like a smaller, faster Toews of last year. A guy who's gonna be an 80 point guy in the NHL and be elite in his own end. He's too aggressive and too committed to defense.

Byram- I see Doughty. Which means, a top pairing Norris guy.

Pods- he get compared to Nash, but imo, a meaner, left handed Panarin with a little Datsyuk thrown in.

Any of these guys will be studs.

From my standpoint I agree in the face of it--a lot of those guys on the surface will be studs from what we know right now.

As you mentioned the ceiling of any of the guys is high--so high that IMHO if Hughes and Kakko got 1 & 2, that if all of the picks below hit their ceiling I wouldn't split hairs over who is better overall. Turcotte, Byram, Pods, even Cozens can bring something that the team desperately needs (basically defense--be it backend or FWD position).

I think the issue and where Bowman will be judged is not on the ceiling, but on the floor of the players in question. Barker had a high ceiling but the floor, well, let's just say his floor was on the sub-basement of the tower of turd--and I think that's what Bowman has to be looking at. I think all of the guys that the 'hjawks should be taking a long hard look at can bring something to the 'hawks that they desperately need. So assuming Hughes and Kakko are taken 1/2, Between Turcotte, Pods, and Byram (and possibly even Cozens) they should all bring something to the team that, if they hit their ceiling, should benefit the 'hawks long-term. I also think it's to the point of splitting hairs if we get hung up on the minutiae of who has the better career. i.e. if Turcotte becomes Toews and Byram becomes Doughty I don't think it matters who we take because either would fill a goatse-sized hole on the team. Irrespective of who we'd pick, if they help the team and it leads to the cup it's a win even if the other player has better numbers when they retire--in my opinion.

What Bowman should be looking at is the chance that a guy fails--or rather fails for us. If Pods has the highest floor between him, Byram, and Turcotte--my opinion you take him.

 

[KBIB]

Nobody here should sleep on Cozens.

This kid is HUGE, fast, and is impossible to take the puck from. He's also good in his own zone. His only knock is forcing plays.

Seriously, I wish the Hawks could trade some players or draft picks next year to get a couple of these kids.

I usually watch the u18s every year, and I haven't seen this much skill ever.

USA and Canada have all star teams.

Dream scenario-

Byram and Turcotte. I don't know what it would take to move into the top five along with three.

Hughes
Kappo
Byram
Then it gets interesting
Turcotte
Cozens
Krebs- who has been amazing
Pods
Dach
Boldy
Zegras
The swede defenseman
Caufield- who is 5'7 would be a top five pick if he was three inches taller

 

[Raskolnikov]

Nobody here should sleep on Cozens.

This kid is HUGE, fast, and is impossible to take the puck from. He's also good in his own zone. His only knock is forcing plays.

Seriously, I wish the Hawks could trade some players or draft picks next year to get a couple of these kids.

I usually watch the u18s every year, and I haven't seen this much skill ever.

USA and Canada have all star teams.

Dream scenario-

Byram and Turcotte. I don't know what it would take to move into the top five along with three.

Hughes
Kappo
Byram
Then it gets interesting
Turcotte
Cozens
Krebs- who has been amazing
Pods
Dach
Boldy
Zegras
The swede defenseman
Caufield- who is 5'7 would be a top five pick if he was three inches taller

I don't think there is any chance at getting back into top 5 unless they were looking to move Toews or Kane. Like I said...lets just be elated we got into this discussion.

That said, the scenario I have been contemplating is what if the blackhawks are a bit torn evaluating these guys (as they should be), and they make a narrow decision between a few....and then one of those few falls to the 10-15 range....like maybe Pods due to some KHL bullshit, or a Cozens for whatever reason...

What ammo could jump us back up to say...14 and grab the player they were hoping for at 9 before the lottery.

 

[MassHavoc]

Should I do what I did for the Bears draft and auction of days you can ban someone for getting a pick right? Can't do first round, that's too likely.

 

[Raskolnikov]

I think the pick will be Byram personally.

With another D Bowman is then free to trade for a more ready winger or center.

My feeling is based on actual job pressure. In that scenario he has to win, and maybe he should be thinking that based on Kane/Toews/Crow stage of career.

So you plug mini-Doughty in, trade one of the other 3 young D-men with assets for say...Panarin. Bring up Entwhislte Edgdisel I forget how to spell the young centers name.

In that vein Byram can add two starters next year, while Turcotte or Pods might be the right pick...how many Wisconsin or KHL years are we talking away to maybe be more valuable than Byram?

I don't think they can go wrong..but if I'm thinking win now I have to consider trading a young D while improving the defesne from day 1.

 

[Probie2429]

If you want to try to win another Cup in the 88 and 19 era, you better pick Byram. The defense is a mess with your best defender being 36 with 800,000 miles on the odometer. Yes, 88 and 19 are past 30 now, but they are still elite players and they should remain that for the next 2-4 seasons. Eventually you will need to replace both but the time to do that is when they are both gone and you’re hoping for ping pong lottery magic. Right now, you need to lock down the defense especially when Strome and Debrincat are trending as borderline 1st line players as it is.

Byram is instantly the Hawks best defensive prospect, and his selection also puts all the other defensive prospects in a better spot to be NHL players since you’re now banking on a guy like Boqvist to be a 2nd pair guy instead of 1st pair.

The Hawks will likely have a glut of defenders, but young cost-controlled defensemen in the NHL are highly sought after. The Canes just traded Adam Fox who hasn’t seen one second of professional hockey for 2, 2nd round picks (one of them being conditional).

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

I think the pick will be Byram personally.

With another D Bowman is then free to trade for a more ready winger or center.

My feeling is based on actual job pressure. In that scenario he has to win, and maybe he should be thinking that based on Kane/Toews/Crow stage of career.

So you plug mini-Doughty in, trade one of the other 3 young D-men with assets for say...Panarin. Bring up Entwhislte Edgdisel I forget how to spell the young centers name.

In that vein Byram can add two starters next year, while Turcotte or Pods might be the right pick...how many Wisconsin or KHL years are we talking away to maybe be more valuable than Byram?

I don't think they can go wrong..but if I'm thinking win now I have to consider trading a young D while improving the defesne from day 1.

Byram is the right pick imo. But pods fits the bowman profile. I’m excited for allot of these possible scenarios either way.

And we assume they are going for it. You never know they might start rebuilding this ship instead of patching up the holes.

 

[KBIB]

If you want to try to win another Cup in the 88 and 19 era, you better pick Byram. The defense is a mess with your best defender being 36 with 800,000 miles on the odometer. Yes, 88 and 19 are past 30 now, but they are still elite players and they should remain that for the next 2-4 seasons. Eventually you will need to replace both but the time to do that is when they are both gone and you’re hoping for ping pong lottery magic. Right now, you need to lock down the defense especially when Strome and Debrincat are trending as borderline 1st line players as it is.

Byram is instantly the Hawks best defensive prospect, and his selection also puts all the other defensive prospects in a better spot to be NHL players since you’re now banking on a guy like Boqvist to be a 2nd pair guy instead of 1st pair.

The Hawks will likely have a glut of defenders, but young cost-controlled defensemen in the NHL are highly sought after. The Canes just traded Adam Fox who hasn’t seen one second of professional hockey for 2, 2nd round picks (one of them being conditional).

I really don't think you pass up on a guy that will be a top pairing guy.

He's in the memorial Cup. If he shines I think the case can be made its questionable if he isn't there at three and one of the other two drop into the Hawks laps.

Byram/joker would be an electric pairing. So would Byram/Murphy

 

[anotheridiot]

We need to play our best two young guys with Seabrook and Keith so they can get to the pucks that the old guys cant.

 

[MassHavoc]

3 day ban available to anyone who picks our 3rd round pick correctly. No mods. 1 Pick.

 

[MassHavoc]

Some of the Article from the Athletic.

ORNSKOLDSVIK, Sweden – Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman was thousands of miles away from Chicago last week, in Sweden scouting the best Under-18 players in the world. But when he sat in the stands to watch Team USA, there was a little bit of home piped through the stands throughout the games.

For whatever reason, Chelsea Dagger was the goal song for the Americans, and with all the high-powered offense on that lineup, one Bowman was watching closely, it was a song played on loop.

“It’s kind of nice, right?” Bowman said, smiling when it was pointed out to him. “A tribute, I guess.”

With vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley a regular at Team USA’s games in Plymouth, Mich., it’s a roster the Blackhawks are intimately familiar with and one that will provide plenty of options at No. 3 overall when Chicago is on the clock. But once Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko are off the board, the Blackhawks face a decision that just might be the toughest in this year’s draft. They can take anybody else and, right now, it appears to be wide open.

It makes Bowman and the Blackhawks the team of interest heading into the NHL draft and, during a conversation with The Athletic, Bowman shared insight into how they will approach that pick.

With such a consensus surrounding the top two picks in this draft, it’s almost like you guys at No. 3 have the first pick in a separate draft. What’s your approach?

I haven’t thought of it that way. I mean, I guess looking at where we were a month ago, we went from 12 to 3. It’s a great position to be in, we can go a lot of different ways with it. We still have a lot of time to figure it out. We’re going to do our homework. We’re going to end up picking a guy who is a great player. I’m not sure who it’s going to be yet and the draft is not tomorrow. We have a lot of time. This tournament was good in a lot of respects. I don’t think you can put too much weight good or bad on just one tournament. Obviously it’s the most recent one so it’s important. You shouldn’t make a final decision based on one week in April.

 

[KBIB]

I don't think there is any chance at getting back into top 5 unless they were looking to move Toews or Kane. Like I said...lets just be elated we got into this discussion.

That said, the scenario I have been contemplating is what if the blackhawks are a bit torn evaluating these guys (as they should be), and they make a narrow decision between a few....and then one of those few falls to the 10-15 range....like maybe Pods due to some KHL bullshit, or a Cozens for whatever reason...

What ammo could jump us back up to say...14 and grab the player they were hoping for at 9 before the lottery.

That's a good question.

If you take Byram, I would trade any of the defense prospects to get the nine and draft Caufield.

The kid has as much pure skill in the draft as anyone. He's a DeBrincat clone. He has moments of Cherry picking, but something tells me he was told to do it so he could break a record.

Decent in his own end, fast, and the think I love is he always has his head up. High IQ.

 

[Raskolnikov]

So what if another team was interested in a Keith + top 3 D prospect + next years 2nd, and 4th, and lets say Fortin+ our top wing prospect...how far would that all jump us from 3rd pick in the second round?

 

[KBIB]

So what if another team was interested in a Keith + top 3 D prospect + next years 2nd, and 4th, and lets say Fortin+ our top wing prospect...how far would that all jump us from 3rd pick in the second round?

Keith isn't going anywhere.

He has to agree to a trade and has publicly said he won't move.

But, I think Bovquist, and picks could put us back in the top ten....if a team really likes Bovquist over a Caufield.