The board favourite seems to be Demidov...but after watching g the playoffs abd the physicality needed in proper structure of a Cup contender seeing Florida pounds NYRxand win the puck battles you realize Hawks NEED physicality else the jackrabbits like Bedard,Nazar,Moore ,Lardis and Kantserov will get physically overeat he'd and lose the pick battles and get pushed aroundxand pounded.
So it is clear to me that best fits to solve this are:
@#2 Cayden Lindstrom C
@#20 Yegor Surin LS RW but has tools to play C
@# 34 Stian SolbergLD
This is who Hawks SHOULD draft but tgere is a view that KD may gp RD with Levshunov at#2
If he does that and if C Michael Hage is still there at #20 he may go with hom instead of a winger.
Now..both Lindstrom and Levshunov are goid choices for the Hawks...filling needs ina future core..but we cannot get both of them.
Levshunov may turn out as a solid core dman but yet might not have the highest ceiling of the RD...Parekh or Yakemchuk coukd have higher ceilings...butvthecall round game of Levshunov has a higher floor...
The problem is..if you think Levshunov has a 1st pairing floor ,IN The Hawks case ,he is blocked from that role for 6 more seasons by the $9.5contract of Seth Jones.
You coukd unblock this impediment for Levshunov takibg a top #1ROLE ONd by either trading Jones(he would have to waive NMC and unlikely Hawks woukd retain with 5 seasons remaining once Levshunov arrives after 1 more development season at Michigan State...so tgere Will be a blockage.
This if you put admit Levshunov will play at leastc5 seasons as ONLY a 2RD ...after we trade Murphy...then woukd y ou risk a #2 overall on just a 2RD for that long...I do not think anybody thinks Levshunov will ascension dominant NHK impact 2 way dman like Hedman. Even IF he eventually get Hawjs #1Dman role.
So given this particular Hawks situation the 2 RD (for at least seasons starting gv2025/26 season is trumped by the Need for a Big physically dominant 2C to balance off the top 2 lines considering the small skill #1C "scoring" C is Bedard.
You think how 6'4 216 (Already) Lindstrom who dominates in juniors already (would project to a 98 point regular season in draft year had he played all games and not missed half a season with a wrist injury...you project how even stronger and more powerful he will get by his early 20s and into his prime years ,and you think he is a unicorn combination of size power speed and physicality plus,a nasty edgevinhis game..Hiw thisvis essential to any playoff success..and how you do notvget such a prize later in drafts..it screams to take hin On the Hawks situation rather than hope yiuvfetcanotger chance combination at Center in future drafts.
Haws SHOULD draft Lindstrom even if Denidov (who makes no sense given Hawks undersized plethora ofsmalk skilled forwards ( is BOA on sone lists or if Levshunov is a RD needxasxa Nurohy upgrade...
THE HAWKS logically in their situation SHUKD draft Lindstrom both for a regukarcseason 2C solution and for any future playoff run to a Cup.
In this year's draft case GREATEST NEED case trumps any BPA nonsense when there is no guarantee that either Demidov or Levshunov will turn out as the top winger or RD from thisxdraft class.
OK logically Hawjs should draft Lindstrom..butcwill they?
Actualky I do not trust KD..he will either be seduced by ANOTHER showey undersized forward or buy tge mantra thatxa potential #1 D is always more valuable than a 2C...
IF Levshunov becomes a top 5 1D in the NHL 7 seasons in future maybe ...maybe you win the argument.. but thatvisxa he'll ofcavkobg wait for hin to assume such heights..
We are stuck with $9.5 as our 1D and nobody will be paid more than him until either 6 more seasons have passed and he is gone,unless you can move him earlier(maybe he waives his NMC with 2 seasibs remaining..but by then Hawks may have cao problems again making any retaliation in tradibg hom unlikely..
So imagine Levshunov blocked fromaspuribg to #1D money for 6 seaons after he signs his ELC in
2025...he will be demoralized ..And this risks a very unhappy camper..
If by the end or before his ELC ends Lindstrom proves his value at 2C impacting like Toews or a Barkov did before they got big raises in 2nd contracts (Toews and Kane on 2 separate top 2 lines...you could Toews was a 2C even though he played like a #1 2 way C) then Paying Lindstrom big $$$ will not be a problem ...if he proves that essential,Hawks gladly will pay hom .
However no way are the Hawks paying Levshunov on his 2nd contract more than Seth Jones who will have 3 more seasons remaining on his contract then..
No way would they pay Demidov more than Bedard on Demidov"s 2nd contract ..his would mean you betvon 2 ubdersizedxsjilked forwatds to carry you though very grueling physical playoffs relying farclessrr paid complementary physical supoirt of 3rdcandc4th liner cheapest.
I cannot buy that logic.
No ..the obvious logic is to take Lindstrom who is going top 5 anyway to sone team who adds tgat combo of size physicality speed and scoring and nasty ..If you bypass that you are nuts.
Is KD nuts..I sure hope not ...but probably he makes the same Stanbo mistakes...notca mistake in terms of busts..but a mistake in opportunity cost to get the brst fit for strutting a contender lineup rather than a "for show" lineup or a lineup linked to some nebulous BPA list in what really is still a crap shoot of a draft.
You beat the crapshoot among close player "value" by taking the Size and Physicality in combination with scoring ability vs. Just highlight reel show guys..
We got one of those already in Brdard..We do not need another..We need to Balance Bedard with more size around hom or on thec2nd line to win more puck battles and be a force at the net on PPs..
I hope KD understands this and is not seduced by any BPA lists...there is no PPA guarantee...so I would bet on Size and Physicality if ranking from 2-5 reasonably close..
I have made a case for Lindstrom...the 1 caveat is how has his wrist healed...if Hawks doctors do not give him a full recovery report then and only then would I take another guy..