Who should the Chicago Blackhawks select 2nd overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft?

[Toews2Bickell]

the amount of angst and debate over this pick should really just show how far the org truly is from the rebuild being near completion...this whole time to speed it up stuff better be coming from Bedard and not from the suits above KD because they could seriously f*** this up if they start spending a bunch of cap and trading future picks to ultimately end up in the 10-15 range perpetually...if they ended up with celebrini sure lets go but they didnt

 

[Taze em]

the amount of angst and debate over this pick should really just show how far the org truly is from the rebuild being near completion...this whole time to speed it up stuff better be coming from Bedard and not from the suits above KD because they could seriously f*** this up if they start spending a bunch of cap and trading future picks to ultimately end up in the 10-15 range perpetually...if they ended up with celebrini sure lets go but they didnt

Look at the young players that popped this year:
Lafreniere
Byfield
Raymond
Lindell
Jarvis
Perfetti

All 2020 draft picks. That’s 3-4 years post draft. We’re probably two years away from Korch and Nazar even being good players. Reichel is a year overdue. These draft picks probably won’t even be good until 2027-2028.

 

[u2wojo]

If we somehow got both levshunov and yakemchuk we also could fill out our top 6 by dangling some of our LD in front of other teams.

It would also make the rebuild process insanely easy because from there you’re only needing <2/3rds of a bunch of top pairing projectables to hit their mark, and can throw the kitchen sink at high end forwards with the team still tanking while the D develop.

This. The D typically have a much longer development curve before they are ready to be impact NHL players (look at Vlassic who flounder around 4 full seasons after his draft where you were wondering if would even be an NHL player much less an impactful one before breaking out 5 years out). You can grab a Forward in the top 10 (almost certain we will be and I would give odds we are more likely in the top 5 than outside the top 10) next draft and have them ready to contribute within a season or 2.
A promising young NHL ready D on an ELC combined with an excess late 1st or even just a 2nd can get you a top 6 forward or a chance to move up the draft order to draft one.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Look at the young players that popped this year:
Lafreniere
Byfield
Raymond
Lindell
Jarvis
Perfetti

All 2020 draft picks. That’s 3-4 years post draft. We’re probably two years away from Korch and Nazar even being good players. Reichel is a year overdue. These draft picks probably won’t even be good until 2027-2028.

If they stay the course and just let the young players matriculate in over time then yeah I agree it wouldn't affect the tank/rebuild but if they start adding multiple mid to high priced vets that immediately improve the roster then they could end up in that no mans land territory of bad but not bad enough

 

[Chelios]

I have watched a couple of Lev’s games shift by shift now and I honestly don’t see the argument that he has poor IQ. His biggest “issue” is that he gets a little too focussed on offence and will sometimes take chances he shouldn’t. That can be coached out of him. I was actually surprised how good his vision is and how quickly he makes decisions with the puck on his stick. I knew he was a good skater, but I was really impressed with how efficient he is, he can get up to speed in just a few strides and then is able to glide from there.

 

[Taze em]

If they stay the course and just let the young players matriculate in over time then yeah I agree it wouldn't affect the tank/rebuild but if they start adding multiple mid to high priced vets that immediately improve the roster then they could end up in that no mans land territory of bad but not bad enough

They need to be bad one more year. Get Hagens or one of the big forwards. Then it’s time to get serious.

The hawks can improve 20 points next year and still be a bottom 5 team. So guentzel or whoever will not move the needle. Korchinski taking a massive leap (unlikely) or Bedard having a 100 pt year (more likely) could be a problem but it’s a ton of ground to make up

 

[TheFridge]

This. The D typically have a much longer development curve before they are ready to be impact NHL players (look at Vlassic who flounder around 4 full seasons after his draft where you were wondering if would even be an NHL player much less an impactful one before breaking out 5 years out). You can grab a Forward in the top 10 (almost certain we will be and I would give odds we are more likely in the top 5 than outside the top 10) next draft and have them ready to contribute within a season or 2.
A promising young NHL ready D on an ELC combined with an excess late 1st or even just a 2nd can get you a top 6 forward or a chance to move up the draft order to draft one.

Floundered? I think most could have appreciated Vlasic had some really good traits in college and especially his first full pro season. The skating/size combo was always tantalizing. He certainly was way better this year than I think anyone would have expected but he showed NHL potential after being drafted.

 

[u2wojo]

Floundered? I think most could have appreciated Vlasic had some really good traits in college and especially his first full pro season. The skating/size combo was always tantalizing. He certainly was way better this year than I think anyone would have expected but he showed NHL potential after being drafted.

Lol that you or the experts saw Vlasic coming. Less than 10 months ago in Aug of '23, the Athletic listed the Hawk pipeline #2 overall and had 6 D listed in the 17 players they ranked...and Vlasic was not one of them. Vlasic showed up in the alphabetical all others that "has a chance to play" category. You don't think Pronman and the Athletic are credible, our very own illustrious board here did a prospect ranking poll ranking last Summer where again SIX other D were ranked before we got to Vlasic at #14. A year ago if you tried to sell Vlasic as a 3rd pairing NHL guy, many would have argued that he would not be or that that was his ceiling at best. Now I hope Pronman and our board "experts" that had 6 other D are dead on right in their evals, cause what a marvelous problem for us to have if 6 D prospects surpass Vlasic.

 

[Wally1112pac]

Less than 10 months ago in Aug of '23, the Athletic listed the Hawk pipeline #2 overall and had 6 D listed in the 17 players they ranked...and Vlasic was not one of them.

our very own illustrious board here did a prospect ranking poll ranking last Summer where again SIX other D were ranked before we got to Vlasic at #14.

So what you're saying is HF Hawks board members as a collective are smarter than the paid professionals at The Athletic.

Tell us something we don't know.

 

[u2wojo]

So what you're saying is HF Hawks board members as a collective are smarter than the paid professionals at The Athletic.

Tell us something we don't know.

Yes....case closed. (or that collectively we liked Vlasic more than the Gajan, Misiak)

 

[Malaka]

everyone close their eyes and pretend it’s June 29th

Our prospect pool for D is now

Vlasic Levshunov
Korchinski Yakemchuk
EDM Rinzel
Allan


While we wait for them to cook in the next 3 years we throw lawn darts at top 5 prospects YOY as we already have Bedard, Nazar, Moore, etc. — we add a little Hagens or McKenna to the mix and dominate for the next decade.

Draft Levy. Trade up. Get yakemchuk. Double D yolo

 

[Hattrick Kane]

everyone close their eyes and pretend it’s June 29th

Our prospect pool for D is now

Vlasic Levshunov
Korchinski Yakemchuk
EDM Rinzel
Allan


While we wait for them to cook in the next 3 years we throw lawn darts at top 5 prospects YOY as we already have Bedard, Nazar, Moore, etc. — we add a little Hagens or McKenna to the mix and dominate for the next decade.

Draft Levy. Trade up. Get yakemchuk. Double D yolo

This bonkers move I see happening if Davidson is serious about signing Guentzel. Forward prospects are much better in 2025.

 

[Wally1112pac]

Since it's not June 29th yet...

I'm warming up to being ok if Levshunov is the pick at 2.

Reasons being...Championship teams are built from the back end out. They always have been. Keith, Seabrook, Hammer and Oduya. Levshunov, Korchinski, Vlasic, Rinzel, EDM etc. You always need a variation of 4 top 4 D. You can have a #1 a #2 and 2 #4's or 2 #2s and 2 #4's. Your team needs to have excellent defense or you won't go far. Anyone remember watching Chris Campoli or David Rundblad in the playoffs? I watched in fear as they jumped over the boards. There is no such thing as having too many good Dmen. The leafs have very good forwards but their defense isn't the greatest. I'm sure they would love to re-draft a stud D instead of a forward but they can't. They can't unsign Tavares and sign Stud D either and they can't trade for one because no one trades theirs away.

It's a win if you draft Levshunov and he becomes a #2. It's a bonus if he becomes a bonafide #1. With what we have already the D is set up to win Championships once the window opens. Just need to add some elite talent at forward to help Bedard.

 

[monkforasia]

Anyway we can trade into top 10 and take catton? thinking of a lev + catton combo.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Anyway we can trade into top 10 and take catton? thinking of a lev + catton combo.

Think it will be really tough to do

 

[Toews2Bickell]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800579842611822829

@Kevin Musto

 

[Giovi]

Here's the article for the lazy ones.

NHL Draft Confidential: What scouts and executives think of Celebrini, Demidov and more

Who's the top defenseman? Who's the most overrated? Here's what Corey Pronman is hearing about the top prospects at the 2024 NHL Draft.

www.nytimes.com

After reading the scouts takes, I'm even more up in the air as to who I want to see the Hawks take.

 

[Wally1112pac]

Tij is the man. I wanted him with the 20th pick back early on in the season but he went crazy. Now he's a top 10 pick.

He's like a goal scoring Hagel.

 

[Malaka]

This bonkers move I see happening if Davidson is serious about signing Guentzel. Forward prospects are much better in 2025.

If for Guentzel signs for 4-5 years then I’m game

After reading the scouts takes, I'm even more up in the air as to who I want to see the Hawks take.

It’s like choosing your starter pokemon.

Levshunov could be your Charizard. Silayev, Venesaur. And Parekh is the Blastoise of the bunch

 

[Taze em]

Since it's not June 29th yet...

I'm warming up to being ok if Levshunov is the pick at 2.

Reasons being...Championship teams are built from the back end out. They always have been. Keith, Seabrook, Hammer and Oduya. Levshunov, Korchinski, Vlasic, Rinzel, EDM etc. You always need a variation of 4 top 4 D. You can have a #1 a #2 and 2 #4's or 2 #2s and 2 #4's. Your team needs to have excellent defense or you won't go far. Anyone remember watching Chris Campoli or David Rundblad in the playoffs? I watched in fear as they jumped over the boards. There is no such thing as having too many good Dmen. The leafs have very good forwards but their defense isn't the greatest. I'm sure they would love to re-draft a stud D instead of a forward but they can't. They can't unsign Tavares and sign Stud D either and they can't trade for one because no one trades theirs away.

It's a win if you draft Levshunov and he becomes a #2. It's a bonus if he becomes a bonafide #1. With what we have already the D is set up to win Championships once the window opens. Just need to add some elite talent at forward to help Bedard.

Not only that… in a good tank team what comes first? D take longer, get them first and established. Vlasic is already good. Jones is like the preloaded Brian Campbell, korchinski will probably be good in 2 years, lev is a prospect on another level so maybe 2-3 years from now he’ll be good. Just in time for Moore, 100 pt bedard, Nazar, #18, top 5 next year.

It’s really a good situation you’re building. The only mistimed thing is Bedard. He came too early but I mean who can complain about that.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Lets be honest

If Tiji Iginla was Tiji Smith

No one would be talking him up as a top 5 pick or fawning over him and his rise in rankings of last month+

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Lets be honest

If Tiji Iginla was Tiji Smith

No one would be talking him up as a top 5 pick or fawning over him and his rise in rankings of last month+

Brother people have been really high on Tij well before the mock drafts put him there. He's really good and one of my favorite prospects in the draft.

 

[ChiHawks10]

Lol that you or the experts saw Vlasic coming. Less than 10 months ago in Aug of '23, the Athletic listed the Hawk pipeline #2 overall and had 6 D listed in the 17 players they ranked...and Vlasic was not one of them. Vlasic showed up in the alphabetical all others that "has a chance to play" category. You don't think Pronman and the Athletic are credible, our very own illustrious board here did a prospect ranking poll ranking last Summer where again SIX other D were ranked before we got to Vlasic at #14. A year ago if you tried to sell Vlasic as a 3rd pairing NHL guy, many would have argued that he would not be or that that was his ceiling at best. Now I hope Pronman and our board "experts" that had 6 other D are dead on right in their evals, cause what a marvelous problem for us to have if 6 D prospects surpass Vlasic.

I've been pretty high on Vlasic for a while, and was talking him up a bit in 2022-2023, before his breakout this season. Just sayin. I did the same with Forsling.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Lets be honest

If Tiji Iginla was Tiji Smith

No one would be talking him up as a top 5 pick or fawning over him and his rise in rankings of last month+

Wrong

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I've been pretty high on Vlasic for a while, and was talking him up a bit in 2022-2023, before his breakout this season. Just sayin. I did the same with Forsling.

Being high on Vlassic then was just saying anything more than he doesn't totally suck.