Upcoming Drafts (Hawks likely picking high)

[GRADEN]

Well here we are again, a free agency where the Hawks will just do everything possible to get under the flat hard cap.

Yay! Maybe we can sell off some good players and bypass losing any over paid veterans!

So the only way around this is to draft a star in the draft.... Reichel and Commesso will be nice NHLers, I have little doubt about that. They however are not franchise changers. A quick look ahead is all you need to get excited. When I say the next 2 drafts are going to be insane, I mean it!

The 2020 draft had 2-3 franchise level guys and up to 9 prospects that looked like potential all-stars.

2021 already has at least 12 guys I think could be an all-star level player.

[GRADEN]

Center / Winger Aatu Raty, Center / Winger Dylan Guenther, Centers McTavish, Sillinger, Buldoc, L’Heureux, and Beniers all looked locked in to be a top half of the 1st guy.... but the real strength of the 2021 class is D.

You have another 1st round goalie in Jesper Wallstedt. He will be right there with Knight / Askarov in that 10-15 range.... but wow check out this list of #1 Dmen:

D Owen Power
D Carson Lambos
D Brandt Clarke
D Luke Hughes
D Simon Edvinsson
D Danil Chayka

These 5-6 guys are elite and will all go in the first 15-18 picks. Power, Clarke, Lambos all have top 5 talent.

So that’s already an insane list and I didn’t even mention C Lucius, C Kent Johnson, or Winger Lysell.

2021 is shaping up to be an insane draft. I could see the price tag to acquire a 2021 1st at an all-time high and that will make the next trade deadline pretty much non-existent.

2022? Wow already / Shane Wright is already NHL ready talent wise. Trevor Wong is very exciting as a passer. The 2 best players will likely be complete centers Matt Savoie or Brad Lambert. That’s 4 elite centers... 4! Add in USD defender Seamus Casey and that’s a truly insane top 5 already.

Guys these next 2 drafts will be generational in-terms of true star power.

[Jeffster81]

Crawford is gone. Stan wants to re-sign Subban. So if the Hawks plan to go Delia/Subban at goalie instead of a real goalie, then yeah, I expect the Hawks to be drafting VERY high the next two years minimum. If that is the case then they need to move other guys like Saad, etc.

I'm wishing Craw all the best.

[GRADEN]

I’m excited for the 21 draft, so if they want to fall flat then I’m for it... even if it’s in the 8-13 range it’s still going to yield a top tier top 6/4 talent.

Based on what I see so far:

1. D Power
2. LW / C Raty
3. C Guenther
4. D Lambos
5. C L’Heureax
6. D Clarke
7. C Sillinger
8. C Beniers
9. C Bulduc
10. D Edvinsson
11. G Wallstedt
12. D Hughes
13. W McTavish
14. RW Lysell
15. W Othmann
16. C Lucious
17. C Johnson
18. C Harrison
19. D Chayka
20. C Bourgault

That’s my 20 and honestly ever single 1 of those guys look like top level guys... Guenther could be the next Toews, seriously. Power looks like Hedman. My fav is L’Heureax though... dang this is a nasty competitor Jeff... he is going to be all out every game and annoy entire teams like crazy. He may be Brad Marchand 2.0.

[GRADEN]

I’ve gotten a good look at some of the 2021 guys lately and as expected, it’s going to be an all time great draft.

My top guys may not be whom you expect though:

1. C Matthew Beniers
2. D Owen Power
3. D Carson Lambos
4. LW Aatu Raty
5. C Dylan Guenther
6. D Brandt Clarke
7. C Kent Johnson
8. C Zachary L’Heureax
9. G Jesper Wallstedt
10. C Chaz Lucious


That’s an insane list and it’s another 40 guys after that I think have 1st round grades.

It’s shaping up to be a heavy 2 round draft and then a big fall off (typical) but huge emphasis on that top 15.

I think Beniers is separating himself... he may be a generation center. Power and Lambos are BOTH clear #1 d-men both with #1 pick potential.

Raty is playing in a tough spot, but he still is a great talent. I still think he is a LW and not sure he is a center where they have him now.

Beniers - Tavares
Power - Hedman
Lambos - Pronger

It’s going to be that kind of draft.