Blackhawks Announce Roster for 2013 Rookie Tournament
On Thursday afternoon the Blackhawks announced their roster for the 2013 Rookie Tournament at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. Also participating in that tournament, which runs from Sept. 5-8, will be prospects from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.
Click here for the Blackhawks’ full tournament roster.
If anyone questioned where defenseman Dylan Olsen stands with the organization, his name being on the roster for this tournament serves as a strong indication that he needs to have a good season. After playing 28 games in the NHL during the 2011-12 season, Olsen will join a roster filled with AHL rookies, prospects headed back to juniors and unsigned free agents.
Also on the blue line at the tournament will be Dillon Fournier, Travis Brown, Joe Gleason, and Viktor Svedberg. Fournier, the Hawks’ second round pick in 2012, will draw a lot of attention after posting 38 points in 52 games last year with Rouyn-Noranda in the QMJHL.
Up front, the Blackhawks will spotlight their two first round picks from the 2011 Draft, Mark McNeill and Phillip Danault. Drew LeBlanc, Garret Ross, Maxim Shalunov, Joakim Nordstrom and both Terry and Alex Broadhurst will also be in attendance as well.
McNeill and Danault will play their first full AHL seasons with Rockford this year.
Mac Carruth and Brandon Whitney will serve as the two goaltenders at the tournament. Carruth, 21, had a strong season for Portland in the WHL last year while Whitney, 19, is coming off his first season with Victoriaville in the QMJHL.
In fall of ’12 Danault was listed at 184, now is listed at 198.
It’s interesting to see Shalunov on the roster. He’s an enigma in that he has good measureables – size, skating, hands – but doesn’t put it together. He started off really well in the Russian junior league a couple years ago but then kind of disappeared. He’s played pretty well for the Russian u20 teams the past two years but seems to not be given an expanded role – as if the coaches don’t like him for whatever reason. The knock on him is that he’s a diva who expects to be treated better than his results merit so maybe that’s it – I don’t know?
What I find strange about him going to this rookie camp is that it kind of goes against the reputation I had of him – that he would figure he’s above having to go to rookie camp. Maybe this is a good sign that he’s willing to stay in N.A. and not run away to the comfort of Mother Russia. He has talent and it would be a huge surprise if he works hard enough to get to the NHL – still a looooong way off.
Obviously there aren’t any college players, so it opens up a lot of spaces for those under aged kids returning to the Junior ranks, which is great to see. I love this roster, its all the kids that are right on the edge of cracking the NHL squad, plus a lot of talented youth…seeing Danault, McNeil, Ross, LeBlanc, Nordstrom, and Shalunov is going to be a treat…and it will tell us a lot about what happens to them in the next 12 months…
I like the goalie choices too…