Blackhawks Prospects Highlight NCAA Preseason Poll
On Monday, the NCAA released the first preseason poll for the 2017-18 men’s hockey season – and Blackhawks prospects play prominent roles across the top ten.
The preseason poll is out and the defending champs pick up where they left off … at No. 1!https://t.co/wtdttdEO6I pic.twitter.com/q2MiwSkxFn
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) September 25, 2017
1. Denver
Blake Hillman, D – acq: 6th round (#173) in 2016 NHL Draft
Ian Mitchell, D – acq: 2nd round (#54) in 2017 NHL Draft
2. Boston University
Chad Krys, D – acq: 2nd round (#45) in 2016 NHL Draft
3. Minnesota
Jack Ramsey, F – acq: 7th round (#208) in 2014 NHL Draft
7. Notre Dame
Dennis Gilbert, D – acq: 3rd round (#91) in 2015 NHL Draft
10. Penn State
Evan Barratt, D – acq: 3rd round (#90) in 2017 NHL Draft
Also of note:
11. Providence – Jake Ryczek, D
12. Wisconsin – Josh Ess, D
15. Cornell – Beau Starrett, F
20t. Northeastern – Dylan Sikura, F and Ryan Shea, D
Sikura, Gilbert and Krys were on my NCAA must-watch list last season and they’re at the top of the list this season.
Sikura could turn out to be a real gem of a find for a 6th round pick. After finishing over a point a game last year the Hawks tried to sign him early but he felt he was not physically ready for pro hockey as he has a very slight build. He wisely is going back to school to hopefully dominate for another year and put on some muscle and jump into pro hockey next season.
The first thing that came to my mind reading this list is that I would trade the rights to all of these guys to Las Vegas, except for Krys and Sikura, if they would take Seabrook off our hands.
Why does LV do this? Get a shitload of prospects plus a team leader.
Why do the Hawks do this? Rutta, Franson, and Oesterle, could eat up Seabs minutes w/o the D regressing that much. Hawks then take the $6.8M and go shopping.
Of course, this is a fantasy and I am too lazy to look at the current LV salary structure.
The Hawks will go shopping with Hossa’s salary one day after the season starts. Not to mention shopping season is over, there aren’t really guys out there you would want if you had Seabs salary as cap space right not. Plus, trading away a bunch of your prospects is not a recipe for success in today’s NHL. The game gets faster and younger every year. I feel your angst about Seabs money but it really won’t be that bad for the next couple of years. It’s the back half of that 8 year term that will probably force a buyout of some sort.
The young D all have promise, but don’t get ahead of yourself. All of them, even Kempny, have not been consistent enough to hold down a steady NHL job yet. It is too early to give them the keys to a team that is paying the Kane and Toews $10.5 per up front. You don’t make that kind of investment in your forwards to go with no experience on your blueline, it wouldn’t make sense.
Mike, you make several good points, plus Seabrook has a no movement clause which I forgot to mention. However, the theory behind moving Seabrook now is that he has some value left and LV needs someone of Seabrook’s pedigree to get the franchise on the right track.
Franson, Oesterle and Rutta (in Europe) are all proven professionals and younger than Seabrook. Most of these college guys are years away from contributing and except for Krys, Sikura, and maybe Gilbert are just “guys” anyway. Moreover, even if there is no one out there now that is worth it, the Hawks will need some scratch down the road to pay Schmaltz, Hartman, etc.
The NCAA may be an excellent place for young players to mature…especially while playing for marquee programs and getting a degree. But, players who are recruited by strong programs and then have their potential of having “high ceilings” in the league are re-enforced when they get drafted… and especially if they play well in the NCAA – – have an increasing tendency of late to play out their rights and then become free agents.
Dylan Sikura returned for his senior year, following an impressive prospect camp, The camp gave him a taste of pro hockey life, and an opportunity to increase his value – should he decide to forgo signing with the Blackhawks and become a free agent.
It’s interesting and even fun to speculate, where these young players might fit, (especially in the off season)but until the sign a pro contract – that’s all it is…speculation.
let’s get serious a moment!!! SEABROOKE is an all star player for the HAWKS!!!Get real!!! You loose him we are worse!!!
Franson, Forlsing (bust), Rutta, all not NHL calibre players!!! Franson is too slow, Forsling is too scrared and skinny, a real bust, Rutta is a 27 year old CZECH league player???? Why he is even signed is a mystery ….. like KEMPY??? Once again, drafting
NHL dmen for Mr. Bowman is impossible!!! Trade DeBRINCAT for SHEA THEODORE…throw in FORSLING or KEMPY ….
Problem is Vegas already has 8 or 9 dmen. Despite what many say, this team can still compete now with Seabrook on the roster…if some of the youngin’s and newbs turn out…especially on the backend.
Without 7…and no immediate replacement… no bueno.
Can’t trade Hossa if the league’s independent doctor deems Hossa fit to play. Recapture. No bueno. Besides, what team would want/need to get to the floor. Arizona thinks they can compete=no longer floor dwellers. Also have kids needing $$$. Ditto Carolina, Florida. Jersey or Colorado? Maybe. Jersey has Ryane Clowe and his contract coming off the books after this year. As unfortunate as it is, there’s a chance Brian Boyle may not play either. God bless Boyle and his journey, he’s gonna try to play, and kick cancers ass. One tough SOB. Devilw also have a couple years before Hischier and Zacha need paper. They played the dead money game once before so maybe they would again.
Totti, while agree Forsling isn’t ready, Kempny still has to prove he is a legit NHL d-man, and Franson is slow – however I strongly disagree with your assessment of Rutta. From the 3 preseason games he has played I would judge him to be the best d-man to play for the Hawks not named Keith. I would rank Rutta being good enough to play in the NHL as the second best revelation of training camp, only following Schmaltz being so improved he looks to be a legit top-6 center.
Agree help on leftside behind keith is needed and should come in time but letting the young try 1st is ok
Sikura– Is the obvious stud here… better than DCat??? we will see…
But-
Mitchell and Hillman– will surprise and have legit shot of making Hawks in near future… Hillman- more steady with decent size… reliable/smart
Mitchell– most impressive Puck moving/agile D Man at prospects… more impressive than Snuggy ( who I thought was very impressive- in Hawks camp and Prospect tourney)… the kid has NO size- but plays/thinks at real high speed…
I haven’t seen him versus the Good NHL type forecheck – so let’s hope he is better than Forsling- there- who scares me
Hopefully they can get Sikura Hillman and Gilbert under contract after this year. Maybe Krys also.
Like Schmaltz a lotn a centre with KANE…Still think SAAD should play alongside this line and give SHARP to TOEWS and PANIK. Debrincat needs some seasoning in the AHL. Maybe he plays alongside ANISIMIOV and HARTMAN at some point if JURCO does not break out!!!!
If Jurco doesn’t break out?
Keep Debrincat down unless he shows you in the A he can’t be down there.
Pessimistic Schmaltz can win the draws necessary to play C.
Sharp and Anisimov should be interchangeable. One plays 3c, other plays LW.
I have very serious doubt whether Sharp has enough left in the tank to contribute this season. He needs to be strictly a 3rd line option only. If he’s anything more than that then we have acute depth problems at forward.
I agree and he may come out strong-like Hoss did last year, but he’ll fall behind the more he plays as the season goes along.
Sharp will turn 36 in Dec. and will probably fade.
The 2nd/3rd lines in practice today were, again, 10-8-88 and 12-15-38. I kind of like the idea. For as fun as 12-8-88 promised to be – it would probably more fancy passing and less pucks in the net than these new line combos. Actually, I think I would rather have 12-15-88 and 10-8-38 … and if DeBrincat makes the team we’ll see all those line combos at some point.