If I Were Kyle Davidson Part 1 - The Draft
What would I do if I were the Blackhawks GM?
Before I get into this piece, I want to explain where I have been. As many of you may have seen I took a break from social media, and only just recently returned. Additionally, I have started a new job along with school so a lot of my free time is taken up by those two things. With this piece I hope to comeback strong into writing, and make this a series. With that being said, lets get into it! (This series is inspired by Prashanth Iyer’s Yzerman series).
The Chicago Blackhawks and Kyle Davidson have a crucial offseason ahead of them, and it all begins at the draft today. They have a real chance to add a second star alongside Connor Bedard at second overall, but that does not mean that the other picks aren’t important as well (especially pick 18). Drafts like these make or break franchises, so it is imperative that they get this right.
There has obviously been a lot of discourse surrounding who the Hawks should take. The conversation has mostly been about two players in particular, the athletic, two-way, and right-handed Belarusian defenseman Artyom Levshunov and the skilled, dynamic, and game-breaking Russian winger Ivan Demidov. It’s not hard to see why the Hawks are down to these two players as they’re both uber-talented and potentially address two of the team’s biggest weaknesses. Those needs being a #1 defenseman and a legit running mate for the aforementioned Bedard. So who would I go with?
To me the answer is pretty simple, I would take Ivan Demidov. There are a variety of reasons why, but it stems from his otherworldly puck skills, playmaking ability, vision, and creativity. There are just things he can do with the puck that very few players in the world attempt, let alone pull off. Take this play for example where Demidov completes a successful give-and-go, toe-drags, then nutmegs the defender, and finally dekes around the goalie to score.
Here’s another play where the 18-year-old sashays around three defenders, cuts the middle of the net, and gets a shot off. The puck did not go in the net, but the skill-level is off the charts.
Finally, there are plays like this that make it abundantly clear that Demidov thinks the game at a very high level. He ricochets the puck off the boards and springs his linemate forward for a quality opportunity.
On top of all of this, Demidov’s off-puck game complements his on-puck game nicely. He engages in board battles, he wins pucks back, and he is responsible defensively. There are not a lot of warts in Demidov’s game, but he does tend to rely on the 10-2 skating mechanic a bit too much. In the past, an over reliance on this mechanic has hurt prospects and their projectability to the NHL (ex. Antonio Stranges & Jeremy Bracco). However, Demidov’s skill is so far ahead of those names that I have no doubts about his projectability.
There is obviously the ‘Russian Factor’ and that has to play in a bit when you are picking at #2, but it should not determine this pick. I understand that not seeing a player live, not being able to talk with him until last week, and not being able to sign him right away makes this decision difficult. But when a player of Demidov’s caliber comes along you do not pass on it. Just this past week we saw Matvei Michkov squash the ‘Russian Factor’ and sign with the Philadelphia Flyers.
At this moment I do not expect Demidov to be the pick, but since I am the General Manager in this exercise the two-time MHL MVP and MHL Champion is my pick at #2. He is the perfect linemate for Bedard and those two would just be electric together.
The Rest of the Draft
For the remaining picks I will be relying on a ‘consensus-ranking’ list that I curated. This ranking has led me to predict a couple of Hawks picks in the past. And although I am not trying to predict the draft, it does give me a good idea of who will be available at each draft selection.
There have been rumors that the Blackhawks are eyeing four players, center Jett Luchanko, center/winger Michael Hage, center/winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and defenseman Stian Solberg at pick #18. While this exercise is not predictive, I will be choosing one of these players and that is Hage.
The 18-year-old forward has followed in the steps of other promising Canadian prospects like Owen Power, Adam Fantilli, and Macklin Celebrini by choosing the Chicago Steel, who are now owned by the Blackhawks, of the USHL. He put up an astounding 33 goals and 42 assists in 54 USHL games, with 61 of those points coming in the last 38 games. While he won’t be a top-five pick like those guys, he is still an extremely talented prospect.
Hage is an all-around talent and he can do about anything you ask of him. Do you need him to pick corners? Hage has got you covered. Is it a talented playmaker you want? He can do that as well. What about creating off the rush? His quick hands and agile feet allow him to do just that. But does he have size and compete? Check and check.
He is committed to the University of Michigan for next year and has a real chance to play meaningful top-six minutes for the Wolverines. In my opinion, he projects as a top-six do-it-all center at the NHL level. A perfect fit for the Hawks at #18.
Once we get into the second-round things get a little more difficult to project. It is hard to tell who will be available at this point. Since I have selected two forwards so far, I feel like it is necessary to address the right side of the defense. So at 34th and 50th overall, I will be selecting right-handed defensemen Adam Kleber and Harrison Brunicke. Starting off with Kleber, the Minnesotan spent this past season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL where he put up five goals and 21 assists in 56 games. While that stat line does not pop out at you, his athletic profile certainly does.
The 18-year-old is 6’5”, 214 pounds and is a great skater. Those physical tools alone make him an attractive option at 34, but add to the fact that he plays a tight gap, is very physical, and can shut-down opposing players with ease? That makes this pick a no-brainer. Kleber will be headed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth next year and projects as a top-four shut-down defenseman.
Much like Kleber, Harrison Brunicke is renowned for his physical attributes. He is one of the best skaters in the draft, he is tall and rangy at 6’3” and 187 pounds, and he engages physically. Despite his poor offensive output, 10 goals and 11 assists in 49 WHL games, I would argue that Brunicke has some untapped offensive potential. He can move pucks and is very creative in the offensive zone. He will be returning to Kamloops next year and has the potential to be a puck-mover in a team’s top-four.
In the third-round, my personal opinion is that you should still be swinging for upside. So with picks 67 and 72 I will be taking two diminutive but extremely skilled forwards in Justin Poirier and Alexander Zetterberg. Poirier is known for his elite shot and he can score from just about anywhere. Zetterberg on the otherhand is a legit dual-threat and thinks the game at a high level. Both of these prospects are very boom-or-bust, but it is worth taking the risk.
With the final two picks I am opting to go with two USNTDP players. At pick 138, I will be selecting speedy Michigan State commit, Lucas Van Vliet. He has the chance to be a very solid bottom-sixer at the NHL level due to that aforementioned speed and compete, but his offensive upside is limited. At #163, I am selecting left-handed defenseman John Whipple. He projects to be a depth defenseman at the NHL level and his game is built around his physicality and mobility. Similarly to Van Vliet, there is not a lot of offensive upside here.
The Haul
2. RW - Ivan Demidov - SKA-1946 St. Petersburg
18. C/LW - Michael Hage - Chicago Steel
34. RHD - Adam Kleber - Lincoln Stars
50. RHD - Harrison Brunicke - Kamloops Blazers
67. RW - Justin Poirier - Baie-Comeau Drakkar
72. C - Alexander Zetterberg - Örebro HK J20
138. C/LW - Lucas Van Vliet - USNTDP
163. LHD - John Whipple - USNTDP
As a Blackhawks fan I would be ecstatic with a draft haul like this. In the first round you get a legit linemate for Bedard in Ivan Demidov and another high-end forward prospect in Michael Hage. In the second round you select two physical and athletic right-handed defenseman that project to be top-four guys in Adam Kleber and Harrison Brunicke. In the early third round you take two swings for upside in Justin Poirier and Alexander Zetterberg. With the two later round picks you pick guys who project to be depth pieces in Lucas Van Vliet and John Whipple.
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