Size Matters

[Femur]

Size Matters: the 2011 Chicago Blackhawks Draft Review
da Hawks Beat
by Buster Hyman

Hawks GM Stan Bowman promised da Hawks were going into the 2011 Entry Draft with the intent to get bigger, stronger, and to actually get a goalie prospect somewhere in the organization. Well, they certainly delivered on the first two promises; time will tell if they actually got any better (which if you parse Bowman's and top man Femur's words, they never actually promised they would do THAT at all). Well, what about getting better? Did they do that? Did they find an overlooked gem like they did in Brian Ward last summer? Here is a look at the picks:


Second round

Jamison Oleksiak – hgt: 6'7” wt: 244 lbs. pos: Defenseman age: 18

Did I mention Chicago was using size part of their criteria? Well, here you go: Oleksiak towers in at 6 feet 7 inches. Before he starts skating and handling the puck, you might mistake him for Zedeno Chara; once he starts doing those things, you will no longer be confused. He does not possess the offense or hockey sense of Chara, but I fully expect him to play solidly in our own zone which is exactly what da Hawks need with the departure of Cam Barker. The team loves his work ethic, attitude, and character. Oleksiak is being looked at a top 4 defenseman for the club in the future, and they will not rush his development so he will play for Northeastern this season.

Mark McNeill – hgt: 6'2” wt: 201 lbs. pos: Center age: 18

A guy who's development they might be rushing is the bruising Mark McNeill. Chicago has shown their belief in McNeill by (rumor has it) already inking him to a contract. Like Oleksiak, McNeill is sure to bring consistency and hard work each night, but also like The Big O [Ed. NOTE: you can't give him the nickname of one of the all time great players in basketball history...he hasn't played a game yet] [Wtr. NOTE: i can and did], scouts around the league do not feel he is the most talented of players. Chicago thinks everyone else might be wrong here, like they were about Ward...we'll see, of course.

Michael Morrison – hgt: 6'0” wt: 177 lbs. pos: Goalie age: 18

Chicago lost their chance a drafting a blue chip goalie prospect when they traded out of the first round for Halak; turns out that was a sage move as the 3 guys they were eyeing (John Gibson, Perhonen, and Hellberg) were all taken before da Hawks would have had their pick at #18. At least they feel better about that; also helping is they feel they might a got a future NHL goalie in Morrison. Like the other two second round picks, the scouts feel his talent is limited, but they love his consistency. Chicago thinks he has the potential to eventually give them what Antti Neimi did: nothing spectacular, but a puck stopper who brings good effort and works hard. Morrison is a project and he will remain in the OHL this season.

Third Round

Zakhar Arzamastev – hgt: 6'2” wt: 205 lbs. pos: Defenseman age: 18

In the 3rd round da Hawks possibly got a steal in Arzamastev. He probably slid this late in the draft because he doesn't do anything great, and his potential seems somewhat limited; however, he does a whole lot of things well and might become a solid stay-at-home defenseman one day. Chicago loves his size, but most of all, they love his character. Arzamastev leads by example now by consistently playing hard and providing some grit, but he also seems to have it in him to become of the team's leaders on the ice and in the locker room. Fans and announcers won't have worry just yet about pronouncing his name as he will remain in the Russian league this season.

4th round

Samuel Guerra – hgt: 6'0” wt: 185 lbs. pos: Defenseman

The smooth skating Swiss defenseman is an imperfect reflection of Zakhar Arzamastev: a little smaller and a little less talented, but never-the-less a solid defensive prospect with good character attributes. [Ed. NOTE: wow. A nice sentence there, Buster. You almost seem like a real writer] [Wtr. NOTE: thanks for the backhanded compliment, hacky...you hack] Where was I...ah yes, Samuel Gurerra...another project; he will continue to ply his trade in Europe until da Hawks figure out what to do with him.

Ignat Zemchenko – hgt: 6'1” wt: 185 lbs. pos: Wing age: 19

A guy who might be leaving Europe [Ed.NOTE: is the Russian League considered Europe?][Wtr.NOTE: yes it is, hacky; here's a quarter buy a clue] is Zemchenko whom da Hawks (somewhat mysteriously) are said to be trying to ink for this upcoming season. Why? Who knows, but maybe they see him as a surprise pick like you-know-who. A big surprise that would be as most see Zemchenko as a stiff with only some decent hands to offset his...well, otherwise stiffiness.

5th Round

Sebastian Dyk – hgt: 6'0” wt: 187 lbs. pos: Left Wing

Another slick skater, the bull Dyk [Ed. NOTE: dude...] hasn't shown many other NHL qualities, which probably explains why a guy from a hockey factory like Sweden who can skate like the wind falls so low. Other than his feet and hockey sense, Dyk struggles offensively. He also has developed a bad reputation in Sweden for taking dumb penalties and being a little sulky. Chicago will probably avoid bringing him to North America for a good while until they see if he can correct some of his flaws.

6th Round

Maxim Shalunov – hgt: 6'3” wt: 185 lbs. pos: Right Wing

Like Dyk [Ed. NOTE: thank you, Buster for not getting us fired] [Wtr NOTE: yw] Shalunov has been known for his skating and to sulk and hang his head for games at a time. Unlike Dyk, though, Shalunov has some serious talent which intrigues da Hawks. A classic power forward, he can hit, shoot, and likes to fight. He combo of size and strength has Chicago wondering why on earth they were still able to grab him in the 6th round. The scouts I talk to know the reason: he might be great at going places on the ice, but he has no idea where to go to. Also, they feel his mood swings make him too risky to rely upon. Personally, I think he is an excellent pick in the 6th round and has NHL potential eventually, though for now, he is sure to stay in the Russian League.

7th Round

Rob O'Gara – hgt: 6'2” wt: 185 lbs. pos: Defenseman age: 17

Not much is known about da Hawks final selection, Rob O'Gara. He is only 17 and we haven't seen that much hockey from the Boston College signee. Great size (as promised by Bowman and Femur) and grit, O'Gara's game has been all over the map effort-wise, and he has no offensive game of which to speak. Da Hawks will surely be watching their man on the Eagles this year to see if he can play.

Next up on the off-season agenda is free agency. Da Hawks are capped out, and I don't expect much activity, but they do have some holes that need fillin', and most of all, I am contracted to do another column this summer [Wtr.NOTE: the bastards!], so look for a free agency report in a couple of weeks.