The 17th overall pick in the NHL Draft, which begins Tuesday, will the Blackhawks’ 10th first-round selection during Stan Bowman’s general manager tenure.
Bowman has selected seven North Americans and only two Europeans so far, yet that’s not incredibly out of line with league averages. Only nine of last year’s 31 first-round selections were European, and a similar imbalance is expected this year.
But that certainly doesn’t eliminate the possibility of a European selection by the Hawks in 2020, like when they chose Adam Boqvist eighth in 2018.
In fact, some of the most intriguing prospects potentially in play at No. 17 are European. Below are the five most likely ones, with thoughts from Hawks scouting director Mark Kelley.
Click here for yesterday’s story on North American prospects the Hawks may consider.
Yaroslav Askarov — Goaltender, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (Russia)
Easily the most discussed prospect in the draft, Askarov is the best goaltending prospect in years. He’s dominated every stage he’s been on.
Goaltenders take a long time to develop and difficult to evaluate, making Askarov a risky use of a first-round pick. But if he’s there for the Hawks at 17th, he’d be hard to turn down.
“We’ve been watching Askarov for a few years now,” Kelley said. “What stands out on Askarov is the success he’s had, whether it be World Championships with the Russian team, or just in his Russian league. He’s a big-time goaltender and he’s thrived on the big games.”
Rodion Amirov — Left Wing, Ufa (Russia)
Amirov’s junior career in Russia is hard to assess due to inconsistency, both with the number of teams he’s played on and also within his own game.
While he has some holes in his own game and needs to bulk up his currently 168-pound body, he’s also a dynamic puck-carrying and puck-moving winger who excels in 1-on-1 situations.
“He’s a 6-foot-1 [forward] with really good puck skills, can skate, fun to watch,” Kelley said, noting the Hawks have watched him closely over the past two years.
Lukas Reichel — Left Wing, Berlin (Germany)
Coincidentally, the Hawks played against Reichel in their exhibition last September against Berlin.
Reichel went on to have a great rookie year against much older competition in the German league. His hockey intelligence and offensive vision are his strongest attributes, but he’s not as naturally athletic as other prospects in this conversation.
“Reichel had a really good year, played regularly for Eisbaren in the DEL, and then he was on that German World Juniors team that opened a lot of eyes,” Kelley said. “When you watch him, you see a lot of potential.”
Anton Lundell — Center, HIFK (Finland)
Projections are all over the board on Lundell, a well-rounded but not particularly exciting forward. The NHL’s Central Scouting Service ranks him as the No. 3 European skater, higher than everyone else on this list, but other prognosticators place him in the 15th-25th range of all prospects.
Regardless, Lundell had a remarkably productive season in the Finnish professional league last season.
“What stands out..is he has a pro game as a kid already,” Kelley said. “Over 200 feet, he’s very good offensively, plays off his wings very well, very responsible defensively.”
Noel Gunler — Right Wing, Lulea (Sweden)
Gunler is exceptional with the puck: his shots and passes are both powerful and accurate, and he’s creative and elusive before getting to that point.
His work ethic and play away from the puck have been questioned, however, drawing comparisons — for better or worse — to fellow countryman Alex Nylander.
“We’ve been watching him again for a couple years,” Kelley said. “He’s a big winger that can skate, has a great skill set. He’s one of those prototypical Swedish wingers.”
