Zawaski: Breaking Down Blackhawks' 2015 Draft Class
By Jay Zawaski--
(CBS) Every year, the NHL Draft comes and goes, and guys like myself read a capsule on a new player and pretend to be an expert. I got tired of pretending and last season reached out to Sean White, who's a scout for the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League and is a contributor to HockeyProspect.com. The 67's have produced notable NHL talents like Brian Campbell, Kris Draper, Michael Peca, Denis Potvin, Doug Wilson and Gary Roberts. Needless to say, they know what they're doing when it comes to scouting.
Here's White's analysis and breakdown of the Blackhawks' 2015 draft class after the weekend's festivities.
Round 2, No. 54: Graham Knott
Left wing, Niagara (OHL), 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, 18 years old
"Knott is a good two-way player. He skates well and has really good possession skills. When he's on, he's quite a force to deal with, but consistency is an issue.
He plays a strong defensive game and can kill penalties. There's good upside there with his size and skill set combo, but it'll be a matter of finding more consistency and not having periods of disappearing on the ice. Overall, Knott's a solid pick and a player who should fit in pretty well in the Blackhawks' system."
Round 3, No. 91: Dennis Gilbert
Defenseman, Chicago Steel (USHL), 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, 18
"Gilbert's a good value in this spot. Personally, I thought Gilbert would have and should have been off the board by this pick.
He has great size and skating ability. He has excellent speed, quick feet and great puck skills. He'll need to get quicker with his decision-making with the puck, but he's got excellent puck-handling and passing skills and sees the ice really well. He's a very smooth player.
Gilbert's defense is solid overall in his own zone. He finishes his hits and shows flashes of nasty, but he's not an overly physical, chippy guy you'd hope for in a guy his size. Of course, he could add that element to his game.
All in all, Gilbert is an excellent defensive prospect. He'll be at Notre Dame starting this fall."
Round 4, No. 121: Ryan Shea
Defenseman, Boston College HS, 6-foot, 175 pounds, 18
"Shea's an excellent skater with high-end offensive skills. He has great vision, is a outstanding passer and is very good with the puck coming up the ice while starting breakouts and carrying through the neutral zone. He likes to jump into the play offensively and starts transitions well. He needs to develop strength and improve the defensive side of the game, but he has great tools and overall hockey instincts. He will be playing his college hockey at Northeastern."
Round 5, No. 151: Radovan Bondra
Right wing, HC Kosice (Slovakia), 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, 18
"Bondra is a bit of a project but has high upside with a lot of potential.
He has huge size, and although he's not physical, he uses his frame well in board battles and protecting the puck. His offensive game has shown flashes but needs to develop. All around, Bondra is just very raw as a player. However, he's smart and plays well defensively already, showing good hockey sense, anticipation and decision-making. He's definitely a project but worth a later pick. He could develop into something very good."
Round 6, No. 164: Roy Radke
Right wing, Barrie (OHL), 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, 18
"Radke could end up being one of the bigger steals in this draft. Has a lot more offensive upside than his production would suggest. He was kept in a somewhat limited role this past season and was somewhat buried on Barrie's roster.
He has a good, heavy shot and isn't afraid to use it. He has great straight-line speed and likes to go to the net hard and cause problems. He plays with an edge, likes to hit and is physical. He has excellent creativity and puck-possession skills and is a matchup problem for defending players because of his size.
Radke has all the prototypical power forward qualities.
He'll be an interesting watch this upcoming season in Barrie with an increased role and minutes. He's one who Blackhawks fans should definitely keep track of and remember for later on. He's also a local kid, hailing from Geneva. He's a former minor hockey teammate with last year's first-round pick, Nick Schmaltz."
Round 6, No. 181: Joni Tuulola
Defenseman, HPK (Finland), 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, 19
"Tuulola has great offensive instincts and abilities. He can make things happen in the offensive zone with the puck. He has good wheels and plays smart but needs to tighten up his defensive game a little bit as far as positioning. Tuulola also needs to mature physically and increase his strength."
Round 6, No. 211: John Dahlstrom
Right wing, Frolunda Jr. (Sweden), 5-foot-11, 189 pounds, 18
"Dahlstrom has good offensive skills and is able to get his shot off really well on the fly. He's dangerous if he finds open ice and is in a position to finish. He has natural finishing/goal-scoring ability. Physically, he struggled to battle for space and get open. He has decent size but needs to greatly improve his strength. He has a good head and skills for the game, he just needs to improve some physical things and improve awareness to make it easier on himself."
So there you the breakdown on the Blackhawks' 2015 drat class. You can bookmark this page and check back in three to four years to see how it all plays out.
A big thanks goes to Sean White for all of his insight. Follow him on Twitter @Sean_P_White and check HockeyProspect.com to find his work.
Jay Zawaski is the executive producer of the Spiegel and Goff Show on 670 The Score and the Blackhawks columnist for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayZawaski670.
