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Other than goaltending, the hardest position to find in the NHL is a right-shot defenseman. Just look around the league — teams are desperate for RHD. The price to acquire guys like Noah Dobson or what it might cost to get Rasmus Andersson in the coming months proves that point.
That’s why having Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel is so valuable for Chicago. You don’t give that up lightly, especially when your center depth is already in good shape with Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar, plus Oliver Moore as an option down the middle.
Don’t get me wrong — Mason McTavish is a very solid young player. He’s smart, improving year after year, responsible defensively, and strong in the faceoff circle. But he’s not Sam Bennett. Bennett averages 154 hits per 82 games, compared to just 72 for McTavish. Bennett brings that edge, grit, and forechecking grind that McTavish doesn’t quite match.
The Blackhawks aren’t ready to make that kind of move yet. It’s a lot harder to find top RHD than it is to find a player like McTavish. The smart play is to keep developing Levshunov and Rinzel, learn their true ceiling, and be patient. In a couple of years — say by 2027–28 — Davidson will know more about his defensive core and can properly evaluate a big trade if the right opportunity comes along.
For now, it’s about patience. Davidson is finishing Phase I: accumulating assets. Next comes Phase II: building out the roster piece by piece. It’s not a sprint — it’s a marathon. And the Hawks are on the right path.
Gonna edit it a couple paragraphs but making sure this takes first. Tired of typing thoughts out and it doesn’t take when I use the quote.
Firstly Frenchy, where is your participation in podcasts? Link us up.
Really helpful to hear a guy that drew a paycheck from scouting the USHL post thoughts. … Really interesting there is not really a doubt that a 1D is more valuable than a 1C in the NHL. I think I honestly thought it would be 60/40 that those who draw a paycheck from the sport say 1C was more valuable in the NHL, all things being equal. Either way both slots are important and tough to fill.. Guess I’m old school in that I do believe there are 2 kinds of franchises, those who have centers and those looking for them. … But I was 99% sure KD would draft Artie over Demidov cuz it’s the right thing to do and Wizard makes a good point look at what Jones brought back from Florida. I’d caveat that though that many think Jones is a top pairing D and like he showed with FLA that dude has some rare skills that jump out when he’s engaged…… No, you don’t take that lightly when you have it but offering a hopeful RS 1D for a 22 yr old 220 lb centerman blueblood who’s profiling as a difference maker over his 230 NHL games is taking that lightly. In fact, I could see the guy arguing for the Ducks that they indeed are the ones taking a talent like McT lightly when offering him straight up for an unproven Artie or Rinzel and their 27 NHL game sample size between them.
Bedard, Nazar and maybe even Moore are the centers? … Do you really think a club can win a cup with Bedard as the 1C? I guess sure if you have a Bergeron Toews type as your 2C but I just don’t think it wise to bank on a grown man Bedard to run a 16 game gauntlet from hell as a 1C that winning a cup demands. … Same with Nazar skating 18 minutes a night as a top 6 centerman. Besides Frondell I like Boisvert as the 2nd best center in the system. I see the system as having a good number of young players who can play center but too few who are centerman.
At minimum they’re smallish and I’d love to see either without the shackles of centerman defensive responsibilities. A Nazar and Bedard on wing with McTavish-Frondell-Boisvert as your top 3 centerman is a damn near fever dream and hell to match up against.
Bennett. A rare bird man but my point wasn’t that McTavish is a Bennett only that you can’t have watched Florida the last few yrs and not been amazed by the effectiveness of Bennett who’s most pts in a season is 51. No, McT ain’t a rat bastard criminal like Bennett but he’s a 220lb load you must deal with who plays hungry and has proven as a teenager he can score at the NHL level. Point is difference making BIG, impactful, responsible centerman are incredible assets and rare when all is said and done…….. This is especially essential if you come from the school that players win cups not points.
KD is going to hang on to a lotta these guys to see how they develop, essentially what he has? …. Frenchy, is thinking an NHL organIzation should be able to identify which players in their system will be NHLers before the rest of the league and maximize return on those it sees won’t be an abstract thought? Is management of NHL franchises looking to identify NHLers in their system as much as prospects who won’t be? Especially higher rd picks and move them before there is no doubt they won’t be players of consequence? Kind of an aside cuz I’m not claiming Artie or Rinzel won’t be NHLers. I’d be willing to trade a legit 1D for a a legit 1C, and vice-versa especially if I’m dealing from strength.
Timeline and phases of the rebuild. You do agree that any 22 yr old impactful add is in their timeline today, right? You just don’t agree that a trade of significance sending a young player the other way who they need more data on before they move him?……. My hypothetical hope (or is this abstract thinking?). Enough in the organIzation while he’s youngish say Artie ain’t gonna be an NHL 1st pairing guy and his ceiling is 50 pts and a break even in the fancy stats guy. Lets move him for what a #1 RS Dman will bring back before the rest of the league knows what we know.
For those of you comparing McTavish at 22 years old to Benny in his prime, remember when Benny was 22 years old he was putzing around with the Flames putting up 27 pts while McTavish had 52 pts. The epitome of apples to oranges. Again, it’s about a team’s current makeup/needs as to whether #1 center or #1 RD is more needed (not more important).
Teams current needs? For fun let’s say we trade Rinzel or Arty, who in the pipeline even comes close to the ability of either one on the right side defensively? No one so then you immediately create a need for another RDman when you actually have a ton of forwards who one of whom may possibly become that center. No offense but that would be a horrific trade.
Friendly reminder we won 3 SCs without a bonafide second liner.Dots, you’re struggling to keep up buddy. Read it again, slowly this time: “it’s about a team’s current makeup/needs as to whether #1 center or #1 RD is more needed”. Didn’t mention the Hawks, just said “a team’s”. For example (for fun as you say), one could argue Toronto given all the scoring they had up and down the lineup would value a #1 RD over a #1 center. If they traded Matthews for Makar (which would never happen), Toronto would be better off as long as they kept Marner and extended Knies. Sorry Queafs fans, but you’re not getting past Florida to the Cup Final if your top pairing is Rielly/Tanev and some fillers.
Dots, you’re struggling to keep up buddy. Read it again, slowly this time: “it’s about a team’s current makeup/needs as to whether #1 center or #1 RD is more needed”. Didn’t mention the Hawks, just said “a team’s”. For example (for fun as you say), one could argue Toronto given all the scoring they had up and down the lineup would value a #1 RD over a #1 center. If they traded Matthews for Makar (which would never happen), Toronto would be better off as long as they kept Marner and extended Knies. Sorry Queafs fans, but you’re not getting past Florida to the Cup Final if your top pairing is Rielly/Tanev and some fillers.[/quote]
I’ll try harder next time, it’s difficult for me to keep up with how brilliant you are and how i am just so fortunate to read what you write and try to make sense out of it.
Thanks for posting boiler. Surprised with this lineup with being on the road.
Surprised at that myself Lou. Just hope nobody gets hurt. I think several on this roster, after Bedard, Nazar, Lev and Rinzel represent the next tier of prospects. Of course there is some AHL fodder in the lineup too rounding things out.
Hey everybody! Nice to see y’all are still getting along.
I know I’m jumping in a bit late here, but maybe we let some of the 5th graders KD’s drafted recently show what they can do before launching them for an 8th grader.
Hey everybody! Nice to see y’all are still getting along.
I know I’m jumping in a bit late here, but maybe we let some of the 5th graders KD’s drafted recently show what they can do before launching them for an 8th grader.
Chunk is in the house. Looky here, Dots………. Good to see you, Chunk.
Thanks for posting boiler. Surprised with this lineup with being on the road.
they are required to ice so many veterans. plus, after tonight a few guys playing tonight will be sent back to their junior tea or RFD.
Hey everybody! Nice to see y’all are still getting along.
I know I’m jumping in a bit late here, but maybe we let some of the 5th graders KD’s drafted recently show what they can do before launching them for an 8th grader.
????
I also like size up the middle, however not all centers in every single line need to have size. Yes, the first wave of centers are not huge, however the second wave of Frondell, Boisvert, Spellacy and Greene all bring size, and my understanding is that Moore is up 195 lbs as well. As the 25/26 season starts, there’s no need to overpay for a McTavish at this time, first KD needs the dust to settle and see what these guys all bring. There are a lot of darts in both offense and defense, eventually they’ll need to move a couple or three of them(no room at the inn)to upgrade a need, that time is not now because we don’t know what the need will be. One thing is for certain, it will probably not be a RD. JMHO
I also like size up the middle,
however not all centers in every single line need to have size. Yes, the first wave of centers are not huge, however the second wave of Frondell, Boisvert, Spellacy and Greene all bring size, and my understanding is that Moore is up 195 lbs as well. As the 25/26 season starts, there’s no need to overpay for a McTavish at this time, first KD needs the dust to settle and see what these guys all bring. There are a lot of darts in both offense and defense, eventually they’ll need to move a couple or three of them(no room at the inn)to upgrade a need, that time is not now because we don’t know what the need will be. One thing is for certain, it will probably not be a RD. JMHO
i bet you do.
not there is anything wrong with that. ????
Hey Rico. Thanks. I figured, I would drop a stink bomb in the middle of the whole discussion and then just leave, but there’s no fun if you don’t hang around and throw a couple low punches.
Hey everybody! Nice to see y’all are still getting along.
I know I’m jumping in a bit late here, but maybe we let some of the 5th graders KD’s drafted recently show what they can do before launching them for an 8th grader.
We agree with everything everyone says here. Get with the program.(aka rpete)
Been asking Dots where you were the last couple weeks, Chunk. You two chop it up pretty good and keep a message board from growing cobwebs. …. Glad you found your way over.
Cuz as far as I’m concerned, a Hawk’s fan has a solid spot here. Frenchy has shared some of his bio and going from memory know he’s a Canadian boy, lives in Montreal, is a Hawks fan, scouted the USHL and cut up film for an ECHL squad. My kinda blogger especially one rooted in jrs hockey and earned a paycheck scouting that level. …. It was BoilerMaker who found this place and posted the link and was a stroke of good luck for me.
The software has some bugs so you’ll get posts lost in space. I’ve found using the quote feature can lose my post so I’m careful as I can be as I’ve lost a few, which gets old man. … Trial and error is advised.
Lou, nothing at all with a wait and see approach for the organIzation. Nothing at all but I hate to think of any opportunities that aren’t explored and to me I just don’t see a McTavish at 22 yrs of age getting a rough ride from management that might lead to him being moved. ….. Not sure why but I’ve always thought, from his permanent hiring, KD looks every single day at a chance to move for a guy like McTavish.
I feel much better with Frondell’s size in the system but doesn’t mean I’m satisfied that the system has the size at center I’d love to have, or true centerman for that matter.
Plus asset allocation will rear its head eventually. If Artie, Rinzel reach their ceiling will it take giving each 20 mil per in their UFA yrs? Not to mention Vlasic will be looking at 10 mil plus per yr. I guess it can be argued two first rate centers will cost to but I’d like to think the organIzation has an eye to future payroll problems and are as proactive on that account as possible.
Let’s see about this Bedard improved giddyup tonight first. See what Blashil is thinking by usage of the roster tonight.
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