Hawks' drafts have been hit-or-miss affairs
The Blackhawks wouldn't be where they are today — one of the NHL's elite teams already with one Stanley Cup under their belt — without some successful drafts.
Without question there have been some celebrated misses going back 10 years, but let's not forget draft choices such as Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Dave Bolland, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Troy Brouwer and Dustin Byfuglien all developed into critical pieces of the 2010 Stanley Cup team.
“I think we've got to keep the pipeline coming of prospects,” general manager Stan Bowman said ahead of today's first round of the draft. “It's been integral really to the Blackhawks reaching the level we're at now with young players contributing. The way to keep that going is to have a good draft again.”
The Hawks' last 10 drafts have produced a mixed bag of results in the first round.
While Kane (2007), Toews (2006) and Seabrook (2003) have turned out to be stars, Adam Munro (2001), Anton Babchuk (2002), Cam Barker (2004) and Jack Skille (2005) didn't pan out in Chicago.
Tuomo Ruutu (2001) was an OK choice at ninth overall, but he never turned out to be the superstar some projected him to be, and he was subsequently traded to Carolina for Andrew Ladd.
The jury remains out on first-round picks Kyle Beach (2008), Dylan Olsen (2009) and Kevin Hayes (2010).
Bowman is high on Hayes as a contributing center down the road, and the Hawks still believe Olsen has the potential to be a factor on defense in a year or two.
There were huge expectations for Beach, taken 11th in 2008, but he has only been a pro for one year. He still could develop into an impact player physically.
“We're pleased with how Kyle is coming along,” Bowman said. “It's an adjustment coming from the junior game to the pro game. Obviously, Kyle was a prolific goal scorer in junior so that's a talent he certainly has. We tried get him to focus on rounding out his game this year and do the things that fit into what we're looking for, and he did that.
“It's a progression for Kyle. He may not break into the league as a goal scorer playing on the top line. Sometimes these guys can work their way around the lineup over a couple years and that's what we're trying to get him to do, to contribute in different ways.”
Turn back time:It's always fun to look at past first round and think what could have been.
#376; When the Hawks took Ruutu ninth in 2001, Dan Hamhuis, Ales Hemsky, R.J. Umberger and Colby Armstrong were still on the board.
#376; When Babchuk was picked 21st in 2002, Sean Bergenheim, Alex Steen and Cam Ward were three of the next four players taken.
#376; When the Hawks took Barker third overall in 2004, Ladd and Blake Wheeler were the next two picks. Drew Stafford went 13th to Buffalo.
#376; In 2005, after Skille was picked seventh by the Hawks, Devin Setoguchi went eighth to San Jose, Anze Kopitar 11th to Los Angeles, Marc Staal 12th to the Rangers and T.J. Oshie 24th to St. Louis.
#376; In Beach's draft year of 2008 after the Hawks took him at No. 11, defenseman Tyler Myers, the 2009-10 rookie of the year, went 12th to Buffalo and Jordan Eberle 24th to Edmonton.
Second helpings:The Hawks have three picks in the second round this weekend, Nos. 36, 43 and 48.
Going back 10 years the Hawks have had a hit-or-miss complex in the second round. The hits have been memorable: Keith in 2002, Corey Crawford in 2003, and Bolland and Bryan Bickell in 2004.
As for the misses the biggest were Mike Blunden and Dan Bertram in 2005, Simon Denis-Pepin in 2006 and Bill Sweatt and Akim Aliu in 2007.
The final number:If Bowman was smiling Thursday it's because the NHL and the NHL Players Association announced the salary cap will rise to $64.3 million for the 2011-12 season.