The news for letting Peeters’ rights expire comes with far less surprise than letting Gravel go. Peeters was a third-round pick by the Blackhawks in 2016, but fizzled out of the USHL after little more than one season, returning to Europe and playing last season with Guildford in the EIHL in the U.K.

Halifax Mooseheads goaltender Alexis Gravel stands in the net. (Photograph courtesy of the Halifax Mooseheads)

As for Gravel, the former 2018 sixth-round pick by Chicago had a successful career in the QMJHL with the Halifax Mooseheads over the past four years. He appeared in 178 games for the Mooseheads, with a career 3.29 GAA and a .898 save percentage. His best season came two years ago during the 2018-19 campaign, leading the Mooseheads to the QMJHL President’s Cup Final and the CHL Memorial Cup Final, being named to the Memorial Cup tournament’s All-Star team and being named the Memorial Cup tournament’s Most Outstanding Goaltender.

Coming off injury this season, Gravel had a down year from his 2018-19 season, but his body of work still felt promising for the 20-year old to get a shot within the Blackhawks organization. Less than two weeks ago, Gravel posted on a photo on his social media wearing a Blackhawks hat.

First fish of the summer pic.twitter.com/LemOs8NH2g

— Alexis Gravel (@alexis_grave1) May 10, 2020

Now, according to the report, both Gravel and Peeters will see their draft rights expire with Chicago on June 1, making them free agents.

The Blackhawks are left with goaltenders Corey Crawford and Malcolm Subban at the NHL level, with both having contracts expiring this summer. At the AHL level, Collin Delia, Matt Tomkins, and Kevin Lankinen all played with the Rockford IceHogs this past season and all are on the books for 2020-21, with Delia and Lankinen having contracts through the 2021-22 season.

Chicago still holds the rights to Russian goaltender Ivan Nalimov, who signed a PTO with the IceHogs late this past season, but never played in a game, and to 2019 sixth-round draft pick Dominic Basse, who played last season in the USHL with the Youngstown Phantoms and is expected to play in the USHL again next season before heading to Colorado College.

It is probable that the Blackhawks will draft another goaltender in this year’s Entry Draft, potentially with their first-round pick as Russian goaltender Yaroslav Askarov is projected to be available when Chicago is on the clock. Granted, draft position is still not locked in yet, but as it currently stands Askarov will likely be available around picks eight, nine, and ten in the first round.

The post Report: Blackhawks not expected to sign goaltenders Gravel, Peeters appeared first on The Rink.

With the Chicago Blackhawks likely picking toward the back end of the top 10 in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, I would like to unpack why the organization needs—yes, needs—to draft Russian goaltending phenom Yaroslav Askarov.

The current situation

It is no surprise there will soon be a changing of the guard in net for the Blackhawks. Longtime goaltender Corey Crawford is quickly approaching the end of his esteemed career, with likely just another year or two left in his tank, at most. Crawford’s recent injury struggles are well documented, and the netminder could be one collision away from being finished between the pipes.

Additionally, the Blackhawks balked at the opportunity to secure the long-term outlook of the position, trading away Robin Lehner at the trade deadline rather than locking him up to a contract extension.

With Crawford’s playing days likely coming to an end in the near future, the organization will need to answer the question of who will serve as the next Blackhawk great in the crease.

In addition to Crawford, backup goaltender Malcolm Subban is set to be a free agent this offseason. Subban, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in the Lehner deal, is 26 years old and will be a restricted free agent. The 2012 Boston first-round pick has struggled to establish himself as a legitimate NHL option, not seeing regular playing time until the 2017–18 season, playing 22 games for Vegas with a 2.68 goals against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage.

However, since then, Subban’s numbers have steadily dropped off, posting a 3.18 GAA and a .890 save percentage in 20 appearances for the Golden Knights this season before coming to Chicago, where he saw just 70 seconds of action on March 3 against Anaheim while Crawford was momentarily pulled from the game. Though the Blackhawks could choose to bring back Subban, he likely does not factor into the team’s long-term plans between the pipes, as his limited usage while in Chicago seems to indicate, meaning the organization needs to either acquire or develop its next big-time netminder.

The Blackhawks’ history of drafting goaltenders

Of course, some could point to the Blackhawks’ failure to draft and develop quality goaltending talent as a reason to pass on Askarov. Since selecting Crawford (and Mike Brodeur) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Chicago has picked 12 goaltenders. Those 12 netminders have combined to make just one appearance in the NHL, as Kent Simpson played just 20 minutes in a 7–3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 14, 2013, allowing two goals on seven shots faced.

However, on the contrary, of those 12 goaltenders, only three were selected in the first three rounds of a draft, with Simpson being the only second-round selectee (the last of three second-round picks that year) and none being chosen in the first round. The overwhelming majority of those 12 goaltenders could be described as the Blackhawks taking a flier to see if they might become something down the road, an unlikely proposition regardless of position as the draft progresses.

All this to say, the Blackhawks have not invested a high-end draft pick in a goaltender since Crawford, as he was the last netminder selected with one of Chicago’s first three picks in a draft.

Another important thing to note is the quality of player a team would ideally be looking for with a top-10 pick. As The Rink’s own John Jaeckel has pointed out previously, with a top-10 pick, a team should likely be hoping it can acquire a No. 1 center, a No. 1 defenseman or a No. 1 goaltender, or at worst, a future first-line winger capable of producing at a high-end level. Of course, by being at the bottom of the top 10, the likelihood of getting a No. 1 center or defenseman is not as high as it would be with a lottery pick, despite this year’s draft class widely being considered to be fairly deep. The other “No. 1” category? Bingo.

Additionally, many would argue the best draft strategy is to select the best player available, and if that player fills a need, even better. The draft is a valuable tool to restock the cupboards and develop the next great wave of talent for an organization. A team should be selecting players that improve its situation, whatever that may look like, regardless of position, timeline or nationality.

However, with the tandem Chicago was icing in net prior to the stoppage of play pretty clearly not being the long-term answer between the pipes, a thorough analysis of other goaltenders within the organization is warranted before potentially using a first-round pick on a netminder.

In the system

The Blackhawks currently have three goaltenders under contract for next season in Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen and Matt Tomkins, who split time with the Rockford IceHogs this season. While Delia and Lankinen could prove to be serviceable backups at the NHL level, neither is likely to develop into a legitimate top-end starting goaltender. Tomkins likely does not have much of a future in the NHL, at least not in Chicago, as he is rather comfortably the third-best option of that trio.

Two goaltenders currently hold a minor-league contract or a professional tryout agreement (PTO), as 24-year-old Tom Aubrun was signed out of Norwich University earlier this month while 2014 sixth-round pick Ivan Nalimov signed a PTO with the IceHogs in March just prior to the stoppage of play.

Though Aubrun, a native of Chamonix, France, has boasted impressive numbers thus far in his career, he is likely a wild card at this point, having spent the last four seasons playing at the NCAA DIII level for the Cadets. Aubrun took over the starting job as a junior in 2018–19, posting a 1.70 GAA and .929 save percentage in 28 games before dominating all season long as a senior with a GAA of 0.77 and a save percentage of .967 in 27 outings, highlighted by a remarkable nine-game shutout streak prior to the remainder of the team’s season being canceled.

While Aubrun’s gaudy numbers do warrant attention, he will need to prove himself at a higher level of play before being considered to be a legitimate NHL option down the road. Aubrun will likely spend the 2020–21 season with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL.

Nalimov has been an interesting case since being selected by the Blackhawks in 2014. The Russian has bounced around in his native land, playing for seven teams since the start of the 2016–17 season with mixed results. Though Nalimov does have raw talent, he appears to be a headcase, which likely does not bode well for a chance at NHL stardom, especially at this stage of his career.

Unsigned prospects

Chicago owns the rights to three additional goaltenders on its reserve list, as Dominic Basse, Alexis Gravel and Wouter Peeters all stand without a contract in hand.

After struggling in his first season in North America in the USHL during the 2017–18 season, Peeters has since spent the majority of his time back in Europe, where he will likely remain for the rest of his career. The native of Belgium appears to be nothing more than a failed use of a third-round pick in 2016.

Like Aubrun, Basse is very much an unknown wild card at this point in time. Though possessing raw ability, the 2019 sixth-rounder is also an unproven commodity. Basse will head to Colorado College next season.

At this time, Gravel is likely the goaltender within the Blackhawks’ system with the highest ceiling, having displayed his ability well over the last four seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. Though Gravel may have the potential to become a starting goaltender at the NHL level, that is far from a guarantee. Chicago will need to make up its mind on Gravel in the near future, as the organization will lose his rights on June 1 if he is not signed prior to then.

To summarize, while any one of the netminders currently within the organization could theoretically develop into a serviceable NHL option—after all, anything can happen, as some might claim—the likelihood any of them will become elite, Stanley Cup-worthy talents is extremely slim.

Other avenues for finding the goalie of the future

Of course, the Blackhawks could opt to sign a high-end free agent goaltender. But, by passing on bringing back Lehner, that route likely is not in the cards given the team did not want to spend the required money to do so after the big Swede fell into their lap last summer.

Chicago could also attempt to trade for a goaltender of the future, as it seemed they might have in March when rumors swirled of Russian prospect Ilya Sorokin’s rights heading to the Blackhawks. However, the price to acquire a young goaltender of that calibre in a trade would be high, and the organization has not successfully swung a deal for a goalie of the future since acquiring Jocelyn Thibault in 1998.

So, where does that leave the Blackhawks in terms of finding a long-term answer in the cage? How are the majority of elite goaltenders acquired? The NHL Entry Draft. Cue Askarov.

Why Askarov?

Askarov is widely considered to be the best goaltending prospect since Carey Price in 2005. What does that indicate? Askarov is viewed as a generational type of netminder. His draft stock is higher than other touted goaltenders over the last 15 years, including Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ilya Samsonov and Spencer Knight. In fact, since Price and Tuukka Rask were selected in 2005, just 13 goaltenders have been chosen in the first round, seven of which have been since 2010.

Over the last decade, more and more teams have seemingly decided drafting a goaltender in the first round may not be worth their pick. This philosophy is evidenced by the somewhat drastic change in the number of netminders selected in the first round in the last two decades, as 22 goaltenders were selected in the first round between 2000 and 2009 compared to just seven from 2010 to 2019.

Some may also be leery of the “Russian factor,” as Askarov could theoretically never come over to play in North America. However, in recent years, the likes of Vasilevskiy, Samsonov and Igor Shesterkin have decreased that concern by showing high-end Russian goaltenders can very well make and follow through with the commitment.

Despite all this, Askarov has been considered a slam-dunk first-round pick for this year, with many proclaiming him worthy of a top-10 selection. Again, this is because of Askarov’s obvious talent and his potential to legitimately become a franchise-altering goaltender and annual Vezina Trophy candidate.

Askarov has been nothing short of sensational in nearly every stop of his young career. He has dominated in international tournaments against his age group over the past three seasons and has only come back down to earth in an average showing at the 2020 World Junior Championships, where he posted a 2.71 GAA and a .877 save percentage in five appearances. But, Askarov still had an impressive 2019–20 campaign otherwise, highlighted by a gold medal in the Gretzky Hlinka Cup and a strong showing in his first-ever KHL game for SKA St. Petersburg, a 23-save performance in a 4–2 win.

The stars align

As noted earlier, with nothing of substantial quality looming in the netminder pipeline, now is the time for the Blackhawks to break the trend and finally invest a quality draft pick in a goaltender. By filling that hole, the organization can entirely focus on other gaps in the system, knowing arguably the biggest vacancy is taken care of. And, with the best goaltending prospect in the last 15 years potentially being on the board when General Manager Stan Bowman announces Chicago’s newest draftee, the timing could not be any better.

The post Why the Chicago Blackhawks need to draft Yaroslav Askarov appeared first on The Rink.

The fans were treated to a scrimmage with the first full-ice five-on-five action of the week, a full period of four-on-four play, three-on-three overtime, and eventually a shootout. The scrimmage ended with the red team taking the win on shootout goals by Mackenzie Entwistle and free agent Princeton forward Ryan Kuffner (pictured above).

Don’t forget to listen to Thursday night’s Rinkcast to hear us talk more about what we saw.

Photo by Jeff Osborn/The-Rink

Below are some observations Eric Andrews and I made during today’s sessions:

• Alexandre Fortin wrapped up his week as the clear cut best forward on the ice, exuding confidence and polish throughout the session.
• As mentioned above, Ryan Kuffner had himself a nice scrimmage, scoring in the second period and then icing the win with one of the only two shootout goals.
• Tim Soderlund was not nearly as noticeable as he was last summer, but he flies with the puck and is fearless.  That said, the coaching staff had him playing right wing instead of center.  He looked to have really nice chemistry with Mathias From, who also had a very solid camp.
• Freddy Olofsson, Liam Coughlin and free agent Connor Moynihan had the best chances in the first period and it is no surprise that they were also three of the bigger players on the ice.
• Speaking of bigger players, Josiah Slavin certainly didn’t look like a late round draft pick this week.  He seemed to be everywhere.
• We saw a lot of Adam Boqvist, but he was much more interested in the offensive side of the rink than his own.  During a couple of plays, he insisted on making one too many fancy moves and turned the puck over both in his own zone and at the far blue line..  To anyone with delusions of this kid playing for the Blackhawks at 17/18 years old, just reel your hopes back in right now.  He did have a really nice assist on Olofsson’s goal in the second period.
• Henri Jokiharju spent a good deal of time on the ice and continued to get a nice push, especially on the power play.  The coaching staff was clearly comfortable with having him on the ice in all situations.
• Similarly, Chad Krys was out on the ice in the same situations.  His anticipation was very noticeable.
• Beau Starrett was one of the few centers to stand out.  His big frame and long strides allowed him to blow around defencemen on a couple of occasions.
• Niklas Nordgren did not skate because of a lower body injury, Jacob Nilsson took an early flight back to Sweden, and Blake Hillman just sat out.
• Jack Ramsey made his return to the ice and was awarded the camp trophy for his team’s win.
• Free agent Kyle Maksimovich had a goal and was around the puck all day.
• As far as the goalies go, Alexis Gravel and Mathew Robeson held the teams scoreless in the first period.  Wouter Peeters had much more favorable results in his period of play than he was the previous four days, but was still unimpressive overall.  Free agent from St. Francis Xavier University and USports Goaltender of the Year Chase Marchand (cousin of Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand) played the third period, the overtime and the shootout without allowing a single goal.

Check out over 120 photos from the week at the Rink’s Official Facebook page:

The post Blackhawks Prospect Camp: Day 5 appeared first on The Rink.

The Blackhawks opted for a new practice format to focus more heavily on positional skills. The group rotation continued, with Group A skating first, followed by Group B.

Since MB Ice Arena has two sheets of ice, the Blackhawks took advantage of the space. The practices were largely split into separate practices for the forwards and defensemen, with the goaltenders splitting time on each side. At the conclusion of the ice time for each group, the players were joined for a three-on-three mini scrimmage, the first full-ice competition of the camp.

Below are some observations Jeff Osborn and I made during today’s skates:

• Ian Mitchell used his stick exceptionally well again today during the defense group drills. Throughout the week, Mitchell has shown the ability to have his stick pressuring the attacking player almost as soon as the player receives the puck. His gaps have been excellent. Additionally, during his group’s three-on-three mini scrimmage, Mitchell scored on a wicked, top-shelf wrist shot.
• Adam Boqvist showed good quickness during a breakout drill in the defense group practice. He used his skating ability to wait a split second longer behind the net to bait the attacking player. Boqvist was able to identify the open teammate and get the puck to them quickly.
• Chad Krys again showed good intensity and composure today. After a rough Monday, he seems to be settled in and is playing with much more confidence.
• John Dahlstrom and Alexis Gravel had a bit of a feud taking place during their practice. At one point in a drill, Dahlstrom took a hack at Gravel in an attempt to get a rebound opportunity. Gravel took exception and stared Dahlstrom down afterward. The two yapped at each other throughout the rest of the practice.
• Wouter Peeters continues to be an enigma. His play has left a lot to be desired and he seems to lack confidence. Jeff determined the best word to describe Peeters is “clunky.”
• Josiah Slavin again impressed with his shot. He has shown to have heavy and accurate wrist shots and snapshots. While he could greatly benefit from adding some muscle, there is no denying he has a great shot and knows how to use it.
• Jake Wise displayed his shooting talent today, regularly beating goaltenders clean during drills. Wise also had a nifty goal during his group’s three-on-three mini scrimmage, stick handling around a defender and then beating the goaltender.
• Jake McLaughlin, a 6’2”, 185-pound defenseman from UMass and a Hinsdale, Illinois, native, joined the camp today with Group B. McLaughlin donned a number 96 white jersey. He registered three goals and 10 assists last season as a sophomore in 39 games to go along with 28 penalty minutes and a –4 rating. Two of McLaughlin’s three tallies came on the man advantage.
• Niklas Nordgren again did not skate today, nor did Blake Hillman and Jack Ramsey. No word on their statuses.

Check out photos from the week here:

The post Blackhawks Prospect Camp: Day 3 appeared first on The Rink.

All to be taken with a grain of salt, of course.

As the years have gone on the chance of that next Alexandre Fortin or Collin Delia type player getting signed out of camp is rare, since the Blackhawks have gone to a more prospect intensive format rather than inviting and showcasing a large number of free agents.

Camp is split up into two groups, and the players are put though various on ice drills which eventually leads to the yearly Friday scrimmage.

There were a few observations Eric Andrews and I noticed after the first day:

• Adam Boqvist and Henri Jokiharju are clearly the belles of the ball and rightfully so. They are the most talented defensemen on the entire camp. That said, they are still young and not without flaws. The future is bright for these two kids.
• After Boqvist and Jokiharju, defenseman Ian Mitchell continues to impress. He could turn out to be the absolute steal of the 2017 draft.
• Following a down season last year in Rockford, Alexandre Fortin seems to have regained his wheels. That can only be good for the Icehogs.
• Niklas Nordgren looks smaller on the ice than I had anticipated (big surprise, right?) and got pushed around quite a bit in the contact drills.
• The newest Blackhawks prospect, MacKenzie Entwistle, is a big lumbering kid. I am interested to see if he can be a power forward at the pro level.
• Defenseman Roope Laavainen has some decent size but his foot speed is still in need of help.
• Clearly, Dennis Gilbert and Blake Hillman are trying to use their size to catch the eye of the Blackhawks staff.
• Mathias From has that Phillip Danault look and feel to him. He is listed at 6’1″ but looks taller this year. We could seem him jump to that next level as a legit prospect this year.
• As far as goalies go, Wouter Peeters is an absolute enigma. I still have not seen anything that makes him stand out as a prospect. This summer both Alexis Gravel and free agent invitee Linden Marshall are more noticeable, while Collin Delia out shined him the last two summers. Marshall is my under the radar goalie prospect, so far, this year. Remember that name, because he is likely going to show up somewhere, someday.
• Regarding the few free agents in camp, Kyle Maksimovich is a smaller forward with an edge but the Blackhawks have a bunch of those. Connor Moynihan, on the other hand, has some nice size that could come in useful. It seem strange saying that 209 lbs looks small but he could fill out his frame with another 15-20 lbs.

Check out some photos from day 1, right here:

The post Blackhawks Prospect Camp: Day 1 appeared first on The Rink.

Starting the list at 10th is goaltender Wouter Peeters of the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League.

Wouter Peeters
2017–18 Team: Youngstown (USHL)
Date of Birth: July 31, 1998
Place of Birth: Turnhout, Belgium
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 205 lbs
Catches: Left
Position: G
Acquired: 2016 NHL Entry Draft, 3rd round, 83rd overall

Peeters is among the most intriguing prospects in the entire Blackhawks organization. His raw size and ability is remarkable, especially at the goaltender position, which got the attention of the Hawks and their scouting staff when they drafted Peeters in the third round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft.

While many at the time felt taking Peeters in the third round was a stretch, his potential is incredibly high and could make what was considered to be a reach look more like a steal.

Peeters, the second-ever Belgian-born NHL draftee, spent three seasons playing in Austria for the Red Bull Academy, a U-21 travel team. Because of the team’s limited exposure not being a part of a league, Peeters was a bit of an unknown heading into the draft, especially in comparison to many of the other goaltender prospects.

Leading up to the draft, Peeters signed a two-year contract to play in Finland for Jokerit’s U-20 team to play at a higher level with better opportunity and quality coaching. After the first season of the contract, Peeters opted out of the deal to pursue playing in North America. Peeters’ USHL rights were owned by the Youngstown Phantoms, so he joined them for the 2017–18 season, posting a 14–11–3 regular season record in a 1B role.

Implications for the Blackhawks
Peeters could be the long-term solution for the Hawks in the future. He is still very raw, though, and will need a ton of time to reach his potential. But, given where the Blackhawks chose him in the draft, they are high on him and are expecting him to achieve that potential. Though he has high potential and the organization thinks highly of him, Peeters will not make an impact at the NHL level anytime soon. But, his potential and development will give Hawks fans something to keep an eye on moving forward.

Timeline
Though it has not been formally announced, Peeters will likely spend another season playing in Youngstown. Peeters is still considered to be a long-term project. If he can become an NHL goaltender, it likely would not be for a while. Unless Peeters makes massive progress in the next year or two, he likely will not reach the NHL until at least 2021–22 or 2022–23, though that could be the fast track. Hawks fans should keep in mind it took Corey Crawford eight years after being drafted to finally earn a full-time spot on the roster. Eight years after Peeters’ draft year would be 2023–24.

Projection
Peeters appears to have very good potential, but it remains to be seen if he will ever truly reach that potential. His size alone gives him an ideal modern-day NHL goaltender frame. He still has a lot of work to do, but it seems like the Blackhawks’ management has high hopes for Peeters. He could become an NHL starter or could toil in the minors his whole career. Only time will tell.

What others are saying
“(Wouter’s) strengths are his big size and passion to get better every day. He is very interested in his own development and he moves pretty well on his feet for a big guy. He has (developed) mentally during his stay in Finland and had to learn competing in practice every day to earn his playing time. It has been a big culture change for him compared to previous years but challenges will make him better. The potential is huge for Wouter and we have to remember that he started playing hockey at a pretty old age. Compared to Finnish goalies at the same age, he has less quality practice reps so as a goalie he is still really young. The sky is the limit for Wouter, but he has to be patient and work hard.”
— Mikko Tolvanen/Jokerit U-20 Goaltender Coach

“The obvious reason for hope with Peeters is the same as it was in 2016: He’s a massive presence in the blue paint. Peeters measures at 6-4, 224 pounds, and he’s built with a wide frame that’s prototypical of modern NHL goalies. The best netminders are also incredibly mobile and athletic in goal, however, and that’s where the Hawks prospect has had to put in the most work to improve his game. Peeters is still highly intriguing given he doesn’t turn 20 until July 31, but the past year hasn’t led to any grand revelation that he’s zooming to the big leagues. He remains a high-upside, high-risk goaltender prospect, just as he was 12 months ago.”
— Satchel Price/Chicago Sun Times

Highlights
Wouter Peeters Interview and Blackhawks Combine Highlights

The post Top 10 Unsigned Blackhawks Prospects: Wouter Peeters appeared first on The Rink.