Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley selected six players at the 2019 NHL draft.
“We expected him to go in the first round… Very efficient and clean moving the puck.”
VP of Amateur Scouting Mark Kelley reflects on Alex Vlasic and the rest of Chicago’s 2019 #NHLDraft haul. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/zPF7plE1pe
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 22, 2019
Kirby Dach, C, WHL Saskatoon — First round, No. 3
Steal or reach?: Lower 6, Upper 10 — Reach
NHL Central Scouting: No. 2 (NA Skaters)
Dach flourished this past season for the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League, scoring 73 points (25 points, 48 assists) in 62 games then adding eight points (five goals, three assists) in 10 playoff contests. He offers plenty of size up the middle at 6-foot-4, 198-pound and can skate well for his size. He’s a natural playmaker with a high hockey IQ, vision and long reach that helps defensively. Bowman said Dach will have the opportunity to compete for a NHL roster spot this fall, but if Dach doesn’t make the team he’ll return to Saskatoon.
Alex Vlasic, LH-D, USNTDP — Second round, No. 43
Steal or reach?: Lower 32, Upper 76 — Even
NHL Central Scouting: No. 38 (NA skaters)
Vlasic tallied 15 points (two goals, 13 assists) in 27 USHL games last season, and 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) in 61 games for the under-18 team. The Wilmette native and Chicago Mission product also had one assist in seven games at the U18 World Championship. He was projected by most draft experts to be a late-first round pick, but fell to the second round. Even though he’s a big guy at 6-6 and 198 pounds and a more shutdown defensemen, Vlasic is a smooth skater and excels in transition.
Vlasic’s older cousin by 14 years, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, is a defenseman with the Sharks. Alex Vlasic is committed to play at Boston University, where he’ll play at least two seasons before turning pro.
.@NHLBlackhawks fans, you’re getting a good one!
Check out some highlights of your newest defenseman!#NHLDraft | #NTDP pic.twitter.com/ZJrxJqxtAp— USA Hockey’s NTDP (@USAHockeyNTDP) June 22, 2019
Michal Teply, LW, Czech Extraliga Bili Tygri Liberec — Fourth round, No. 105
Steal or reach?: Lower 42, Upper 85 — Steal
NHL Central Scouting: No. 14 (European)
Teply, who turned 18 years old on May 27, is another large player at 6-foot-3, 191 pounds. Last season, he split his time between three teams in the Czech league. In eight games with Bili Tygri Liberec’s under-19 team, he scored four goals with five assists. After earning a promotion to Bili Tygri Liberec’s top team, he skated 15 games and notched just two assists. Teply was also loaned out to HC Benatky nad Jizerous, playing 23 games with four goals and six assists. He had three assists in five games for the Czech Republic at the 2019 World Junior Championship.
He’s another player that brings size at 6-3 and 187 pounds. He’s known for his stick-handling, passing and strong slapshot. Despite being a right-handed shot he finds success on his off side. He’s hoping to play in the Canadian Hockey League next season.
Antti Saarela, C, Liiga Ilves — Fourth round, No. 123
Steal or reach?: Lower 53, Upper 93 — Steal
NHL Central Scouting: No. 24 (European)
Saarela, who will turn 18 years old on June 27, scored 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) in 21 games for Lukko’s under-20 team and 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 24 games in Liiga, Finland’s top division. The 6-foot, 190-pound center also had a goal and three points for Finland at the U18 Worlds. His older brother, Aleksi Saarela is a Hurricanes prospect.
Antti Saarela is a speedy player with quick feet that can play at both ends and could shift to wing, if needed. He’s expected to play in Liiga next season.
Dominic Basse, G, Selects Hockey Academy 18U — Sixth round, No. 167
Steal or reach?: No data — Reach
NHL Central Scouting: Unranked
Basse has spent the last two seasons with the Selects Hockey Academy’s 18U Midget team in Connecticut and is committed to continue his career at Colorado College, where he’ll join Blackhawks prospect Josiah Slavin, a 2018 seventh-round selection. But before he heads to Colorado, he could join the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, who drafted Basse in the fourth round during Phase II of the USHL Draft in May 2018. It’s unknown where he’ll play next season.
At 6-foot-6, Basse has plenty of size for a goaltender, and he’ll have ample time to add to his 185-pound frame. The 18-year-old posted a 1.91 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in 42 games with Selects last season. He also won a United States Premier Hockey League Championship during that time.
Really awesome seeing DC native Dominic Basse taken by CHI today.
Should need a little adjustment jumping to DI NCAA after spending most of his high school playing for a DC-area high school, but good size and he’s been head and shoulders above the competition for a few years.
— Catherine Silverman (@catmsilverman) June 22, 2019
Cole Moberg, RH-D, WHL Prince George — Seventh round, No. 194
Steal or reach?: Lower 76, Upper 127 — Steal
NHL Central Scouting: No. 136 (NA)
Moberg tallied a career-high 13 goals and 40 points in 61 games in his second full WHL season. The 6-2, 187-pounder’s 13 goals tied eight among all WHL blueliners while he was tied for 11th in power-play goals with five. He was brought into Chicago for a workout prior to the draft. He’ll return to Prince George next season.