Team:<\/strong> Moncton Wildcats (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League).<\/p>\nMeasurements:<\/b> 6-1\u00bd, 178.<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/b> He had 35 goals and 49 assists in 56 games for Moncton, and his 84 points ranked fifth in the league. He scored the winning goal for Canada in the gold-medal game of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and had five points in the tournament, his third gold in international play.<\/p>\n
Outlook:<\/b> Bukala acknowledged that had the draft happened months ago, the No. 3 pick might have been Boston College forward James Hagens, who had a modest season for the Eagles and a good one for the U.S. under-20 team after putting up standout numbers for the U18 team in 2023-24.<\/p>\n
![\"Forward](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CTC-L-blackhawks-prospects-01.jpg\")
Forward Caleb Desnoyers of Team CHL before a game against Team USA during the CHL USA Prospects Challenge on Nov. 26, 2024, in London, Ontario. (Dennis Pajot\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of sight, out of mind, and recency bias can really factor into discussions,\u201d Bukala said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of human nature.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that\u2019s where the danger lies with Misa and Hagens. You\u2019re just going to overlook how good those two players are. But I do believe that Caleb Desnoyers is a kid that has a lot of momentum right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like other pundits, Bukala likes Desnoyers\u2019 handles through traffic and on the rush, as well as his ice awareness.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis vision is elite,\u201d Bukala said. \u201cHe\u2019s not a guy that looks and identifies one option. He scans the ice really well and identifies several options.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a big factor in how Desnoyers \u201chas a plan\u201d when he exits the defensive zone instead of winging it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s scanning the entirety of the ice right away,\u201d Bukala said.<\/p>\n
NHL Central Scouting agrees, singling out his \u201cgood sense of anticipation.\u201d Its report also noted that while Desnoyers is a playmaker, he also has a scoring touch and willingness to do the dirty work in puck battles.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s nearly a complete player,\u201d Bukala said. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t kill a lot of penalties, but he\u2019s really responsible defensively. He\u2019s only going to get stronger. He\u2019s only about (178) pounds, so his stride is really efficient right now. With more strength, you\u2019re going to get even more explosiveness, which will create more separation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite Desnoyers\u2019 momentum, it\u2019s possible the Hawks could trade back and still be in position to draft him \u2014 but not too far.<\/p>\n
Bukala worked for the Panthers scouting department for nine seasons and was director of amateur scouting for four seasons, and Desnoyers reminds him of Jonathan Huberdeau. A Quebec native like Desnoyers, Huberdeau is a former Calder Trophy winner and two-time All-Star who\u2019s known for his vision and hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a lot of looks (that are) the same when they\u2019re handling the puck at that (major junior) level,\u201d Bukala said, comparing Desnoyers\u2019 play for Moncton to Huberdeau\u2019s time with the QMJHL\u2019s Saint John Sea Dogs. \u201cReally creative player, real smart kid. You can\u2019t teach that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anton Frondell<\/p>\n
Position:<\/strong> Forward.<\/p>\nTeam:<\/strong> Djurg\u00e5rdens IF (Swedish League).<\/p>\nMeasurements:<\/b> 6-1, 198.<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/b> He led Djurg\u00e5rdens\u2019 junior team with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists). At the NHL combine, he finished first in the aerobic fitness test and third in anaerobic fitness (peak power output).<\/p>\n
Outlook:<\/b> Frondell was one of 11 17-year-olds to play in Sweden\u2019s second division this season, and he had the best showing among that group with 11 goals and 14 assists in 29 games.<\/p>\n
Color Bukala impressed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe played his best hockey for me when he played the pro game in Sweden this year, compared to playing in his own peer group, so he thinks the game at a different level,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd pro players are more organized. He fits that build better.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlready, his hockey sense is off the charts. That way he\u2019s going to adjust pretty quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
At midseason, Frondell passed Djurg\u00e5rdens teammate Viktor Eklund to take the top spot in the international rankings.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s always been in my top eight, trending top five to be honest,\u201d Bukala said of Frondell. \u201cHe\u2019s right now No. 4 on my list.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Frondell\u2019s upward trajectory hasn\u2019t been without its bumps.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of the year, for some reason, his minutes fell right off a cliff with Djurg\u00e5rdens, and he wasn\u2019t utilized as much at the end of the year when he came over to Texas for the U18 worlds,\u201d Bukala said.<\/p>\n
Frondell had just a goal and two assists in five games during the U18 Men\u2019s World Championship in Frisco, Texas, and was a nonfactor when Sweden was routed 7-0 by Canada.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompared to some of the other guys, he was just average,\u201d Bukala said. \u201cI was expecting more offense out of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Bukala said jet lag and other factors may have come into play.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, this guy could play the center, he can play the wing, he\u2019s arguably the best shooter from the flank on the power play in the entire draft class,\u201d he said. \u201cHe absolutely rips pucks, so I really like Frondell a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
James Hagens<\/p>\n
Position:<\/strong> Forward.<\/p>\nTeam:<\/strong> Boston College.<\/p>\nMeasurements:<\/b> 5-10\u00bd, 177.<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/b> He had 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games for Boston College and tallied five goals and four assists for the U.S. during its gold-medal run at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa.<\/p>\n
Outlook:<\/b> A year ago, Hagens was the favorite to be drafted No. 1, but now some mock drafts have him dropping as far as No. 7 to the Boston Bruins.<\/p>\n
![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CTC-L-blackhawks-prospects-09.jpg\")
James Hagens celebrates his goal with Team USA teammate Ryan Leonard (9) in the first period of the gold-medal game against Finland during the IIHF World Junior Championship on Jan. 5, 2025, in Ottawa. (Minas Panagiotakis\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t necessarily think he did anything wrong as much as the other kids just did some things a little bit better, and they track differently than him,\u201d Bukala said.<\/p>\n
Hagens centered a line at Boston College with Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard, who were also his linemates on the U.S. team.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime you\u2019ve got a guy in the middle, he\u2019s got to move pucks to those guys,\u201d Bukala said.<\/p>\n
Some pundits see Hagens as a tad undersized for a center, and the Hawks already have enough of those types. But there are elements about his game that Bukala likes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s different than the other guys in that he plays a lighter-style game, like he\u2019s more of a motion guy,\u201d Bukala said. \u201cMaybe Misa is kind of like that, but the other guys are in the fight a little bit differently than Hagens is.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut having said that, when (Hagens) gets the puck and he\u2019s wheeling around in the offensive zone, he\u2019s got that elite vision, and he\u2019s grown a lot too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bukala noted that Hagens was just 5-7 and 138 pounds three years ago when the London Knights drafted him in the sixth round.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s hope he gets to 6 feet,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s not going to be a heavy guy, but a little bit more weight will help him out in the trenches for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hagens had nine goals and 13 assists at the 2023-24 U18 worlds, so he has that offensive spark in his bag.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just ridiculous, so don\u2019t discount this guy,\u201d Bukala said. \u201cJust the other guys (in the draft pool) just had better years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Porter Martone<\/p>\n
Position:<\/strong> Forward.<\/p>\nTeam:<\/strong> Brampton Steelheads (Ontario Hockey League).<\/p>\nMeasurements:<\/b> 6-3, 208.<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/b> He produced 37 goals and 61 assists in 57 games for the Steelheads and finished second at the 2024 U18 worlds in assists (12) and third in points (17) for Canada.<\/p>\n
Outlook:<\/b> Martone is not the most explosive skater and probably is limited to center, but he brings other attributes.<\/p>\n
![\"Canada's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CTC-L-blackhawks-prospects-07.jpg\")
Canada’s Porter Martone skates against Finland’s Tuomas Uronen during the IIHF World Junior Championship on Dec. 26, 2024, in Ottawa. (Minas Panagiotakis\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
One is leadership: Martone captained Canada\u2019s U18 worlds team and was captain of the Steelheads this past season. The other, obviously, is his size.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s more to his profile than physicality.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis playmaking came a long way this year,\u201d Bukala said. \u201cI thought he was the leading pure shooter, but he\u2019s not just a pure shooter \u2014 his playmaking did extend.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd he\u2019s a guy that\u2019s going to go get the pucks on his own first, and then he\u2019s going to open up space. He might take on two checks to open up space for somebody like a Connor Bedard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of reasons why Chicago needs that kind of player. The thing of it is, they don\u2019t have to draft them that high.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, if the Hawks did select Martone, \u201cI see the fit, physically, for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jake O\u2019Brien<\/p>\n
Position:<\/strong> Forward.<\/p>\nTeam:<\/strong> Brantford Bulldogs (OHL).<\/p>\nMeasurements:<\/b> 6-2, 177.<\/p>\n
Stats:<\/b> His 41 power-play assists led the OHL and his 32-goal, 66-assist season included two hat tricks and a five-point game.<\/p>\n
Outlook:<\/b> Despite some positive buzz about O\u2019Brien, \u201cthat\u2019s a trade-back situation for me,\u201d Bukala said, to the \u201cmuddy middle\u201d between picks 10 and 12.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/CTC-L-blackhawks-prospects-10.jpg\")
The Brantford Bulldogs’ Jake O’Brien skates during the Top Prospects Game on Jan. 15, 2025, in Brantford, Ontario. (Kevin Sousa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Still, Bukala said, \u201che\u2019s a real good player, plays in all situations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Brantford, his off-the-puck detail can be better at times,\u201d he said. \u201cSome nights he teased me with real good detail and real good engagement. And then there were other nights that in the defensive zone he just wasn\u2019t as committed as he needed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bukala gave O\u2019Brien some grace: How many junior players really give their all on defense?<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially when they\u2019re scoring the way that this kid did \u2014 he\u2019s an elite scorer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bukala wonders how much more weight O\u2019Brien can put on his narrow frame. Otherwise, \u201cthere\u2019s lots to like for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s another high-stakes week for the Chicago Blackhawks. They have two first-round picks, including No. 3, when the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16180,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[12957,16069,960,291,5386,1818,16072,16070,16073,8993,16068,16071],"class_list":{"0":"post-16179","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-anton-frondell","9":"tag-caleb-desnoyers","10":"tag-chicago","11":"tag-chicago-blackhawks","12":"tag-il","13":"tag-illinois","14":"tag-jake-obrien","15":"tag-james-hagens","16":"tag-jason-bukala","17":"tag-nhl-draft","18":"tag-nhl-hockey","19":"tag-porter-martone"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114749488949423478","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16179\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}