Why Hawks' Wyatt Kaiser was compared to Duncan Keith originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It took the Blackhawks until their fourth pick of the 2020 NHL Draft to select a defenseman. At No. 81 overall, the Hawks took Minnesota native Wyatt Kaiser.
It's not a surprise Chicago waited a bit to address their blueline in this draft, they have a lot of young promising prospects looking to take a big step next season. Despite the logjam on D, Kaiser drew a comparison that may have Blackhawks fans eager to get a look at the 18-year-old defenseman.
NHL Central Scouting compared the youngster to three-time Stanley Cup champ and two-time Norris trophy winner with the Hawks, Duncan Keith.
"Dynamic heads up, feet-moving defenseman capable of making an impact in all game situations, possesses the speed, smarts, competitiveness and composure to influence the play on every shift," Central Scouting's breakdown read.
Kaiser recorded 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 25 games last year as captain of the Andover Huskies. He's committed to play next season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Kaiser echoes that skating is a strength of his, but it sounds like if he wants to live up to the Keith comparison, he'll need to work on his offense.
"I think my skating is a big thing. Skating and moving the puck fast," Kaiser said after being picked by the Hawks. "I think some of my weakness is the offensive side of the game, just figuring out to be more offensive. Definitely working on that at UMD right now."
