2024 Draft Preview Part 1
A look at where the Hawks are in the rebuild and what pieces they need
If you ain’t first, you’re picking second.
The Blackhawks locked in the 2nd overall pick (2OVA henceforth) on May 7th. San Jose got the 1st overall pick and will be getting Macklin Celebrini, who looked so stoked.
Now that we know where the Hawks fall into place, it’s time to look at who’s available. This is the first post of a 2 part series. Today I take a look at where the Hawks are in relation to Kyle Davidson’s rebuild plan and what the Hawks need to add to their prospect core. The next article will go more indepth about the prospects available. Player backgrounds, comps, and where they fit will be discussed in part 2, which is coming out next week.
People get weird about prospects, so I want to get something out of the way first. I’m by no means married to any prospect or idea of what the Hawks need. I’m not in the Hawks scouting department. My contribution to the team is to watch them from my couch in boxers that are soaked with commute sweat. I don’t know any better than Davidson. All of that to say, don’t take this stuff too seriously. Have fun with it. But let’s not get prospect weird. Ok?
The Agenda:
Davidson’s Plan
What the Hawks Need
Defensemen
Forwards
Davidson’s Plan
Everything is going to plan and Kyle from Chicago has no intentions of deviating from the mission he’s set forth on. Take a moment to remember the flip-flopping of rebuilding/retooling that Stan Bowman did.
Don’t forget it.
When Kyle Davidson was officially named the Hawks GM in 2022, he made it clear from day 1 what his intentions were. Everything was going to be torn down to the root. That dismantling was fully realized in the 2022 draft by trading pieces like Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach to get important 1st round picks in the ‘22 Draft (Frank Nazar and Kevin Korchinski).
The following season more stars were traded (Patrick Kane) or let go (Jonathan Toews) and the Hawks finished the season in 30th place after a complete teardown. The next step was actually the first step of the rebuild. The Hawks got incredibly lucky with landing the number 1 overall pick and getting Connor Bedard.
Let me be clear. No matter who the Hawks picked last year, they were going to be huge pieces. The difference with Bedard is that he makes an immediate impact on the rebuild. The NHL-ready 17-year-old (at the time of the draft) was Davidson’s no. 1 center he could build around.
However, no matter how impactful that first step in the rebuild was, it still was only step 1. Davidson plans on rebuilding primarily through the draft. This is a lengthy process made less painful with a player like Bedard on the roster.
Davidson has said since the beginning that the rebuild is going to be a long process. As in he expected to take about 5 years to be competetive again and that drafting a player like Connor Bedard only speeds up the rebuild by a year or two. Keep in mind, competetive doesn’t mean Stanley Cup contender.
This past season wasn’t necessarily meant to be a tanking season, although Davidson sure doesn’t mind. With the free agents that were signed, the team was expected to be better than last year and to shoot for locking in a top-5 draft pick. Well, things kinda went worse than expected and here we are.
Nothing really changes in Davidson’s plan other than having more pressure to ensure he doesn’t give Luke Richardson a team that is as bad as the 23-24 season. That’ll come through in the form of free agents who add talent. Another topic for another time.
So, what’s next? What do the Hawks need in terms of drafting?
What the Hawks Need
This is where fans differ on what the Hawks need to add to their prospect pool.
Whether it’s an offensive-minded right-handed defenseman (RHD), or a forward who can complement Bedard’s play style, here’s the reality of the Hawks’ situation.
The Defensemen
The Hawks have a plethora of left-handed defensemen in the pipeline. And that’s not a bad thing. Best case scenario, if most of those kids pan out and turn into solid NHLers, Davidson has some nice trade assets. Alex Vlasic was a hit last season and is now here for the long haul. Kevin Korchinski, although played a full NHL season at the age of 19, still needs to develop. That’s two for sure NHLers among defensemen. The rest are still maybe’s because they are unproven.
Ethan DelMastro looked solid during his brief callup and was the IceHogs’ best defenseman last year, we just need to see him prove himself in the NHL.
Wyatt Kaiser could be a solid 3rd pair defenseman if he follows the same development path as Vlasic. He’s still unproven.
Isaak Phillips is a question mark. At best he can turn into a solid trade piece if he pans out and develops.
Nolan Allen is still developing.
Louis Crevier is an RFA this summer. We’ll see where he goes but I don’t see him receiving a qualifying offer.
By the way, those players are all on the left. Prospects on the right? Sam Rinzel is a solid prospect who might be a 2nd pairing defenseman if all goes well. He’ll be returning to college and he is also unproven in the NHL.
Also keep in mind that Seth Jones is here until 2030 on the right side.
So yes. The Blackhawks need a right-handed defenseman. And sure, that can come in the form of a free agent, who would make an immediate impact. But you want someone who can play as a No. 1 defenseman long term. Somebody who can replace Jones and play with Korchinski once he develops into a No. 1 defenseman. And that’s where people who want a RHD like Levshunov or Yakemchuk come into play.
And those guys are still at most a year away from playing in the NHL. You can make a case that Levshunov can potentially be NHL ready next season, but he has to polish up his defensive game.
The Forwards
What about the forwards?
The Hawks got lucky with Bedard. He’s your No. 1 center, a generational talent, and someone who Davidson can build around.
Frank Nazar looked solid last year. And this is not to take away from the kid, because he was impressive, but he played after a 41 game college season and against tired NHLers who were probably taking it easy against the Hawks. He might need time in Rockford, although I personally think he’s ready skill-wise.
Lukas Reichel… well, we all know how he turned out. He still needs to prove himself (which, I think he’s going to be ok, for what it’s worth). At best, however, he’s a second line winger.
Oliver Moore? Despite the hype and his genuine skill, he’s still unproven and early in his development.
Martin Misiak, Paul Ludwinski, Gavin Hayes, Nick Lardis, and Ryan Greene are all decent prospects who are still unproven and bottom-6 forwards if they pan out. Maybe, if the stars align and things go great, Greene can be a second line center down the road, but that’s a mighty stretch. Also, Landon Slaggert appears to be a solid bottom 6 forward, but could also spend time in Rockford next season.
So who plays with Bedard?
The Hawks will want a winger who can create plays for Bedard and draw some of the attention off of him. You also need a solid second line center. That could be Nazar or Moore if they hit and that’s a little while before we find that out.
Ivan Demidov comes to mind as a prospect in this years draft who suits Bedard’s playstyle and needs. Cayden Lindstrom is a huge center, which would address some of the size concerns among the forwards.
And speaking of size, is this something the Hawks should be concerned with? They drafted large defensemen, and some of them can move (Vlasic). They could always go out and get muscle in free agency. But I’m not convinced the Hawks should worry much about size over speed and skill in today’s NHL. Not for your top-6 forwards. I am not saying to ignore size for your forwards. I am saying that I think size is overvalued when you’re looking for talent.
What Next?
We have an idea of what the Blackhawks should go after. A highly skilled forward or a solid right handed defensemen. There’s nothing for sure beyond Macklin Celebrini, who’ll be going to San Jose unless there’s a massive suprise in store for us.
Next week, I’ll take an indepth look at the prospects the Blackhawks should target.
Let’s Go Hawks.