Let’s Make A Deal: Value Versus Volume for the Blackhawks Future

After the Blackhawks Two Truths and a Lie  where CHN looked at the value of a later first-round pick and whether it should be made available to upgrade faster, it prompted another question.

If the Blackhawks indeed have a younger core as the bulk of its roster next season, how would things shape out in terms of how those players got there? Again, it’s a fair assessment in putting a more realistic timeline on things without committing to an actual timeframe. But it would also reveal that the need to play the draft-develop mantra on repeat could ease a bit.

It’s why my argument will continue to be listening in on offers for that pick that belongs to Tampa Bay. The “let’s draft and develop and pile up losses” phase of the rebuild is over. To make sure true progress occurs and the Blackhawks do good by the young talent they have accumulated–it’s time to take calculated risks.

This isn’t to encourage trading the farm away by any means. But there’s a few down there who have likely another year to develop. But adding to the pool with guys who may be two-three years away can include a couple picks but not necessary with all of Chicago’s nine picks in the upcoming draft.

Blackhawks Young Group By The Numbers

Of the names included on this list, Connor Bedard is the only top five pick and will be joined by another after this season. That right there, should the Blackhawks pick wisely there whether it’s one or fourth overall, will again justify listening in on that acquired pick from Tampa Bay.

A look at those players likeliest to be up:

• Connor Bedard (1st overall, 2023; 67 NHL games – Played in WHL)
• Kevin Korchinski (7th overall, 2022);  76 NHL games- Played in WHL)
• Alex Vlasic (43rd overall, 2019); 97 NHL games – Played in USHL; NCAA; Rockford
• Lukas Reichel (19th overall, 2020); 99 NHL games – Played in DEL; Rockford)
• Philipp Kurashev (120th overall, 2018) 266 NHL games – Played in QMJHL; Rockford
• Frank Nazar (13th overall, 2022) 3 NHL games – Played in NCAA
• Landon Slaggert (79th overall 2020) 16 NHL games – Played in NCAA

So out of those seven–only Bedard, Reichel, Nazar, and Korchinski are first-round picks. They’ve had value with Vlasic as a second-round pick who could be a major top four defenseman while Kurashev may be a steal as a fourth-round pick. Only Bedard and Korchinski were top-ten picks.

The jury is out on which Reichel Chicago will see next year. Nazar and Slaggert looked very promising in limited views.

The other interesting point? Stan Bowman’s front office did well finding value in later rounds–which also could apply to Ethan Del Mastro and Colton Dach, both of whom could be in Chicago more next season. The former is a 2021 fourth-round pick while the latter was a second-round pick in the same draft.

Nolan Allan was their first-round pick in 2021, adding another Bowman pick to the mix. So right there, if we’re tallying it up, shows ten young players in Chicago.

That’s not realistic as general manager Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks front office know that they’ll need skilled veterans to lead the group into the next phase. But it’s very promising because what they drafted developed quite well.

With a Solid Foundation, It Makes Those Picks Expendable

After their first pick in this year’s draft, the Blackhawks have that other first and three second-round picks. The Blackhawks selection is valuable, sitting 34th which could be where they snag some value they can take time developing should they move that first-round pick.

Or vice versa. No longer are the Blackhawks bound to pray and hope that every pick they’ve collected will hit. They now have a tremendous amount of talent in the pipeline–which doesn’t cover guys like Gavin Hayes who could potentially push for a spot next season, too. Nick Lardis and Drew Commesso are also other names. It doesn’t even include Wyatt Kaiser, who played a healthy dose of games at the NHL level this season before fine tuning things in Rockford.

The value Chicago has build truly is something. Now that next critical step will be exercising calculated risks in dealing those picks and potentially–some of those prospects–to gather the necessary players with top notch NHL skill to push the Blackhawks back into contention.

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