Blackhawks Should Embrace the Uncertainty of Picking Third Overall

Pope also reported that Davidson mentioned “a prospect’s likelihood of being able to play center in the future doesn’t matter much to them,” considering they don’t plan on moving Connor Bedard or Frank Nazar to wing.

We also know that in May, Davidson mentioned they like the best player available model, but they aren’t married to it. They aren’t afraid to go a different route if they have a hunch about someone who isn’t considered the best player available.

Did that clear anything up for you? Probably not, and that seems to be how Davidson likes it, as he has been running a tight ship, where not much information has been leaked this offseason.

Embracing the Uncertainty

There wasn’t a lot of guesswork into who the club would pick in the last two drafts. In 2023, with the first overall pick, there was no question they would select Connor Bedard. In 2024, there was some debate between Ivan Demidov and Artyom Levshunov, but there was enough evidence to safely assume that Levshunov would go second overall.

But this one could truly go either way. Furthermore, if you were hoping the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, New York would give any hints, think again. If anything, it raised more questions.

We know that the Blackhawks elected not to take any prospects out to dinner, as Davidson didn’t find it necessary after speaking with many of them at the combine. Okay. Could that mean they may look to trade the pick? After all, Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects reported that there has been chatter about Chicago exploring moving up to second overall, as they are likely targeting Misa, who is projected to go second to the San Jose Sharks.

Or, could that mean they already have their target(s) at three? Davidson did tell Pope they haven’t finalized their rankings yet. However, general managers are smart and keep most details in-house for a reason. I suspect they have an idea of what they want to do, but Davidson certainly wouldn’t have openly discussed it even if they had their draft board 100% planned out.

That brings us to the players themselves. You could look at Hagens, for whom Pronman said his NHL comparison is William Nylander. Maybe the Hawks look to pair a big scoring talent with Bedard?

Then there’s Frondell, who fellow draft prospect Victor Eklund described at the combine, “He’s a tank on the ice and has a shot like a missile.” Well, the Hawks could look that way to add a great-shot center to their team, right?

Don’t forget about Desnoyers, who talked about looking up to Jonathan Toews. Desnoyers also told Pope, “Chicago is a great spot, and I’d be thrilled to go there.” The Hawks would love to add a center who wants to model his game after Toews, right?

Finally, back to Martone, the big, feisty forward, who, as Scheig mentioned in his notebook, couldn’t have been more complimentary about what the Blackahwks are building, while saying, “I felt like I had a really good meeting with them.” What team wouldn’t love to add someone who wants to be a part of their development?

There is some pressure to nail this pick. Their last third overall pick in 2019, Kirby Dach, didn’t pan out as hoped. Teams expect to get a great player, or even a franchise player, in that spot. Hint, nudge: Toews.

So, in any event, whether Chicago trades or uses the pick, either direction must benefit their team greatly. But knowing they may look to get crafty, embrace the chaos around the uncertainty, even if it’s albeit stressful. There is a good crop of players to choose from, but they seem to be open to all options, too.