Last year, the Blackhawks secured the best first-round draft of any team when star prospect Oliver Moore fell into their laps at No. 19 overall. The best skater in the draft was a true steal for GM Kyle Davidson and his front office.
After an early trade that moved Chicago up two spots, the Blackhawks will find themselves in a similar situation, drafting one pick higher this summer at No. 18. Most of the attention of the public will be focused on who they take with the No. 2 pick, with their choice likely being one of Ivan Demidov or Artyom Levshunov. Later in the first round, though, the answer is much less certain. The Blackhawks may not get as lucky as last summer, but a handful of candidates stick out as likely selections by Chicago.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW
The European has been discussed plenty around the Blackhawks, as he’s a standout talent late in the first round. I listed him as a possibility in last month’s Big Board 1.0, but noted that getting him at 20th overall “may be a stretch at this point.” With Chicago now picking two spots earlier, there’s a much higher chance the all-around forward is available. With strong size and standout physicality, the 18-year-old would be a perfect fit for a Blackhawks forward group that can get pushed around at times. His responsible game could even help him get called up to the NHL sooner rather than later.
Adam Jiricek, RHD
I haven’t yet discussed the possibility of Chicago taking a defenseman with their second first-rounder, but if they end up taking forward Ivan Demidov at No. 2, grabbing a blueliner is a fairly strong possibility. There aren’t many defensemen expected to be taken late in the first round, but one skater who could slip from the earlier tier is Adam Jiricek. The 17-year-old was initially expected to be selected near top defensemen like Levshunov and Anton Silayev, but a season-ending knee injury in last December’s World Juniors sidelined him through the summer.
Although the risk with Jiricek is that there isn’t much recent tape on him, he’s a unique late-first round talent with the potential to be the best blueliner in this class. Jiricek is a well-rounded, big player whose biggest strength is his ability to move the puck. If Chicago was able to combine Jiricek with a player like Demidov in the first round, they’d certainly go home happy.
Igor Chernyshov, LW
Sticking with the theme of powerful, all-around skaters, Chernyshov would be another great option with the Blackhawks’ second first-round pick. Like Jiricek, the 18-year-old winger boasts more talent than his draft projection suggests. Currently playing in Russia, his contract will expire at the end of next season, but it may be less likely to see Chicago take two Russian prospects with their first two picks due to the risk involved.
Given his power forward archetype, Chernyshov wasn’t the most productive at the KHL level last season (three goals in 34 games), but he’s able to contribute in a number of other ways thanks to his size, physicality, elite hockey sense, and great vision. Like Brandsegg-Nygard, Chernyshov would be able to join the Blackhawks and provide the physicality the forward group has been missing for the past few seasons.
