Commesso, 18, is the first goaltender the Blackhawks have selected in the second round since Kent Simpson in 2010.
The Chicago Blackhawks selected goaltender Drew Commesso with the 46th pick in the 2020 NHL Draft on Wednesday. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound netminder has spent the past two seasons playing for the United States National Program and is currently a freshman at Boston University with Blackhawks’ 2019 second-round pick Alex Vlasic. Commesso was ranked No. 2 among North American goalies by NHL Central Scouting.
With the 46th pick in the #NHLDraft, Chicago selects goaltender Drew Commesso from the @USAHockeyNTDP!@NorthShoreWeb | #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/mRo40xcvEI
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 7, 2020
“He’s very consistent,” The Athletic’s Corey Pronman said of Commesso. “He doesn’t let in the ones that squeak through. He makes everything look easy.”
With the United States’ U17 National Team in 2018-19, Commesso struggled with a 3.24 goals-against average and putrid .886 save percentage in 37 games. But the Boston, Massachusetts native rebounded in a big way for the U18 Team last season, as he posted an 18-7-1 record with a 2.05 goals-against average, .920 save percentage, and three shutouts in 27 games.
“I’m a very calm and efficient goalie. You won’t really find me scrambling or really making those crazy highlight-reel saves much,” Commesso said while describing his game. “I’d rather just make the simple save in my chest. I try to simplify the game as much as possible.”
Growing up in Massachusetts, Commesso (unsurprisingly) idolized Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask, but he actually compares his style of play to Bruins’ rival Carter Hart of the Philadephia Flyers. When asked about the 2013 Stanley Cup Final between the Blackhawks and his Bruins, Commesso admitted that he shed a couple of tears.
“It was painful. I’m pretty sure I cried during that. I guess I have to root for the Blackhawks now.”
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Commesso is the 10th goaltender to be drafted by Stan Bowman during his tenure as Blackhawks’ general manager. Kent Simpson, the last goaltender the Hawks drafted in the second round, is the only one of the group to have played in the NHL with Chicago.
Commesso was deemed by most scouts to be a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, so the Blackhawks may have reached a bit here at No. 46. Finland’s Joel Blomqvist was projected to be the second goaltender off the board after Yaroslav Askarov, but Stan Bowman and the front office must have felt more comfortable going forward with Commesso.
Goaltenders are always a wild card in the draft, so keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. Commesso told the Blackhawks media that he plans to spend “a few years” at Boston University, which should not come as much of a surprise. Goalies are rarely NHL ready before the age of 22, and the Hawks’ latest second-round pick just turned 18 in July.
Welcome to the Blackhawks, Drew Commesso!
For more Blackhawks news and updates, follow the author (@TalkinHawkey) on Twitter. Be sure to check out the author’s daily podcast, Locked On Blackhawks, which can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Twitter (@LO_Blackhawks). Photo Credit: Rena Laverty
