Since the night of the NHL Draft Lottery last month, where it was announced that the Blackhawks would be hanging onto the No. 2 overall pick, a war has been raging within Chicago’s war room over what to do with the selection. The debate was quickly whittled down to either forward Ivan Demidov or defenseman Artyom Levshunov, and there’s no question that each would be a huge boost to the Blackhawks’ rebuild and a potential franchise cornerstone. But even GM Kyle Davidson said at the June scouting combine that he expected to have made a decision by now, with the result still very much in the balance.
The Blackhawks also currently hold the No. 18 overall pick, and it has become increasingly likely that the team will spend one of its first-round picks on a forward and the other on a defenseman. With that being said, the projected draft board may have made Davidson’s decision for him.
This morning, Scott Wheeler at the Athletic posted a lengthy Q&A featuring scouts, executives and players around the league regarding this year’s draft. The first question started with a bang, asking which of the top defensemen in the draft the subjects liked the best and the least, with responses ranging all over the board. The consensus has become that there’s now a “big six” blueliners, including Levshunov, Zeev Buium, Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson, Anton Silayev and Carter Yakemchuk. More importantly, the subjects mostly said that all six may be off the board inside of the top ten on draft night. That would be a new record, as five defensemen set the record in the 2012 draft.
If six defensemen do get taken that early in the draft next week, it could certainly have an effect on the Blackhawks’ decision at No. 2. With team needs across the board, Chicago will be inclined to take a blueliner with one of its first-round picks, as the position is the team’s most glaring need at the moment. With a drop-off in talent after that top six, however, it may be nearly impossible for the Blackhawks to grab a D-man at No. 18. The forward talent in the class is much deeper – it’ll be easier for Chicago to grab a top attacker later in the round. With the decision at No. 2 still so uncertain, the Blackhawks would be foolish to not take the new consensus into account.
In piecing together his draft board, there’s little doubt Davidson anticipates a similar run of defensemen between his first-round picks. By starting that run in grabbing Levshunov, Chicago will be able to relieve its most pressing need; meanwhile, the forward talent getting pushed down the board will fall right into their laps at No. 18. The Blackhawks are in perfect position to take advantage of the anticipated pick order and can leave night one with two elite additions to their system.
