We’re still very much in the dog days of the Blackhawks’ offseason, and it’s way too early to even be thinking about next year’s draft, with an entire season set to be played before we get to that point. But looking ahead is the name of the game today in sports, so let’s do it anyway.
There’s a ton of variables to predict this far ahead of the draft, like the performance of individual players, potential injuries, and the success of Chicago that decides their draft position. The Blackhawks currently own their own first-round pick as well as Toronto’s, and could easily package their second-rounder and Dallas’s into another first-rounder. Given what we know about the Blackhawks’ type in recent drafts, a few players are worth keeping an eye on as they enter their draft-eligible seasons.
The Blackhawks certainly have higher expectations than last season after this summer’s free agency frenzy, but there’s no denying that the team isn’t quite ready for Stanley Cup contention. Chicago has proven, however, that if they end up in the draft lottery, anything can happen. Because of all the different ways they can end up picking near the top of the draft, the Blackhawks should be targeting a few players who rank among the best.
Porter Martone, RW, Brampton (OHL)
As if a 77-point standout season in the OHL wasn’t enough for Martone to draw attention to himself, he blew scouts away with 17 points in seven games as captain of Team Canada’s 18U squad. Those numbers are great, but they look even better when you realize he’s a power forward. Martone is 6-foot-3 and plays like it, constantly using his physicality on both ends of the ice while also boasting a great release and good puck handling. He’s ranked in the top three overall of most lists at this point.
The Blackhawks would need a huge stroke of luck (or the worst luck ever) to position themselves to draft Martone at his current projection. But if they did, they’d be getting a franchise cornerstone and probably the second-most valuable player in the rebuild. Martone’s game is factory-made for him to pair with Connor Bedard – his physical play contradicts Bedard’s more skilled, cleaner approach and could protect him, but he has more than enough skill and scoring ability on his own. Martone would be a perfect top-line winger for the next decade if the Blackhawks were lucky enough to get him.
Michael Misa, C, Saginaw (OHL)
As another projected top five pick for next summer, Misa has dealt with unbelievably high expectations throughout his young career. After being granted exceptional status to join the OHL at age 15, he immediately followed it up with a 64-point season, and a 86-point campaign this past year. Now 17 years old, Misa will be just old enough to be drafted next June, and he’s already proven why he’ll be going in the first round. With so much experience at such a young age, Misa has developed a tremendous hockey sense that he pairs with a phenomenal skating ability and a nice scoring touch to make him one of the must-watch prospects of this season.
Does Misa’s skill set sound familiar? His world-class skating ability and hockey sense make him a prototypical Kyle Davidson prospect. The GM has targeted players based almost solely on those two traits during his tenure in Chicago, so Misa has almost certainly caught his eye already. Assuming Misa can take another jump in his draft season, he’ll be ready for the NHL in the next few years and would jump in with the Blackhawks seamlessly.
