NEWSLETTER
The NHL Draft Lottery was last night. Unfortunately — or fortunately, depending on your perspective — the Blackhawks didn’t move up into the top-two overall slots, so they don’t have a first-round pick (for now).
However, the Blackhawks do have a handful of other picks in the upcoming NHL Draft. While Chicago does not have a pick in the first, fourth or fifth rounds in the 2022 NHL Draft, they have five picks between the second and third rounds (two of which have conditions attached) and three in the final two rounds.
This is a fun exercise each year because you never know how picks involved in trades are going to impact the future. My favorite fun fact from Blackhawks’ trade history is the fourth-round pick Chicago acquired from the Islanders for forward Alexander Karpotsev (of the infamous Pat Foley rant) turned into Niklas Hjalmarsson in the 2005 NHL Draft. And a second rounder the Hawks got from Montreal in the Andrew Shaw trade became Alex DeBrincat in 2016.
Let’s take a quick lap around the draft board to remember how the Hawks got the picks they currently own.
Second Round
Chicago’s second-round pick (No. 38 overall)
Minnesota’s second-round pick*
The Blackhawks got the pick from Minnesota in the deal that sent goaltender Marc-André Fleury to the Wild. This pick also has a caveat attached: if Minnesota advances to the Western Conference Final (wins two rounds) and Fleury wins four games in the first two rounds, this pick becomes Minnesota’s first rounder. So… go Wild!
Third Round
Vegas’ third-round pick
This pick was involved in a three-team deal on April 12, 2021 that involved the Golden Knights and the San Jose Sharks. Vegas acquired forward Mattias Janmark from the Blackhawks and Chicago’s fifth-round pick in 2022 with defenseman Nick DeSimone from San Jose; the Sharks retained a chunk of Janmark’s salary and picked up Buffalo’s fifth-rounder from the Knights in doing so. The Blackhawks picked up a second-round pick in 2021 (Colton Dach) and Vegas’ second-round pick in 2022.
Toronto’s third-round pick
The Hawks got Toronto’s third-round pick from Calgary for Nikita Zodorov last July. The Flames got the pick from the Leafs in exchange for David Rittich in April 2021.
Edmonton’s third-round pick*
Like the Minnesota pick in the second, this pick has an option to improve. Chicago acquired the pick (with defenseman Caleb Jones) from the Oilers in the deal that sent Duncan Keith to Edmonton last summer. If the Oilers advance to the Stanley Cup Final and Keith is among their top-four defensemen in ice time over the first three rounds, this pick moves up to the second round.
Sixth Round
Chicago’s sixth-round pick
Columbus’ sixth-round pick
The full breakout of the Blackhawks’ deal to land Seth Jones was Chicago’s first round pick in 2021 and 2022 (which we already noted has top-two protection) and Chicago’s second-round pick in 2021 with defenseman Adam Boqvist for Tampa’s second-round pick in 2021 (which became defenseman Nolan Allan) and Columbus’ sixth-round pick in 2022.
Seventh Round
Chicago’s seventh-round pick
