Updating the Blackhawks’ Draft Board After Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Now that the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are in the books, we know more about how the Blackhawks’ draft board stacks up for the 2023 NHL Draft.
When we looked at this before the first round of the postseason, there were a number of teams we were rooting against because of the implications on the Blackhawks’ draft this summer. And it worked out well for the Blackhawks for the most part.
Before the playoffs began, we knew the Blackhawks would have their own selection in the top five overall (depending on the lottery). We also knew the Hawks own the 44th overall selection (12th in the second round) from Ottawa by virtue of the Nikita Zaitsev trade.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Bolts lost their first round series to the Toronto Maple Leafs, which helps the Blackhawks tremendously. As it stands now, the Blackhawks will own the 20th overall pick in the first round and the 52nd overall pick (20th in the second round).
If the Florida Panthers stay hot and beat the Maple Leafs to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, the Blackhawks’ second pick in the first round would move up to No. 19 overall.
This is great news for the Blackhawks. Many analysts have said there are roughly 50-55 players in this summer’s draft class that would have a first-round grade in many other years. So the Blackhawks owning five selections in the top 52 overall is huge.
New York Rangers
The Blackhawks acquired a conditional pick from the Rangers in the Patrick Kane trade. If the Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final the pick would elevate to a top-ten protected first-round pick in 2024; if they lost before then, Chicago would own the Rangers’ second-round pick this summer.
On Monday night, the Rangers failed to show up at all and got their butts kicked by the Devils in New Jersey. So the Blackhawks will receive New York’s second-round pick in this summer’s draft (No. 56 overall), and have four picks in that second round.
Rounds 1-2
Here are the picks the Blackhawks own in the first two rounds of the 2023 NHL Draft:
1 — Top-5 (CHI)
1 — 20* (TB – could be 19 depending on Florida)
2 — 35 (CHI)
2 — 44 (OTT)
2 — 52 (TB)
2 — 56 (NYR)
Dallas Stars
The Stars eliminated the Minnesota Wild in the first round of the playoffs. Chicago acquired a third-round pick from Dallas in the 2023 NHL Draft in exchange for a third-round pick in last year’s draft. So we continue waiting to see when the Stars’ postseason ends to know when the Blackhawks’ additional third-round selection will slot.
