Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson spoke with the media at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo on Thursday about a wide range of topics. It’s the first time he’s spoken with the media since the Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery and the opportunity to select Connor Bedard first overall, so there was a lot of material to cover.
As was the case last year, the Blackhawks have a lot of picks — and plenty of needs to fill in the organization. Bedard presents an organization-changing talent, but this is a good, deep draft class that could add a lot of high-end skill to a system that took big strides forward last summer. Davidson spoke about looking for some versatility and variety in the players he picks in three weeks.
Moving On Up — or Down?
I was also interested in Davidson’s comments about what the Blackhawks are thinking at No. 19 overall. Most of us have assumed the Blackhawks will trade up (cough, Vancouver, cough) in a deal that improves their draft position and also helps alleviate some cap issues for the other team. But Davidson also mentioned the possibility of trading back from that spot. The Hawks have their target list of prospects, and if someone might be available later in the first round — and other prospects they like are already off the board — that will apparently also be an option.
Blackhawks Roster Building
With the injection of Connor Bedard and other young players — maybe Kevin Korchinski? — into the lineup next season, Davidson was asked about having a mix of veterans to help mentor the prospects into the NHL. The Blackhawks have a nice group of veterans coming back, including Tyler Johnson, Connor Murphy, Seth Jones and others, but he’ll look to use his cap space to augment the roster for this year (and next) to help the development process as well.