The Official Barstool Chief Big Board Blog For The Blackhawks 8th Overall Pick

We are exactly one week away from the NHL Draft. The Blackhawks haven’t picked in the top 10 since they draft Patrick Kane 1st overall back in 2007. Needless to say, that after three straight seasons without winning a playoff series, this is an ENORMOUS draft for the Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks.

The best place to watch the NHL Draft…Declan’s Irish Pub in Old Town. We are going to have a watch party there for the draft. $30 for 3 hours of an open bar. It’s gonna be a party. There will be fireworks. You might see me lose my god damn mind in either a happy excited lets get drunk and celebrate kinda way or….we’re fucked lets get drunk and drown our sorrows kinda way. Regardless, it’s gonna be a fun hockey crowd and you all should come out.

Now, even though we are only a week away there’s a TON that could and likely will happen between now and then that could shift the direction of the Blackhawks draft position and strategy. As things stand right now the Blackhawks will be picking 8th. My gut tells me that they’ll still be picking 8th on draft night. I’m approaching this blog from that point of view.

There seems to be a concensus top 9 or so draft picks. That group includes the obvious #1, Rasmus Dahlin. There’s a chance Carolina does something crazy because Dundon is a crazy person, it seems, but no matter who is picking #2 Svechnikov is the second pick. Zadina will likely go third to whoever ends up with that pick. Then things start to get interesting. The board could be all shaken up.

This is MY board for the Blackhawks. If you want to say player-x is better than the guys I have in this blog that’s fine, but I have an rationale.

The Blackhawks are not a normal team picking in the top 10. This dip to the bottom of the league was, hopefully, an abberation. They’re not rebuilding. When you’re in a pure rebuild you just take the best player regardless of need/fit/handedness etc because you’re not trying to win with the guys currently on your team. That is not the case with the Blackhawks. Your team is built. The draft picks need to be thought of through that window. You’re looking for guys who can help the current core and guys with long contracts…win. If the Blackhawks don’t at least consider their depth chart and current prospect pool then they’re not really trying to win BIG with group. If your one goal is still to win the Cup then the Blackhawks should use this pick with that in mind. So with that said…here are the 4 guys, in order, that I will be happy with if the Blackhawks select.

**I am aware that I probably have my own inherent bias towards college hockey players because a) I’ve seen them play a bunch and b) I’m generally aware of that level of competition and what it’d take to make the jump to the NHL. 

1) Quinn Hughes, Left-Shot Defense, Michigan

I was a little negative on Hughes at the beginning of this season just because he’s soooo small. He’s listed at 5’10 175lbs, but he looks smaller than that out on the ice. Maybe it’s just his baby face. I kind of dismissed him because the Blackhawks are kind of smaller team already and I wanted more roster balance and I felt that because of his size it’d take him a while to get to the NHL. Then starting in February I found myself watching a ton of Michigan hockey simply because they were on the Big10 Network a lot. Hughes stood out every time. He went wherever he wanted on the ice, did whatever he wanted with the puck. It felt like he was playing keep-away at times. He’s such an unbelievable skater. Usually smaller defensemen known for their offensive ability aren’t great in their own zone, but that doesn’t really appear to be the case with Hughes. He uses his feet to effectively play angles and take away space. He can obviously skate the puck out of danger too. He didn’t look overwhelmed as an underage player at the World Championships this summer.

He’s also a left-shot. I think that actually works in his favor. While the Blackhawks have a TON of left-shot defensemen in their pipeline, they don’t have anyone like Hughes(Not that another guy like Hughes even really exists). Hughes projects as a legit top pair type modern NHL defensemen. If he gets stronger and continues on this path he could be a better version of Ryan Ellis. Which is quite the statement, but he’s that good.

In theory the Blackhawks could have a top 4 in 2020

Hughes-Mitchell

Keith-Jokiharju

That’s a pretty dynamic looking defense. All four can skate. All four can move the puck. I am really high on Mitchell after talking with Denver people and skating with them in the spring. So if you believe in Mitchell and Jokiharju, which I do, and you know Seabrook will be there in your 3rd pair, then taking ANOTHER right-shot defensemen whether its Boqvist, Bouchard, or Dobson…doesn’t make a ton of sense to me. Again, that’s looking through a prism of trying to max out in the next 3 years while your core players are still playing at a high level.

2) Brady Tkachuk, Wing, Boston University

3 months ago it seemed inconceivable that Brady Tkachuk would fall to the Blackhawks unless somehow they ended up in the top 3 of the lottery. Now, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched. The top 3 is the top 3. Tkachuk could go anywhere between 4th and 9th. I would assume that Ottawa takes a defensemen since they’ve drafted heavily at forward recently and they’re going to need another corner stone defensemen since its looking like Erik Karlsson is for SURE a goner. Arizona could take Tkachuk, but people who work for other organizations have said that they’re in love with Wahlstrom. So if AZ goes with a D or Wahlstrom…Detroit is definitely taking a D and Vancouver probably is too. That means the perfect winger could fall right into Stan’s lap.

Perfect winger for this group. The Blackhawks have lacked size, mean, and net presence. Tkachuk brings ALL of that along with super high-end hockey IQ. He knows how to play the game. It’s obvious from the WJC that when against peers he’s a dominant player around the net, but also knows how to set up his linemates.

Think of what he could do playing with Kane and Schmaltz. He can do literally everything Anisimov can do in front of the net, plus some. Then he’s going to be a better forechecker because of his speed and he’s also a tough sonofabitch to play against. He’s going to create space for Kane and Schmaltz to wheel and deal behind him, and then he’s going to get a bunch of cookie goals around the net. It’s such a perfect fit that I truly believe he will be ready to go after a strong summer.

It felt like whenever his team needed a big shift in a big spot…he delivered. I don’t want to hear about how Tkachuk only scored 8 goals at BU. The second half of the year he was a dominant forward as one of the youngest players in college hockey. If he had just gone to the OHL and played against mostly teenagers he could’ve physically dominated everyone on his way to 40 goals. Going to college better prepared him for the NHL.

3) Oliver Wahlstrom, Winger, Boston College

Another winger with good size who would slide into the Blackhawks top 6. Wahlstrom is going to BC and might need more than just one season before he’s ready for prime time. There’s also been rumors that he could at some point go play in the Swedish Elite League because his dad is from over there, even though Wahlstrom was born here and raised in Maine. Wahlstrom has an elite shot and will likely score a ton of goals in the NHL someday. He describes himself as a power-forward, but his game doesn’t really have the bite of a guy like Tkachuk. Wahlstrom, should he fill out more and really focus on his defensive game, could be like a Brandon Saad type but with a really a good shot.

4) Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Center, Finland

I won’t lie to you…I’ve never seen Kotkaniemi play other than youtubes. I do have a few internet friends who work as NHL scouts and they swear this kid is the truth. Elusive, strong, smart, good skills and wheels. He’s got a pretty big body already at 6’2 190lbs. There’s a lot to like. He might have the highest overall ceiling of the guys listed in this blog.

Positional need though…that’s an issue. If Kotkaniemi is the pure center you want for your top 6…well then you’re drafting him to replace Jonathan Toews, not to compliment him. And that’s fine. If Stan Bowman and Mark Kelley think Kotkaniemi is the real deal and is the #1 center of the future then take him, but everyone should have their eyes open about what that pick likely means….it means you’re probably done winning Cups with this group because Kotkaniemi’s ETA is probably 2020-21 and Toews and Kane will be pushing 33 years old.

That is the big board. I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous for a draft. There will be fireworks in terms of trades, I do think the Blackhawks roster will look a lot different, especially on defense, than it did last year.

PS: That #27 pick is rumored to be traded. I personally hope the Blackhawks keep it and use it on K’Andre Miller. If he’s there at 27, that’s who I want. If he’s gone then fine…best player available or package it in a trade.