Sources: The Athletic, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Dobber Prospects, Elite Prospects, FC Hockey, Last Word on Sports, Lines, NBC Sports Chicago, Recruit Scouting, Scouching Report, Smaht Scouting, The Draft Analyst, The Hockey News, The Hockey Writers
Although many fans were expecting an Alex DeBrincat trade to recoup a 1st round pick to get back into the opening round, it's hard to fathom anyone predicting not only such an underwhelming deal but also two more transactions to increase the selection count from one to three.
There's so much to process with how Day 1 of the NHL Draft went for the Blackhawks. On the one hand, general manager Kyle Davidson got his wish -- three of them actually -- to be able to participate in Round 1. But on the other hand, his popularity with the fans may have taken a hit.
Objectively, it was exciting to go from zero 1sts waking up yesterday morning to hitting a triple by the latter third of the round. What will sting for a while is how Davidson dealt DeBrincat from what should have been a place of strength to perceivedly settling with a watered-down return.
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Alex DeBrincat
An ideal package for DeBrincat could have been something along the lines of two 1sts or the 7th overall that the Blackhawks did get plus a blue chip prospect like Jake Sanderson or Shane Pinto or a pair of pretty good prospects like Ridly Greig, Jacob Bernard-Docker, or Tyler Kleven.
However, as Mark Lazerus from the Athletic stated in a tweet, "this feels really forced" given the context that Davidson set up a week ago expressing that the Hawks won't force any trades. Ben Pope from the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an article airing the same sentiment.
Was a 1st, a 2nd, and a 3rd -- mind you a 3rd in 2024 and not one that can be used today or next summer -- really worth saying yes to? If there wasn't a good deal on the table that met pre-set demands, then wouldn't it be better to just walk away and live to fight another day instead?
It shouldn't have been the end of the world if the Hawks didn't have a 1st rounder. They did eventually get the 13th and 25th overall picks. Yet, after making the 7th overall pick, Davidson said in an interview with Emily Kaplan from ESPN that Kevin Korchinski was who they wanted all along.
Regardless, it's water under the bridge now. Though, along with the benefits of gaining a top 10 pick comes the repercussions on DeBrincat's former teammates. Does the trade force the hand of team leaders Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Seth Jones to ask out of Chicago?
A question that emerges with DeBrincat's departure is who is going to make up for the 40 goals that go with him to Ottawa? Who is going to pick up a slack of even 30 goals? Or just 20? And if Kane and Toews exit sooner rather than later, that's another 40-50 goals that are lost.
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Kirby Dach
After DeBrincat, Kirby Dach was the other player who had come up the most in trade speculations this offseason. A rumor was circulating that veterans were not pleased with Dach's attitude. His work ethic had also come into question as well. Thus, was he no longer worth building around?
Davidson hasn't been shy to put the pedal to the metal in order to put his stamp on the team as they rebuild toward being a sustainable contender and forge a new identity. So it's not surprising that he conceivably saw Dach as a player who no longer fit the organization.
Whether or not the rumors were in fact reality, the Hawks subtracted two young building blocks on the same day. Doesn't this seem counterintuitive to what needs to be retained during a rebuild? Wouldn't it be weird if only the youngsters are casualties but not the veterans?
That likely won't be the case as it's still relatively early in the offseason with free agency starting next week and the trade market will heat up, too. A team needs to give to get. The Hawks wanted to be active in the 1st round and gave up a pair of prime assets for that opportunity.
Was the 13th overall pick and a 3rd rounder a fair exchange for Dach? The 1st round pick -- one in the top 15 -- was essentially a given for a trade to be considered. It's the 3rd round pick that was debatable as it wasn't a bad piece to obtain but could the Hawks gotten a prospect instead?
The center depth for the Hawks may be decimated by the end of the summer. Dach is gone. The Hawks are reportedly not going to qualify Dylan Strome and let him walk as a free agent. Although there's no proof yet, Toews could be disgruntled enough to waive his NMC. Who's left?
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Petr Mrazek
On Wednesday, Davidson commented that the Hawks would "get a much better handle on [their goaltending] in the next 24-48 hours." Picking up veteran Petr Mrazek along with a third 1st rounder from the Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2nd rounder seems to be part of that plan.
There's still another 24 hours to go on that timeline that Davidson outlined so could there be another transaction to find one more tender to share the net with Mrazek? If so, then that would clearly spell the end of their time in Chicago for UFAs Kevin Lankinen and Collin Delia.
One thing to keep in mind with Mrazek are his injury concerns. The 30 year old played in only 20 games in 2021-22 and 12 the season prior. He may need a partner to take on a substantial load either in a 1A/1B scenario or as a backup who plays more frequently than the average 2nd string.
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Kevin Korchinski
7th Overall
Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), D
6'2" 185 lbs, Left-Handed
Kevin Korchinski is an offensive defenseman who is stellar at advancing the puck up ice and quarterbacking the power play. An excellent skater, his arsenal includes deceptive moves as well as patience, composure, and vision to look for options before committing on a play.
While he needs to assert his natural size in his own end, Korchinski leverages recognition and anticipation to bolster his defensive game. He manages gaps effectively, is consistently the first to pucks deep in the defensive zone, and steps up to puck handlers at the blueline.
As NHL Network analyst Brian Boucher said after the selection, one reason why Korchinski may have been coveted by the Hawks is because he has the size to go along with the offensive skill that other defensemen draftees have but are much smaller in comparison.
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Frank Nazar
13th Overall
U.S. NTDP, C/RW
5'10" 175 lbs, Right-Handed
Frank Nazar could possibly be a higher-end (i.e. top 6) version of Brandon Hagel with his nose-over-puck mentality, fierce compete level, and endless motor. What Nazar also has going for him is stand-out skating including breakaway speed, elusiveness, and explosiveness.
With his ability to play with considerable pace, Nazar has soft hands as a shooter but balanced enough as a creative playmaker to set up teammates. He can transport the puck in all zones using his outstanding hockey IQ and fearless drive to venture to the rough areas of the ice.
Nazar is a battler who will fight his way to wherever he needs to be and exert a physical presence. He plays in all game situations, executes with little time and space, and finds so many different ways to help the team at both ends of the rink -- all of which add up to being an impact player.
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Sam Rinzel
25th Overall
Chaska (USHS), D
6'4" 180 lbs, Right-Handed
Is Sam Rinzel the Nolan Allan of the trio the Hawks took in the opening round on Thursday night? Allan wasn't expected to be taken in the 1st last summer and arguably not even in the 2nd. Rinzel was similar as a 2nd round hopeful who also showed up as a 3rd rounder on some draft boards.
Rinzel has even more size compared to fellow 1st rounder Korchinski. Like his draft classmate, Rinzel is a silky smooth skater. He has good rushing ability and passing skills. Despite these traits, he may thrive in the pros as a defensive defenseman if he simplifies his style.
Korchinski could be a 1st pair D-man in the NHL if he hits full potential whereas Rinzel may top out on the 2nd pair in the 4/5 spot. Getting the puck up ice is a strong suit for Rinzel. Manufacturing offense isn't. Defensively, he has requisite tools but needs improved play reading.
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Rounds 2-7
As it stands now after yesterday's trades, the Blackhawks have the following picks for Day 2 of the draft:
* 2nd round x2
* 3rd round x4
* 4th round none
* 5th round none
* 6th round x2
* 7th round x1
Here again are prospects to keep an eye on as possible choices for the Hawks based on the team's drafting profile:
Centers
* Liam Arnsby (North Bay, OHL)
* Owen Beck (Mississauga, OHL)
* Luca Del Bel Belluz (Mississauga, OHL)
* Kocha Delic (Sudbury, OHL)
* David Goyette (Sudbury, OHL)
* Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, WHL)
* Jake Karabela (Guelph, OHL)
* Jere Lassila (JYP, Finland)
* Paul Ludwinski (Kingston, OHL)
* Matthew Poitras (Guelph, OHL)
* Mathew Ward (Swift Current, WHL)
Wingers
* Grayson Badger (Dexter Southfield, USHS)
* Dmitri Buchelnikov (SKA St Petersburg, Russia)
* Josh Filmon (Swift Current, WHL)
* Gavin Hayes (Flint, OHL)
* Dylan James (Sioux City, USHL)
* Julian Lutz (Munich, Germany)
* Mikey Milne (Winnipeg, WHL)
* Vinzenz Rohrer (Ottawa, OHL)
* Adam Sykora (Nitra, Slovakia)
* Fabian Wagner (Linkoping Jr, Sweden)
Defensemen
* Angus Booth (Shawinigan, QMJHL)
* Frederic Brunet (Rimouski, QMJHL)
* Lane Hutson (U.S. NTDP)
* Kirill Kudryavtsev (Sault Ste Marie, OHL)
* Ty Nelson (North Bay, OHL)
* Matej Pinkas (Stadion Litomerice, Czech Republic)
* David Spacek (Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
* Grayden Siepmann (Calgary, WHL)
* Graham Sward (Spokane, WHL)
Goalies
* Tyler Brennan (Prince George, WHL)
* Hugo Havelid (Linkoping Jr, Sweden)
* Sergei Ivanov (SKA St Petersburg, Russia)
* Croix Kochendorfer (Chippewa, NAHL)
* Niklas Kokko (Karpat, Finland)
* Topias Leinonen (JYP, Finland)
* Simon Wolf (Red Bull Akademie Jr, Czech Republic)
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See you on the boards!
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