The NHL 2021 draft lottery is now in the books and the Blackhawks didn't move in the selection order by staying put at the 11th spot. Except for the Kraken and Ducks switching places, the rest of the final ranking remained the same as the pre-lottery seeding.
Below is a glimpse of the 11th overall picks over the last decade as well as the 12th and 13th picks to see who was still on the board at that point of the opening round plus who the Hawks selected if they had a 1st rounder in that particular year.
2020: Yaroslav Askarov (Predators), Anton Lundell (Panthers), Seth Jarvis (Hurricanes); Blackhawks drafted Lukas Reichel at 17th
2019: Victor Soderstrom (Coyotes), Matthew Boldy (Wild), Spencer Knight (Panthers); Blackhawks drafted Kirby Dach at 3rd
2018: Oliver Wahlstrom (Islanders), Noah Dobson (Islanders), Ty Dellandrea (Stars); Blackhawks drafted Adam Boqvist at 8th and Nicolas Beaudin at 27th
2017: Gabriel Vilardi (Kings), Martin Necas (Hurricanes), Nick Suzuki (Golden Knights); Blackhawks drafted Henri Jokiharju at 29th
2016: Logan Brown (Senators), Michael McLeod (Devils), Jake Bean (Hurricanes); Blackhawks didn't have a 1st round pick
2015: Lawson Crouse (Panthers), Denis Gurianov (Stars), Jakub Zboril (Bruins); Blackhawks didn't have a 1st round pick
2014: Kevin Fiala (Predators), Brendan Perlini (Coyotes), Jakub Vrana (Capitals); Blackhawks drafted Nick Schmaltz at 20th
2013: Samuel Morin (Flyers), Maxi Domi (Coyotes), Josh Morrissey (Jets); Blackhawks drafted Ryan Hartman at 30th
2012: Filip Forsberg (Capitals), Mikhail Grigorenko (Sabres), Radek Faksa (Stars); Blackhawks drafted Teuvo Teravainen at 18th
2011: Duncan Siemens (Avalanche), Ryan Murphy (Hurricanes), Sven Baertschi (Flames); Blackhawks drafted Mark McNeill at 18th and Phillip Danault at 26th
While there are several prospects who are or project to be great top 6 forwards or top 4 defensemen like Anton Lundell, Seth Jarvis, Victor Soderstrom, Matthew Boldy, Noah Dobson, Nick Suzuki, and Filip Forsberg, none of them are or will be franchise players.
The goalies are a different story, though, with Yaroslav Askarov and Spencer Knight predicted to be elite tenders in the NHL. This trend may not be too surprising as most teams tend not to take a netminder within the top 10 unless they are in rarefied air of talent.
By no means am I advocating that the Hawks use the 11th pick to take a goalie whether Jesper Wallstedt or Sebastian Cossa. I would have at least Wallstedt on the list of considerations but he's no slam dunk either like Askarov was last year when the Hawks coveted him.
So for now, here is a preliminary list of draftees who perk my interest (listed alphabetically, not in order of preference):
* Daniil Chayka (D)
* Nikita Chibrakov (RW)
* Carson Lambos (D)
* Zachary L'Heureux (LW)
* Chaz Lucius (C)
* Fabian Lysell (RW)
* Mason McTavish (C)
* Oskar Olausson (LW/RW)
* Sasha Pastujov (RW)
* Aatu Raty (C)
* Cole Sillinger (LW)
* Jesper Wallstedt (G)
I will do more extensive capsules of the draftees next month in the week or two preceding the NHL draft on July 23-24. The list above may or may not be the same when we get to that point next month. Many of them I do like at the 11th spot but others I would like later.
On that last point, there was a suggestion in yesterday's message board that the Hawks trade their 1st rounder for a pick later in the round and also an additional draft pick like a 2nd or 3rd rounder. If that happens, then some of the draftees above may be a better fit.
Lastly, there are a few draftees who I would like at the 11th spot but have doubts that they will be available when it is Chicago's turn to make their selection. Of course, if still on the board, add them to the list of draftees to consider. These draftees include:
* Brandt Clarke (D)
* Dylan Guenther (RW)
* Luke Hughes (D)
* Kent Johnson (C/LW)
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Inaccurate Information
I want to take ownership of my mistake for sharing incorrect information in the previous blog where I wrote that the Blackhawks could pick anywhere from 3rd to 12th if they didn't win the draft lottery to pick 1st or even to pick 2nd.
Thank you to those who stated the correct information on the message board yesterday. The Hawks only opportunities were 1st, 2nd, 11th, 12th, and 13th. While Chicago had the 12th seed, Arizona's automatic forfeiture bumped the Hawks up a spot.
Serves me right to not read the fine print!
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Rockford Updates
Dylan McLaughlin
The IceHogs re-signed center Dylan McLaughlin to a one-year AHL contract after he tripled his offensive production from 7 points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 28 games in 2019-20 to 22 points (8 goals, 14 assista) in the same amount of games in 2021 to lead the team.
If McLaughlin builds on this past season's productivity, he's looking at an NHL contract next. While not a huge player, he's nimble and evasive. He carries the mail, enters the zone with speed, runs the power play on the half wall, and sets up and snipes equally well.
Additionally, McLaughlin is no slouch either in his own end and without the puck. He plays in all situations leveraging his vision and hockey sense on the power play and capitalizing on his intelligence, defensive awareness, and speed on the penalty kill.
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See you on the boards!
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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