Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson and scouting director Mike Doneghey might enjoy a relatively low-stress last Friday night of June.
For the first time in Davidson’s tenure, the Hawks are unlikely to make any selections during the first round of the NHL draft (6 p.m. Friday on ESPN).
This isn’t the first time they’ve entered draft day without any first-round picks, but Davidson acquired three first-rounders in the hours leading up to and during the 2022 draft as part of his dramatic teardown of the roster.
The Hawks’ controversial decision to trade the No. 4 overall pick for Bowen Byram on Tuesday was influenced by the realization they would likely have been stuck choosing among defensemen anyway in that slot. The Sharks are now almost certain to take Ivar Stenberg, originally the Hawks’ desired target, at No. 2.
The highest picks the Hawks now own are 34th and 37th overall early in the second round Saturday morning. They also own one third-round (66th), one fourth-round (119th) and two seventh-round picks (194th and 200th).
It’s possible Davidson could get back in the Friday action by trading one of his three stockpiled 2027 first-round picks. It’s also possible he could package 34th and 37th to trade up into the 20s, like he did last year to nab Mason West at No. 29.
But it sounds like the Hawks, while not terribly enthused about many of this year’s projected top-10 prospects relative to their value, are excited about a number of projected second-round prospects, so they might prefer to keep and make both second-round selections.
“I’m not opposed to [trading up], but I’m certainly not sitting here saying, ‘I need to pick in the first round because it’s the first round,” Davidson said Wednesday. “[I’ll] read the board, read the situation and see if there’s anything that, from a value standpoint, makes sense to move up and get.”
Despite the Byram trade, the depth of the Hawks’ defensive prospect pool still needs replenishing, so expect at least one — if not both — of No. 34 and No. 37 to be used on defensemen. Adam Goljer, Xavier Villeneuve, Juho Piiparinen, Jakub Vanecek and Ben Macbeath are some possibilities.
The greater source of Hawks-related intrigue heading into the draft could be the leaguewide trade market, which remains busy.
“The options in free agency are perhaps not what they once were in quantity,” Davidson said. “This year, it feels like it’s made the trade market one that’s much more necessary to explore.”
No longer having the No. 4 pick as a trade chip likely takes the Hawks out of the running for Stars star Jason Robertson and Maple Leafs power forward Matthew Knies, for whom the asking prices are astronomical.
It is conceivable the Hawks could poke around the second tier of potentially available wingers, which includes guys like Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Jake DeBrusk, Blake Coleman and Owen Tippett — not that any of them would come cheap, either.
Those three 2027 first-round picks are definitely available in trade packages, and some of the Hawks’ many notable forward prospects — guys like West, Marek Vanacker, Vaclav Nestrasil, John Mustard and Nathan Behm — could be, as well.
The Hawks have a finite number of roster spots available long-term, and the Dominic James and Jack Pridham situations are reminders it isn’t guaranteed every Hawks prospect will eventually prove willing to sign with them.
Almost certainly unavailable in trade packages, however, are young core players like Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Alex Vlasic — no matter how much other NHL contenders ask for them.
Another storyline to monitor following the Byram trade — which also brought $4 million veteran forward Jordan Greenway to Chicago — is whether the Hawks reconsider their plan to not buy out Andre Burakovsky. The first buyout window closes Tuesday.