Blackhawks notes from NHL combine: Is trading up for Michael Misa possible?

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Blackhawks dined with top forward prospect Michael Misa several times this past season, even though they didn’t take him (or anyone else) to dinner during NHL combine week.

Misa, coming off his OHL-leading 134-point season with Saginaw, said Saturday he became pretty close with Hawks scout Jim McKellar.

“I love the organization, so we’ll see what happens,” Misa said.

In order for the Hawks to land him, they will probably need to execute a trade with the Islanders or Sharks for the No. 1 or 2 pick, and that will be challenging.

It does seem possible, though, especially considering the murkiness of this draft and the quantity of assets the Hawks could offer. If the Islanders want to reposition themselves for hometown kid James Hagens, or if the Islanders take defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the Sharks see minimal differentiation between the forwards, conditions could be ripe.

If it came to fruition, Misa could be a fantastic running-mate for Connor Bedard — the type Hawks fans have salivated over dating back to Ivan Demidov last year — with his combination of elusiveness, playmaking and hockey IQ.

NHL teams are unsure about this, but Misa personally believes he’s ready to play in the NHL next year. He also said he feels “a lot more comfortable” playing center than wing, for what that’s worth.

Martone makes case

Porter Martone gave perfunctory responses Saturday when asked about meeting with a variety of teams. But once asked about the Hawks, he turned on the charm.

“I had a really good meeting with them,” Martone said. “They’ve got a great thing going there. I would be honored to be selected by the Blackhawks. You see the young core there — it’s going to be something special in five or 10 years. You can really see them winning the Stanley Cup.”

It sounds like the Hawks are much less sold on Martone than he is on them, though. Even if general manager Kyle Davidson is willing to broaden his horizons somewhat this year, Martone’s skating is so poor that it would be difficult to overlook.

And for a player his size (6-3, 204 pounds), he’s not as fiery or scrappy as one would expect — even though he claims there’s a good reason for that.

“I’m still going to be a hard player to play against every time I step on the ice, but there’s a time and place to create that something extra,” he said. “You see [Matthew] Tkachuk in the playoffs…he chooses when he does create that stuff. Because for myself, I’m a very offensive player and I want to create plays, so I can’t spend all my time in the penalty box.”

Martone admitted some teams pressed him in interviews about his lack of pace, but he had a response for that, too. After his OHL season, inclusion on Canada’s world championships roster capped off his spring.

“I just proved at the world championships that I can keep up with [NHL players] and play with them,” Martone said. “I played with [Macklin] Celebrini and [Travis] Konecny, two very high-paced players, in the pre-tournament [exhibition], and I kept up with them and made plays.”

Notes

If the Hawks want to nab one of the best skaters in this draft class — like they have the past couple years — Arizona State freshman Cullen Potter could be a target with the No. 25 or 34 picks. Potter’s mom was a four-time Olympian, and his dad is also a skills coach, so they’ve made his skating technique textbook from a young age.

If the Hawks instead seek their other favorite trait — high work ethic — with the No. 25 pick and try to add a little more size to their system while at it, Malcolm Spence could be a target. Spence, a Michigan commit, also skates well. He’s a safe bet to be a bottom-six NHL forward.

William Horcoff, another Michigan commit projected to go in the 20s, probably won’t be the Hawks’ choice, though. That’s because he met with 31 NHL teams this week — everyone except the Hawks.