Blackhawks Stay Put In NHL Draft Lottery, Will Choose 2nd Overall

The NHL Draft Lottery luck didn’t extend beyond Connor Bedard for the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite having 13.5% odds to have things bounce their way, the Blackhawks will be selecting second overall which is hardly a consolation prize.

It’s hardly bad news as the Blackhawks will still end up with a top two pick with a multitude of options at their disposal. But the opportunity to snag Macklin Celebrini and a chance at fortifying the future down the middle for years to come is no longer there.

NHL Draft Lottery Still Benefits Blackhawks By Not Sliding From #2

Though the Blackhawks aren’t getting the top pick, they could actually choose to bolster their blue line with a top flight talent who would shut opposing offenses down with the likes of Kevin Korchinski or Alex Vlasic, both young defensemen in their own right.

It also brings up the timeline now that another high pick will be added to the list. What is the  best course of action now for the Blackhawks brass?

General manager Kyle Davidson will still need to strike the right chord when it comes to building around the talent. But he’s shown to be more than capable in making trades that helps bring value. The pressure now is a bit different in finding the right players to put around the foundation that come at the right price and right time.

23 win seasons aren’t allowed anymore. The contention clock has started ticking on Davidsion and his front office much quicker than what was initially expected when he took over full time in 2022.

It’s certainly a good “problem” to have. While they didn’t win the top spot, they’re still going to come away with a terrific player without winning the NHL Draft Lottery.

Now it centers around who that will be. where they’ll fit in, and how the Blackhawks will build around their new reality.

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