The Chicago Blackhawks are likely to NHL draft Ivan Demidov or Artyom Levshunov with the No. 2 pick, as you all know by now. But who might they select with their other first-round pick?
Corey Pronman and Scott Powers discuss eight players the Blackhawks could take with the No. 18 selection.
Sacha Boisvert, center, 6-foot-2, 183 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 27, Scott Wheeler 24
Pronman’s take: Boisvert is a well-rounded center. He has good size, skates well, has solid offensive skills and can score goals. His compete level isn’t amazing, but it’s good enough. He projects as a middle-six center in the NHL, and if you’re a big believer in the offense, you may see a 2C. Some scouts see that player, but most see a 3C.
Powers’ take: The Blackhawks have a lot of centers coming, but Boisvert would give them something a bit different with his size and shot. The Blackhawks do possess a lot of potential NHL playmakers in the pipeline and they could use another player with a high-end shot and scoring ability. He could fit well with what they have coming. Boisvert showed that goal-scoring ability with 36 goals in 61 games with Muskegon in the USHL this season. I’m sure the Blackhawks would like the fact he’s going to play college hockey at North Dakota, too. My educated guess is they do take a forward at 18.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, winger, 6 feet, 207 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 17, Wheeler 14
Pronman’s take: He’s a very well-rounded player. There’s nothing about his game that is truly elite, but I think he checks every box. He skates and handles the puck like an NHL player. He’s physical. He shoots the puck really well. He can make some plays. I think you’re hoping he could be a really solid second-line wing in the NHL. He can score goals, and the coach is going to like him to kill penalties. But I don’t think he’s ever going to be the flashiest offensive player in the world.
Powers’ take: The Blackhawks don’t have a lot of players like Brandsegg-Nygard in their pipeline. He could be a nice complementary winger to Connor Bedard, Frank Nazar or Oliver Moore at center. Brandsegg-Nygard doesn’t necessarily need to be elite, just reliable in a variety of ways, including defensively. The Blackhawks will probably want to find a player or two like him before the rebuild is complete. Brandsegg-Nygard feels like he could be ready for the NHL sooner than later, too. He seems to go earlier than 18 in a lot of mock drafts, but you never know.
Igor Chernyshov, winger, 6-2, 204 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 18, Wheeler 23
Pronman’s take: Chernyshov is a really likeable player, similar to Michael Brandsegg-Nygard in that he checks every box. He plays in the KHL with Dynamo Moscow. I think if he was in North America or not playing in Russia, he’d be thought of as a clear top-15 type. He’s 6-2, he skates, he’s powerful, he has skill and he can score goals. He just doesn’t have the sexiest overall toolkit. He’s obviously a really good player and projects as a top-six forward in the NHL, but the question for teams is whether he is special enough for them to take a gamble on a Russian that high in the draft. I think a lot of teams are going to struggle with that. Danila Yurov, for example, was a player people thought could be a top-six forward, and he’s very talented and it looks like he’s had a great season, but he fell to the mid-20s because, well, if you’re not a special Russian, do you really want to take that shot?
Powers’ take: I’m doubtful the Blackhawks draft two Russian forwards in the first round. So whether they draft Demidov may determine whether they pick Chernyshov. If they go Levshunov, though, maybe the Blackhawks consider Chernyshov if he’s on the board. I get the sense they’re higher on other forwards, but the draft can play out in so many ways before it gets to 18. Chernyshov would give the Blackhawks more size in their forward group and would complement what they already have in the pipeline well.
Cole Eiserman, winger, 5-11, 197 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 16, Wheeler 7
Pronman’s take: Goal scoring is obviously what he does best. He’s got one of the best shots in the draft. He’s a very skilled, good skater. There are a lot of things I like about this player. I think you’re a little worried about his frame. I think you’re worried about his average hockey sense. I think you’re worried that he’s not the best without the puck. I think he has a little bit of physicality in him — it’s not like he’s detrimental or soft in that regard — but he’s not a true play driver. With the puck, he’s definitely a power-play type of guy, a player you lean on for his skill, goal-scoring ability and one-timer. I think people watch him and think he could be Cole Caufield and others think he could be Kieffer Bellows or the next Oliver Wahlstrom. When I watch him, I maybe think of a better-skating Eeli Tolvanen. He might not be the most exciting player, but Tolvanen is scoring in the NHL right now, and I think Eiserman could translate into a top-six wing in the NHL.
Powers’ take: The Blackhawks put a lot of work into evaluating Eiserman early in the year to see if he might be a candidate for their first-round pick. They decided he was too one-dimensional. Although he might not make sense as the No. 2 pick, they’d really have to consider him if he’s still on the board at 18. The skill he does bring to a team is something the Blackhawks don’t have a ton of in their system. Outside of Bedard, Nick Lardis may be the player with the highest goal-scoring ceiling in the pipeline. Lardis has a chance to make it, but he’s not a sure thing. Not that Eiserman is a lock either, but if the Blackhawks can draft a player at 18 who has possible elite NHL skill and might just be a great fit with someone like Bedard on the power play, it’s probably worth the risk. I think people would understand if they got it wrong.
Michael Hage has played for the Chicago Steel the past few seasons. (Courtesy of the Chicago Steel)
Michael Hage, center, 6 feet, 188 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 25, Wheeler 15
Pronman’s take: He’s a dynamic player. He was one of the best players in the USHL this year. He really tore up the league in the second half onwards. He has high-end skill and can skate. He has some size and can play down the middle. Whether he’s actually going to be a top-two or three-line center in the NHL, given he’s not the most physical player, is going to be a question teams will debate with him. He definitely has a chance to be a top-six, middle-six-scoring forward in the NHL. He is dynamic at times. His consistency was definitely an issue, and there are worries he plays on the perimeter too much and that it might not translate to the higher level.
Powers’ take: Among the players I think will realistically be available at 18, Hage and Jett Luchanko are two of the most intriguing ones. We’ll touch on Luchanko a bit. Hage improved the way you’d want a prospect to improve in the second half of a draft-eligible season. He took over the last few months of the USHL season; he was dominant. Whether he works out at center or not probably isn’t a worry for the Blackhawks, either. They have plenty of players in that boat and can use some talented wingers. The Blackhawks also probably like that he’s going to Michigan and will get a taste of college hockey for a year or two. To me, his potential is greater than that of others who could go here. Maybe he doesn’t reach it, but he could be worth it.
Adam Jiříček, defenseman, 6-2, 185 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 15, Wheeler 22
Pronman’s take: He can move pucks. He has some power-play skill, but it’s not high-end or flashy — it’s secondary offense. He’s competitive, though. I think you’re hoping he’s going to make a lot of stops to be a top-four defenseman. May not be a real power-play guy, but I think there’s a hope he could be a legit second-pair, two-way defenseman in the NHL. The concern with him is more his injury. He got injured in the middle of the season at the world juniors, and we didn’t get to see him play much because he didn’t have a great start in the Czech pro league and didn’t play with his U18 team in February or at the U18 worlds in April. So there’s some uncertainty there with that pick. Some teams are wondering how much weight should be put on the Hlinka or his underage viewings. This is a guy who a lot of teams thought could be a top-12 pick in September, but there’s a chance he could get to 18.
Powers’ take: If the Blackhawks take Levshunov at No. 2, it’s unlikely they take another defenseman at 18. But if they don’t draft Levshunov, I do think they’d consider a defenseman with their other first-round pick. This all goes into the discussion for the No. 2 pick, but the Blackhawks have to determine what position group they want to add a definitive elite player to. As of today, Jiříček obviously isn’t projected as high as Levshunov or a number of other defensemen in the draft, but he has a lot of tools that could make him an NHLer who bolsters the Blackhawks’ defenseman group. Also, I know the Blackhawks have downplayed not having a ton of right-handed shots in the system. That said, I do think they’d like to add a few more to the pipeline.
Jett Luchanko, center, 5-11, 187 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 15, Wheeler 31
Pronman’s take: Luchanko is similar to Frank Nazar and might even have a little more pure offense. Even though the point production wasn’t amazing this year, I think he’s really smart, a really good skater, creates offense on the move, and can create off the perimeter. He’s highly competitive and fits the style of player they’ve tended to like in the draft. Even though he’s not that big, he’s hardworking, high pace and creates on offense. He’s just a very likeable player who could be a third-line center in the NHL. He’s maybe a second-line forward if he really hits.
Powers’ take: The Blackhawks have prioritized a certain style of player in Davidson’s first few drafts. The Blackhawks realize they’ll have to add some size to the group eventually, but they’re not in a rush to do that just yet. They’ll see how Colton Dach, Gavin Hayes and a few others develop. Eventually, they may have to look outside the organization. But for now, their goal is to bring in players who can skate well and compete and have some offensive ability. Size hasn’t factored into that. They drafted players like Nazar, Moore, Paul Ludwinski and Roman Kantserov in the first few rounds. It wouldn’t be surprising if they sought to add more players who are similar. If Luchanko checks a lot of the boxes they like in prospects, he’s probably high on their list.
Stian Solberg, defenseman, 6-1, 205 pounds
Ranking: Pronman 12, Wheeler 21
Pronman’s take: Solberg’s a super competitive and physical defenseman who can skate with first-pass offense. He’s really trended upward after his great World Championship in which he was one of Norway’s best players. He has answered some of the concerns about his offense. He projects as a hard-to-play-against top-four D, like a Braden Schneider type.
Powers’ take: The Blackhawks have a good idea of what they currently have in their defenseman, what they have coming and what they might need. A Levshunov-type player is what they’d still like, someone who can potentially be their No. 1 defenseman and play in all situations. Can they fill that at 18? It’s obviously harder to find later in the draft. We’ve already discussed Jiříček as a possibility. Does anyone else make sense? Pronman suggested Solberg, a left-handed defenseman. I didn’t know much about him, but after watching video, I can see he’s an intriguing prospect. He has the size and physicality the Blackhawks are looking for. He also has some offensive upside. I’d be surprised if the Blackhawks took him, but I wouldn’t rule him out.
(Top photo of Jett Luchanko: Chris Tanouye / Getty Images)