Stay the course

Team: 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 29, 2023

Published: May 8, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

*Some of these picks might be reaches at their current position.*

#1 C Connor Bedard: Genuinely thought we'd pick at 3-5. Its obviously exciting but feels underserved when Anaheim, Columbus or San Jose deserved the pick more than the Hawks did. Dont have him in the lineup because I see him going back to juniors another year. Davidson has taken a patient approach with prospects so far, doubt he abandons that idea just because something shiny fell in his lap but we'll see.
#14 C Brayden Yager: Originally projected as a top pick of this draft a while ago, he has slowly slipped down the rankings but is still a well rounded player able to play PK and PP.
#19 or #20 RHD Tom Willander: This draft seems to be forward heavy but there are a couple notable RHD available and the trend of recent years seems to be RHD going about 5-10 spots up from where the experts project them to go. So by the mid-teens, I believe that Reinbacher and Sandin-Pellikka will be gone but Willander might be there at 19 or 20.
#35 C Otto Stenberg: Loved his game and compete at the World Juniors and fills a center need. Projected to be a late 20s pick but might slip to the second round.
#52 LW/RW Daniil But: Big Skilled Russian winger who is defensively responsible. Gotta start building up our Russian pipe line to entice Safonov.



Trades:
NYI: Good ol Bailey trade. Seems like a trade most Hawks/Isles acgms agree on.
BUF: Buffalo gets a cheap and good 4th line center for a late round pick.
CBJ: No clue how the reception will be but CBJ looks like they need a LHD, Caleb Jones played top 2 and top 4 minutes and had moments of brilliance and frustration. He can be a cheap lhd that Columbus can use as a temporary stop gap for a couple years until they find or develop something better or C.Jones takes that next step. If not a late pick then a youngish ahl tweener with some nhl experience.
TBL: Help Lightning get some cap space to stay competitive. Also helps Hawks reach cap floor. Seabrook retires as a Hawk, Myers can bring some veteran presence down in Rockford. Win Win!
LAK: Taking 7.65 million of the books for next year and 5 mil for the next year gives LA more flexibility for the offseason to resign players like Korpisalo and Gavrikov and make a splash in FA for another cup run. Hardman is just to balance out contract #s and maybe he'll have a bounce back year for the reign or on LAs 4th line. The cost is steep but getting some breathing room to make necessary moves to stay competitive fits the timeline of LA while Kopitar is still playing fantastic.
EDM: Local kid that can in the NHL and after watching Desharnais play, is much less of a liability. Hawks build up their Russian prospect system, and get another guy from AK Bars Kazan that played with Safonov.
PIT: Pittsburgh recoups some picks and Hawks get another first rounder. All depends on the circumstances of draft day. (Original idea was posted by Pensman69)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.