The Chicago Blackhawks miss out on the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes but get the No.2 pick
For the second time in two straight years, the Chicago Blackhawks will have a top-two draft pick. The San Jose Sharks won the first overall pick.
The Sharks will have the right to draft Macklin Celebrini, the consensus best player. Celebrini played junior hockey with the Junior Sharks when he was 14-years-old. It is fitting he is going back to where it all began.
It would have been incredible to see Celebrini and Bedard play together. They are two of the most electric and highly touted prospects in recent memory. Instead, the hockey world will have Bedard vs Celebrini. Frequently too, as Celebrini is in all likelihood, going to a Western Conference team.
Connor Bedard and the Hawks’ future
It was only one year ago the Chicago Blackhawks won the first overall pick. That pick turned into Connor Bedard. Bedard exploded onto the scene, becoming an overnight sensation. Bedard’s rookie debut drew the most viewers for an NHL regular season game, outside of the Winter Classic.
Bedard put on a rookie season worthy of the Calder trophy. He scored goals in bunches and showed excellent playmaking abilities. The Blackhawks offense looked completely different when Bedard was on the ice.
Now the Blackhawks will have a prime opportunity to build on Bedard’s success. With the second overall pick, the Chicago Blackhawks will have their pick of every prospect, except Celebrini.
The Blackhawks could really use a winger to pair with Connor Bedard. The highest ranked winger in the 2024 NHL Draft is Trevor Connelly. Connelly is an 18-year-old out of Tustin California who shoots left handed. He stands at 6′ 1″ and weighs 161 LBS.
Connelly recorded 78 total points this season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. 31 goals and 47 assists marked career highs for the junior hockey player.
The Blackhawks could also use more defensemen, they could really use more everything. The 2024 NHL Draft has a lot of strong defensive talent. Here are four of the top ranked defenseman prospects:
- Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State
- Zeev Buium, D, Denver
- Sam Dickinson, D, London Knights
- Anton Silayev, D, Novgorod
All of these players have their positives and negatives. The Chicago Blackhawks are in the middle of a rebuild, they can afford to take a flyer on any of these players. The Blackhawks have time on their side. Connor Bedard will turn 19 in July. There is time to develop prospects while Bedard continues to get better.
The choices are endless for the Chicago Blackhawks with the No. 2 overall pick. The Blackhawks are on a fast track to being one of the better teams in the NHL once again. A strong offseason could flip this team on it’s head.
The team said they don’t want to be in a lottery situation again next year. The upcoming draft and offseason will paint a more clear picture of how possible that is.
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