The Chicago Blackhawks have a no-brainer with their first pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. Connor Bedard will be the first name called on June 28th in Nashville. The Blackhawks have another pick in the first round at 19, and the team is reportedly interested in a Russian athlete.
The Blackhawks interviewed over 65 players at the NHL Combine. One player of interest is Gabe Perreault, the son of a Blackhawks staff member and former NHL face-off king. The Blackhawks are expected to take another forward with their second pick, and the team is considering making a risky selection to help the offense.
The Chicago Blackhawks are interested in Daniil But
According to Scott Powers with The Athletic, The Blackhawks are interested in taking Daniil But if he’s still there at 19. General manager Kyle Davidson was open about the possibility of drafting a Russian in this year’s draft:
“[Davidson] said, “I think it’s case by case, whether it be contractual obligations, you’re always asking — even this predates any of the current situation in the world, is you’re always trying to get a sense of their willingness to come and want to play in North America. That’s always a question you have, but on the face of it, as a general rule, I don’t think there’s apprehension. I think you just have to do a little more work I think, given the circumstances right now.”
Why taking a Russian athlete is a risk right now
There are extra challenges for Russian players coming to play in a North American league as the Russian-Ukraine War continues here in 2023. According to a 2022 report by John Wawrow with the Associated Press, general managers were more skeptical about drafting Russian players last year after the war started due to the logistics of getting the player out of Eastern Europe:
“While there has always been a risk of Russian prospects deciding to stay home to play, the concerns are greater now with travel restrictions in place during the war for anyone wishing to travel to or from Russia and Belarus. NHL executives are left to wonder if a pick will actually be allowed out.
It doesn’t help that NHL and its Russian-based counterpart, the Kontinental Hockey League, do not have a transfer agreement in place. That prevents NHL teams from buying out KHL contracts, a consistent hurdle for any GM hoping to raid the second-best league in the world.”
Could the Blackhawks draft But at 19?
But is considered a first-round draft prospect. Powers isn’t sure he’ll be on the board by the time Davidson picks again at 19. However, other mock drafts have But as a mid-to-late first-round pick. (Maybe other general managers will be queasy about taking a risk on a Russian athlete).
Chris Peters with FloHockey has But going 20th in his recent mock draft and thinks he falls there due to the Russia risk. If the Blackhawks can take him at 19, they could stop their divisional rival, the Minnesota Wild, from taking But at 20.
Here are highlights of Daniil Bute:
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