Blackhawks Two Truths and a Lie: What Direction Will They Go?

So Chicago Blackhawks fans, are you happy with the results? For those disappointed that the Blackhawks won’t be getting Macklin Celebrini, it’s understandable. But in this edition of Blackhawks Two Truths and a Lie, we’ll look at what general manager Kyle Davidson said post draft lottery and what that could mean not only in the draft, but for the offseason plans, too.

Truth: That 20th Overall Pick Could Very Well Be In Play

This is one I asked about because that second overall pick, unless they get a king’s ransom, will be used by the front office. But that 20th overall pick from Tampa, unless someone unbelievable is falling into their lap there, the Hawks should be open for business there. I wrote already about the likelihood of those picks hitting after 16 and you’re not finding nearly as many immediate foundational pieces there. Which of course, makes sense.

From Davidson:

“Whether it’s move back, move up, stick, see what that pick’s value is on the market for another prospect, an established NHLer, whatever the case may be–that’s all up for evaluation,” Davidson said. “If one option arises that is clearly the highest value, that’s what we’ll do. We’re not married to any one direction with that pick we’ll just evaluate the board and the draft prospects with the assumption that we will make it–that’s all we really can do. When we get to Las Vegas, that’s when options start to materialize. It’s about evaluating from there.”

Now, Davidson is going there with the intent to pick and perhaps an absolute steal falls to the Blackhawks. But that value–and immediate impact–could be found more via trade if the price is right.

Truth: Alex Vlasic is a Major Piece of the Blackhawks Future

The six-year term obviously speaks to that, but it’s a whole other argument to hear Davidson talk about it. From the general manager:

“Yeah, really excited to get that one done. And he just had a great year. His trajectory and his improvement over the last number of seasons has been pretty incredible. And so there’s no reason to believe he’s not going to continue that progress and continue forward steps in his development. We’ve identified Alex as a core piece here, so we were happy to get a six-year deal done.”

There it is–core piece. Not bad for a second-round pick, another sign that trust should be given to what the Blackhawks are doing right now. Davidson could have sent a lot of the previous regime pieces packing after he took over. But Davidson stayed the course–let development take its course, and Vlasic put up better number in his first full NHL season than he ever did at the collegiate level.

So Vlasic, and Kevin Korchinski as anchors on the blue line? How about one more potentially?

Lie: Taking a Forward at #2 Should Take Priority

Normally, I would side with this. After all, goal scoring was a major concern for the Blackhawks, and when Connor Bedard went down, so did much of the offense. So the prudent, smart move would be for a forward, specifically a wing, right?

Well, it’s complicated. I wrote in the previous piece that if I were a GM, I would build blue line out because ultimately, defensive minded teams win championships. Go back to the Stanley Cup winners of the past 20 years and the top four defensemen on those teams ultimately make or or break the Cup win.

Ivan Demidov is very intriguing as I wrote earlier in the year, even though it would take some time to get him to North America. The talent just oozes from him–and could very well be an absolute star in the league. But what about the blue line–specifically another CHN scouting target in Artyom Levshunov?  The Michigan State product could make the Blackhawks blue line an absolute nightmare for opposing offenses.

There’s also an argument that he may good enough to step in right away. Davidson didn’t tip his hand either way when asked about draft strategy. But he did say this:

“The talent of the player, the upside of the player, and the draft is–you get one day to acquire talent,” Davidson said.  “You want to get a player you feel has the most talent for your system and you just go from there. Tiebreaker–maybe position would come into play…we’ll see.”

Indeed we will. But the Blackhawks may grade Levshunov higher than anyone else. If that’s the case, Luke Richardson will have a defenseman’s dream on the backend.

The old cliche states that defense wins championships. It can also make the offense even stronger. Now, what direction will the Blackhawks go?

Recent Blackhawks Two Truths and a Lie

Blackhawks Two Truths and a Lie: Kyle Davidson Edition | Blackhawks Two Truths and a Lie: Let’s Make.A Deal

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