2023 Blackhawks Draft Check-In

Now that most junior leagues are fast approaching the half-way point of the season, it would be a good time to take a look back at how the Blackhawks 2023 draftees are faring in their draft + 1 years. The Blackhawks ended the 2023 season with a total 13 picks, and ended the draft with 10 newly drafted players while using one pick to move up (36 + 69 for 27) and trading two late round picks for equal picks in 2024.

1st Round -> 1st Overall: Connor Bedard (NHL)

Despite being on a talent starved of talent, and offensive talent to be specific, Bedard has done admirably well thus far in the season. Currently with 12 goals and as many assists in 28 games. The North Vancouver native is on pace for 70 points and 35 goals in his rookie campaign. This would be the most goals by a rookie since Auston Matthews rookie season in 2016-2017 where he netted 40 and the most points by a rookie since Patrick Kane and Evgeni Malkin broke into the league and had 72pts and 85pts respectively.

1st Round -> 11th Overall: Dmitri Simashev (KHL)

Coming into the draft, it appeared that the 11 spot in the draft order was an uncertain one. After the cookie crumbled with the first 10 selections, the Blackhawks selected arguably the best defensive defenseman in the draft. In his D+1 year, it's taken a bit for Simashev to find his footing in the notiriously unforgiving league of the KHL for teenagers, but over the past month has started to come into his own. Having suited up for 35 of Lokomotiv's first 38 games, he's been relied up to play as the #6 defender averaging 13:37min/gp including an average of 1:37min/gp on the PK. While being a defensive-minded player, the offense has started to come as he has now potted two goals and one assist in his last five games bringing his total to three goals and two assists on the season.

1st Round -> 27th Overall: Otto Stenberg (SHL)

Originally, the Blackhawks didn't have a third 1st round pick, but became agressive on the phones right before the draft and packaged their 36th and 69th picks to move up nine spots. The Blackhawks had eyed Stenberg at this slot and had him as #20 on their draft board so they were thrilled when he was still available when pick 27 was up.

So far, Stenberg has had a positive year with Frölunda in the SHL. Thus far he has doubled his production from last year and plays primarily on the second line which has maximized his ability to continue to develop.

2nd Round -> 46th Overall: Carson Rehkopf (OHL)

GM's tend not to try to count their chickens before they have hatched, but the Blackhawks front office can't help but to feel excited about how Rehkopf has taken the next step in his development this year. While averaging a point-per-game in his draft year, Rehkopf has exploded to lead the OHL in scoring and point production this year and has 55 points in 31 games (1.77pts/game). While everyone regcognizes that Kitchener is an absolute wagon, a player leading the OHL in scoring can be seen as nothing sort of a massive positive.

2nd Round -> 51st Overall: Damian Clara (Swe-1)

The fourth pick of the draft for the Blackhawks made history by drafting the first ever Italian into the NHL in Damien Clara. The draft boards varied greatly on where Clara was going to go anywhere from the early 3rd round to a late round flier. With a undeniable frame and sound positioning, the Italian is a project and it may be a few years before we see the goalie come across the pond and start to adapt to the North American game. So far this year, he's getting regular reps in Sweden's second league with Brynas IF where is he acting as a 1B to the 1A of ex-NHLer Anders Lindback. Clara through 12 games this season is sporting a 8-3-0-1 record with a 2.52GAA and a 0.896SV%.

Did the Blackhawks reach? Maybe, but they believed in the player and with four picks in the second round they had the luxury to take a player they liked knowing they had multiple bullets in the chamber.

2nd Round -> 59th Overall: Nick Lardis (OHL)

GM Doogan-Smith recieved a flurry of messages leading up to this pick as well as the next one, but there were still numerous players the scouting department had an eye on and were sure wouldn't be there if they moved back. Nick Lardis was a late riser last spring and has continue his scoring prowess in the 2023-2024 season with 23 goals in 28 games and is currently tied for second in OHL goal scoring. Just last week Lardis was named OHL player of the week as he recorded seven points in three games, including his first hattrick in the league.

2nd Round -> 60th Overall: Tristan Bertucci (OHL)

The Blackhawks second defenseman selected in the 2023-2024 draft is Tristan Bertucci. So far this year there is not much to report on the Flint Firebird. Bertucci has continue to hone his craft as a high IQ defensive defender who can snap the puck up in transition with the best of them.

3rd Round -> 86th Overall: Arttu Karki (OHL)

After a misfire on the part of Blackhawks when they accidentally attempted to draft a player who was selected 10 spots earlier, they moved down their list one spot to select Arttu Karki out of Finland. The Finnish defender known for his clapbomb and ability to walk the line made the jump to North America to adjust to the smaller ice surface and has tremedous success through the first half of the OHL season. Having seemingly been shot out of the gate to start the season, Karki had 12 goals in the first 14 games played as he dictated the potent Soo Greyhound powerplay. 

Regression has occurred for the defender, but he is still producing at a point-per-game through 30 games and sits in sixth on OHL defender production and first in defenseman scoring (16 goals).

3rd Round -> 89th Overall: Jaden Lipinski (WHL)

After a slow start to the season as he adjusted to increased responsibilities in the new season including lining up against the opponents best players night-after-night, Lipinski's details to playing a complete game is starting to pay dividends in the counting stats as the large 6'4" forward has nine points in five games in the month of December. Undoubtedly a positive sign as the Vancouver Giants coaching staff look to him to continue to lead by example.

4th Round -> 101st Overall: Timur Mukhanov

With the final pick of their 2023 draft (Blackhawks traded their last two picks to FLorida for two 2024 picks), the Blackhawks decided to shoot for the stars with a boom-or-bust type pick in Russian Timur Mukhanov. Before the draft, numerous boards had Mukhanov pegged as a second or third round talent, but erred that teams may shy away from the player due to his lack of size. This became reality when he dropped all the way to the end of the sixth round in the NHL draft. 

Though Mukhanov is only  5'8" and 170lbs, his size was not a deterrant for Chicago and in the early going the results for the Russian waterbug has been positive. He was named the KHL Rookie of the Month for December and has 12 points in 38 games which is impressive production for an 18 year old in the KHL. The hope is for Mukhanov to continue to get meaningful minutes this year and hopefully making the jump to North America in the fall of 2024 or 2025.

Overall, the Blackhawks front office is really happy with how this draft class is progressing. Having the top 2 goalscorers in the OHL as well as the top defender in goal scoring is a boon to the Blackhawk's prospect pipeline. Apart from Bedard, hopefully the organization will be signing a few of these players to their ELCs in two to three year's time.