Chicago Blackhawks’ Late Round Draft Picks At A Glance

The Chicago Blackhawks Made Picks Outside The Second Round, Too

The Chicago Blackhawks first three picks in the 2016 NHL Draft — Alex DeBrincat, Chad Krys and Artur Kayumov — have garnered most of the fans’ and media’s attention. But we can’t forget about the guys the Blackhawks drafted outside the second round last weekend.

Many might notice a trend: The Blackhawks love Swedish players and players with USHL experience. With that in mind, here is a look at the Blackhawks’ later-round picks in the 2016 draft.

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In the third round, the Blackhawks selected goalie Wouter Peeters with the 83rd pick. He is 17 years old and measures in at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds. He is from Belguim and plays for the Salzburg traveling team of under-21-year-old players. He was also the first Belgium-born player to ever be drafted by an NHL team, so congratulations to Peeters for that.

Scouts believe Peeters is a raw athletic prospect with big upside. His play is up and down so far, so he will need to maintain consistency. The Blackhawks add Peeters to their goaltending prospect pool with Matt Tompkins and Ivan Nalimov. Peeters will play for Jokerit U20 next season, per Elite Prospects.

In the fourth round, the Blackhawks selected Lucas Carlsson with 110th pick. The Blackhawks love their Swedish players, and Carlsson is a 6-0, 189-pound Swedish defenseman. Carlsson spent the last two seasons with Brynas IF in the Swedish Hockey League. He is seen as a speedy young blueliner. He played for Sweden in the most recent World Junior Championships.

The Blackhawks also selected center Nathan Noel with 113th pick in the fourth round. Noel is a smaller skater at 6-0, 179 pounds. What Noel lacks in size, he makes up for with speed. He spent last season with the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL. He tallied 21 goals and 36 assists in 61 games. He had two assists for Canada in the most recent World Junior Championships.

In the fifth round, the Blackhawks selected Mathias From with the 143rd pick. From is a Danish winger who checks in at 6-1, 187 pounds. He spent last season with the Rogle BK Junior U20 team before moving up to the senior team. He recorded six goals and 15 assists with the junior team. He is expected to return to Rogle next season.

In the sixth round, the Blackhawks selected Blake Hillman with the 173rd pick. Hillman is a defenseman out of the University of Denver. Hillman is 6-1, 183 pounds and shoots left-handed. He was one of the main reasons behind Denver’s run to the Frozen Four last season. He won NCAA West Region’s Most Outstanding Player award. Before attending the University of Denver, he spent three seasons in the USHL.

In the seventh round, the Blackhawks picked Jake Ryczek, a defenseman, with selection No. 203. Some believed this was a solid pick for the Blackhawks. Ryczek is 5-10 and 165 pounds. He will attend Providence University next season and spent last season in the USHL.

Next: Chicago Blackhawks' Early-Round Draft Review

With the NHL draft now done, the Blackhawks turn their attention to free agency. It officially begins at 11 a.m. Central time on July 1, and all restricted free agents who have not yet been tendered a deal by their respective squads will become free to negotiate with other teams.

The Chicago Blackhawks Made Picks Outside The Second Round, Too

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