Blackhawks: Trading Up For Connor Zary Is A Must

The Chicago Blackhawks have a chance to grab a solid player for the future in the 2020 NHL Draft. That player needs to be Connor Zary.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a good chance to select a franchise-changing player in the 2020 NHL draft. Whether it’s a forward, a defenseman, or a goalie, their first-round pick could be their next franchise player.

The best player they have a real solid chance of getting is Connor Zary. He is one of the best forwards in the draft, with Craig Button of TSN having him ranked as the 11th-best player in the 2020 NHL draft.

Even if Zary slips further than the 11th-pick, he won’t fall to 17 without it taking a miracle. The Hawks have a couple of late draft-picks that aren’t theirs, which could be used as draft capital in a trade to move up.

Trading up for Zary would include the Hawks 17th-pick and their two third-round picks. They won’t crack the Top 10 with that, but they’ll be able to move up a few spots to select Zary if he’s on the board.

If Zary is on the board at 12 or 13, the Hawks have to trade up and select him. The only player that is more valuable around that pick is Yaroslav Askarov. If Askarov if off of the draft board, Zary is their option. If Askarov is sitting there at 12 or 13, he is the guy to get.

Zary, last season, played in 57-games, scoring 38-goals, and 48-assists for 86-points. He is one of the most complete 200-foot player in the entire draft. He reminds scouts of Bo Horvat of the Canucks.

Missing the chance to get one of the best young players in the draft would be a mistake by the Hawks. The player they’re most likely to select is Noel Gunler or Dylan Holloway, neither one of them has the offensive skill at any level that Zary has in the WHL.

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If Askarov isn’t on the board, the next best choice, if they trade up to 12 or 13 is to select Zary. There’s just so much to like about the guy on offense. He’s someone who could sit a year and be a huge star in 2021-22.