Mattias Janmark Should Bring a First-Round Pick for Blackhawks

A first-round pick to the Blackhawks wouldn’t be too farfetched for Mattias Janmark.

According to some sources, Mattias Janmark may draw something like a third-round pick or a “B” level prospect for the Blackhawks, but I think differently.

Yes, I am aware that Mattias Janmark has been on the decline when it comes to his play but teams around the league know what Janmark is capable of providing on a nightly basis: Sound defensive play, great speed, and playmaking and scoring potential.

The list of players, or a situation, worth a first-round selection looked to be very short. The New Jersey Devils holding back half of the salary cap for Kyle Palmeri and Travis Zajac in exchange for a first-round pick. The New York Islanders look to be picking around the mid-twenties, so there’s not very much value there. I personally thought that this would have set the bar quite high for the rest of the league until the Tampa Bay Lightning did this.

The Tampa Bay Lightning traded a first-round selection for David Savard, a defenseman who has worse stats than Nikita Zadorov. Savard, a defensive defenseman, has 6 points in 4o games along with a -19 and 43.1% Corsi-For. Savard is a big defenseman who can dish out pretty big hits, but not much more than what Luke Schenn offers. So this trade was a head-scratcher.

What am I getting at here?

Mattias Janmark holds a stat line of 41 games played, 10 goals, 9 assists for 19 points with a -17. Though his play isn’t the best at the moment, he is still a great add to the top-nine to any contending team. He has been an effective member of the Blackhawks’ line up this year, possessing enough speed to get through the neutral zone on the rush, playmaking ability, and a decent scoring touch.

If David Savard can garner a first-round pick from a contending team, the Chicago Blackhawks should be able to garner the same return for Janmark. When it comes to effectiveness and team needs, Janmark takes the cake here as a quality, effective forward who can provide the necessary depth needed to go far in the postseason.