The Blackhawks Added To Their Defense And Size During NHL Draft

Bolstering the Blue Line

Starting off with the blockbuster trade to bring Seth Jones to Chicago (shortly after acquiring his brother Caleb in the Duncan Keith trade), the Hawks surrendered the #12 pick, along with next year’s first-rounder, and their early second-rounder, along with Adam Boqvist. They got back a big-bodied Right Shot Defenseman who has been considered a #1 D-man in the past. They also got the #32 pick, which the Blue Jackets acquired in the trade of David Savard to Tampa.

At 32, they took Nolan Allen, a Left Shot Defenseman from the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. Allen is a gifted defender, using his size (6’2″, 195 lbs) and skating ability to function as a shutdown defender. He does not provide much offense, but his calling card is physical, tough-to-play-against hockey in his own zone, which is something the Blackhawks don’t have a lot of in their organization right now.

At pick #91, they drafted big-bodied Taige Harding, a 6’7″, 235 lb left-shot monster out of the AJHL (Fort Barron). A developmental project, his skating needs work, which makes sense as he is still getting used to his Sasquatch-like size. But he showed some potential and would be a huge factor on the blue line if he can develop into a Colton Parayko-like player at that size.

At Pick #105, they took Ethan Del Mastro, who did not have a regular season this year after playing for Mississauga of the OHL last season. Another Left Defenseman, he has tremendous size at 6’4″, 210 lbs. Advertised as having good agility and mobility for his size, this is another defensive-minded pick, with some potential offensive upside. Strong in the corners and in front of the net, he brings another physical presence to the ‘Hawks blue line at some point down the line.

Finally, at pick #204, they drafted Connor Kelley, a teammate of Blackhawks 2020 3rd round pick, Wyatt Kaiser, at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He just finished his freshman season and has solid size at 6’1, 190 lbs. While not as especially physical or offensive defenseman, he shows some ability to get the puck out of his zone and make good reads. He is a developmental prospect for sure, but in the 7th round, you aren’t expecting future Hall-Of-Fame talent.

Adding Size Up Front

The Hawks didn’t just add bulk to their Blue Line. They also added some additional size to their Forward Depth. After seeing the early success of grinding players like Brandon Hagel, Mike Hardman, MacKenzie Entwistle, and Reese Johnson, the Hawks see the value of adding more physical forwards, so that they can compete with the teams in their division.

In the late second round, the ‘Hawks added Colton Dach, younger brother of Kirby Dach. He has similar size to Kirby at 6’4″, 195 lbs, and boasts solid skills and skating ability. Like his brother, he has a strong stride, and is deceptively fast because of his stride length. He is a solid shooter, and will go to the net and play in the corners, which the ‘Hawks need more of. He also has solid hands, which is needed to play in tight to the net and in the defensive end.

At pick 172, the ‘Hawks selected Ilya Safonov, who spent last season in the KHL. He is another big body at 6’4, 205 lbs. He has solid hands, a good shot, and decent skill. He is physical around the net and in his own zone. He is not a great skater, but hopefully some development in that area will help him out.

Having multiple 6’4 forwards with good hands and playmaking skill is going to help the ‘Hawks compete in the future with the more physical teams in their division.

The NHL has been shifting towards a more skilled game for decades, but what we are seeing now is a shift towards more physically-gifted players with skill. The ‘Hawks have typically found their skill in smaller players, and their draft picks of recent years have been geared towards smaller, faster players to develop. I believe Stan Bowman has realized (finally!) that the better teams in the Blackhawks’ division are tougher, stronger, and just as skilled (if not more so) than the roster the ‘Hawks have put together.

Whether these players work out and become the Blackhawks core of the future remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Bowman focused on specialized skill with size in this draft, especially on the defensive side of the puck. He sees the writing on the wall, and if the Blackhawks want to be perennial playoff contenders, they need to have skilled players with size up and down the lineup, and throughout the organization.