5 Players the Chicago Blackhawks should consider with the 25th overall pick

With the NHL Draft less than a month away and all the buzz about who the Chicago Blackhawks will take at number 3, it’s about time to talk about the second of the two first-round draft choices the Blackhawks have this year.

The Blackhawks sent Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty along with a couple of 5th-round picks in exchange for Joey Anderson, Pavel Gogolev, and Toronto’s 20251st and 2026 2nd-round pick. With Toronto losing in the 2nd round, that gave the Blackhawks the 25th overall pick in this year's draft. Chicago is no stranger to the 25th overall pick.

This draft class is a bit on the weaker side compared to what we have had in recent years, but there is still plenty of talent throughout. What is a bit different with this year's draft is that just about every team is going to have a different opinion as far as ranking the players in the class.

One team could have a player in the top 10, while another might have them as a late first-round pick, so there will likely be a lot of players falling depending on how teams value them. There are a lot of different options for the Blackhawks at pick 25, but here are 5 that I think would be strong options for the Hawks.

Cullen Potter could be a steal for the Blackhawks late in the first round.

Someone who fits the exact profile the Blackhawks have been drafting is Cullen Potter who is playing at Arizona State University in the NCAA as one of the youngest players in the draft. He is close to if not the best, skater in this draft and can be extremely dynamic using his speed to generate offense.

Potter has a ton of speed and skill and has an extremely high ceiling with how he is already competing against older competition in the NCAA as a 17-year-old. In his freshman season, Potter had 13 goals for 22 points in 35 games. He could definitely work on his play away from the puck defensively, but his breakaway speed and slick hands make him a very intriguing option for the Blackhawks at pick 25.

Braeden Cootes

Another highly skilled forward is 6'0 Center Braeden Cootes, who currently plays for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL. Cootes plays a solid overall game with a high motor, good playmaking, and a really nice shot. He is a great skater with nice edgework and always seems to be in the right place positionally.

He is someone who plays with a lot of energy and, at times, has dynamic takeover offensive ability. The skill and ability are there, and though he only had 63 points in 60 games on a weaker offensive Seattle team, he has all the tools to become an NHL-caliber player.

He has a wicked shot, and that toe-drag release looks pretty similar to what Hawks fans are used to with Bedard.

Benjamin Kindel brings the speed the Blackhawks love.

Another player who fits the mold of what the Blackhawks are looking for is 5'10 winger Benjamin Kindel, who plays for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. He is another speedster who plays a solid 200-foot game with being able to use his speed to forecheck, backcheck, and forcing turnovers. He has really nice hands and playmaking ability.

He had a great year in the WHL, just one point shy of 100 with 35 goals and 64 assists, which was good for 7th best in the league. His two-way game with solid offensive upside makes him another attractive option for Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Bill Zonnon

Someone of a pretty different profile is 6’2 winger Bill Zonnon, who plays for Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL. He is a big body who has decent skating for his size, solid playmaking, and a nice shot. He is physical and uses his size pretty well in the dirty areas around the net and in the corners to help generate offense.

For a bigger guy Zonnon has some really nice flashes of offensive skill and ended up finishing his season with 28 goals 55 assists for 83 points in 64 games which was good for 7th best in the Q. If the Hawks don't end up picking Martone at pick 3, Zonnon would be a nice piece to add for someone with both size and skill.

Cole Reschny

Last but certainly not least is Cole Reschny, who last played for the Victoria Royals in the WHL but will be heading to the University of North Dakota next year to play in the NCAA. Reschny is a two-way forward who has very good vision and playmaking ability. He is not the most dynamic forward, but is overall pretty solid in most categories, though his passing and playmaking are what make him stand out.

Reschny had a very good back half of the season, scoring 51 points in his last 30 games, and ended up finishing his season with the Royals with 26 goals and 66 assists for 92 points in 62 games.

There are so many other names that I didn't mention that are in play for the Blackhawks and even these players might all be gone before the Hawks select at 25 with how much variance there is in this draft but needless to say Kyle Davidson will have his hands full to be able to put together another successful draft to get the Hawks back to winning ways.