5 questions facing the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2025 NHL Draft

Ever since the NHL draft lottery, many have wondered about the Chicago Blackhawks and what they might do with their third-overall selection.

Drafting or acquiring a potential difference-maker to pair alongside Connor Bedard seems to be the top priority this offseason, though some reports have suggested the team may be less aggressive than some are wishing for.

The Blackhawks have two selections in the first and second rounds of this year's draft, and numerous options available to them regarding their draft capital. With the draft upon us, these are five questions facing the Chicago Blackhawks heading into the 2025 NHL draft.

1. Will Michael Misa still be an option at third-overall?

Since the draft lottery, the consensus has been that the draft will be getting interesting when the Blackhawks' pick, due to the majority believing Matthew Schaefer and Michael Misa will occupy picks one and two. However, the days leading up to the draft have suggested that there could be a shake-up regarding the San Jose Sharks' second-overall pick.

Reports had surfaced of the San Jose Sharks showing increased interest in forwards Caleb Desnoyers and Anton Frondell, the latter of whom was projected to be one of the front-runners to be selected by the Blackhawks. Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects also reported that the likelihood of the Sharks selecting Frondell over Misa has increased.

If Misa is, in fact, available at third-overall, the Blackhawks' would have a golden opportunity to draft a player who could be exactly what they need in terms of high-end skill to add to their lineup going forward.

2. Will another team make a strong push that would result in the Blackhawks trading down?

Recent reports have confirmed that the Blackhawks have discussed moving the third-overall pick with various teams, one of which was with the Buffalo Sabres regarding a potential JJ Peterka trade.

At this point in the rebuild, the Blackhawks would not be trading down to gain extra draft capital, but to add a player who can contribute on the NHL roster right now. Rumors have surfaced of there being multiple teams who could be interested in moving up for a player they are passionate about, though it does not sound as though the Blackhawks are keen on trading their pick at this moment.

Seeing as though they had discussed the pick's availability with other teams, the possibility remains that a team could make an offer to move up to third-overall, but the package likely have to be too good to turn down for the Blackhawks, depending on how many spots they'd be moving down.

3. Is there still a difference maker out there on the trade market?

It has been confirmed that Kyle Davidson inquired with the Buffalo Sabres about winger, JJ Peterka, but inevitably missed out. While Peterka would have been a big addition to the Blackhawks, it makes you wonder if other players on the market could be a potential target on draft day.

Rumors of Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson's availability have seemingly quieted down as of late, and the possibility of the Stars trading a player of Robertson's value to a divisional opponent is low. Though every year there are players available at the draft who were not discussed as heavily, such as Mikhail Sergachev being traded to Utah at last year's draft.

If a player becomes available who can truly help right now, the Blackhawks have plenty of draft capital and a deep prospect pool that they can use as assets to bring in a higher-end player.

4. What to do with the 25th overall pick?

There is a belief that the Blackhawks could try and leverage their 25th overall pick in a trade to acquire NHL-ready talent, but there have not been many whispers of that idea becoming a reality. It sounds as though many teams are willing to listen to their later-first-round picks, and the Blackhawks would certainly be one of them in the right scenario.

Time will tell who is still available on the draft board, but many are hoping a player like Malcolm Spence would be on the board for the Blackhawks to add into their prospect pool.

The Blackhawks need to add more size to their pool, and there are likely to be many players still available who can address that need in the system if Kyle Davidson keeps the selection.

5. Will there be an opportunity to trade back into the first round?

In recent drafts, Kyle Davidson has not been shy about utilizing some of his second-round selections and additional assets to move back into the ladder-half of the first round.

Trading away some draft capital in order to move back up was used by the team in order to select Sam Rinzel in 2022 and Marek Vanacker in the 2024 draft.

The Blackhawks have two picks in the second round this year which could be used to move up in order to draft a player the organization is very high on. It may not be the popular vote since many fans are hoping to acquire NHL talent, but the likelihood of that may not be as high especially after the recent extension to Ryan Donato and the acquisition of Andre Burakovsky.