Best 3 draft classes in Blackhawks history

It’s Best & Worst Week within the FanSided NHL sites. This should be a fun few days, with tons of topics to tackle. We’ll start by looking at the three best draft classes in Chicago Blackhawks history, and we’ll follow those up with the three worst draft classes.

Mastering an NHL Entry Draft is no easy task. It takes a lot of scouting and due diligence, plus some luck, to have consistent success on draft day. When looking at the Blackhawks’ draft history, they have definitely selected some all-time greats, but getting multiple contributors at the same draft can be difficult.

Some of you might be thinking that the 2006 and 2007 draft classes are included in this list. Yes, drafting Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in back-to-back years put the franchise into a whole new stratosphere. However, those two classes weren’t very good, as the other 12 players selected combined for 11 NHL games. Drafting two Hall of Famers at the top of those classes makes all the other misses more bearable.

When we look back in a few years, Kyle Davidson’s 2023 draft class could be a part of this list. That draft netted the Blackhawks Connor Bedard, Oliver Moore, Adam Gajan, Roman Kantserov, and Nick Lardis. If things go right, that group could go down as one of the most successful draft classes in team history.

An honorable mention for best draft classes in Blackhawks history is from the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. First-round pick Grant Mulvey played nearly 600 games for the Blackhawks, while third-round pick Bob Murray set the standard on the blue line for over 1,000 games. Second-rounder Alain Daige and fourth-rounder Terry Ruskowski both had successful NHL careers that started with the Blackhawks.

No. 3 - 2011 NHL Entry Draft

Stan Bowman didn't have many draft classes to write home about during his time as Blackhawks general manager. But, in 2011, he made three solid picks. He had two first-round picks and missed on Mark McNeill at No. 18. However, he made a great pick at No. 26 with Phillip Danault. Although Danault never produced much for the Blackhawks, Bowman dealt him to the Montreal Canadiens in an awful 2016 deadline deal; he’s been a very good two-way center who is still playing at a high level.

Bowman kept his championship window open in the second and fifth rounds by selecting Brandon Saad and Andrew Saad. Both players became key contributors to Stanley Cup wins in 2013 and 2015. Adding two Stanley Cup champions in the same draft doesn't happen every year.

No. 2 -2003 NHL Entry Draft

The foundation for the Stanley Cup era of the 2010s was laid many years earlier by general manager Mike Smith. In 2002, he drafted Duncan Keith in the second round. The following year, he knocked the first rounds out of the park.

Smith selected defenseman Brent Seabrook with the 14th overall pick. He spent his entire career with the Blackhawks, playing 1,114 games and leading three Stanley Cup championship teams. From there, he drafted goaltender Corey Crawford in the second round. While it took Crawford eight years to become a full-time NHL netminder, he went on to become one of the best in team history. The Blackhawks don’t win the Stanley Cup in 2013 and 2015 without him.

As an added bonus, Smith drafted Dustin Byfuglien in the eighth round, a round that doesn’t exist anymore. He was a force to be reckoned with during the 2010 playoffs, having huge performances against the Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, and Philadelphia Flyers.

No. 1 – 1980 NHL Entry Draft

There is no debate on which draft class is the best in Blackhawks history. General manager Bob Pulford set up over a decade of success with his selections in 1980. His big day started by taking Denis Savard with the third overall pick. He went on to become one of the most exciting players in team history, putting up five 100-point seasons in his first stint. Even when he was traded in 1990, he still helped the team win by fetching Chris Chelios in return. Savard scored 377 goals and 1,096 points in 881 games with the Blackhawks.

Troy Murray was the next all-time great added to the organization in the third round. He played 688 games for the Blackhawks, scoring 197 goals and 488 points. He was also one of the best two-way forwards in the game, winning the Selke Trophy in 1986. Murray returned to the Blackhawks as a broadcaster when his playing days ended, becoming an enduring voice to a new generation of fans.

The hits kept coming when Steve Larmer was taken in the sixth round. He never missed a game in his Blackhawks career, playing in a franchise-record 884 straight games. He was one of the most consistent players in team history with five 40-goal seasons. He scored 406 goals and 923 points while playing the tough brand of hockey needed in the Norris Division.

Savard, Murray, and Larmer all won a Stanley Cup in their careers, but it’s a damn shame none of them did it in Chicago. All three were members of the first induction class of the Blackhawks Hall of Fame, and they defined winning hockey in the city for over a decade.

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