Matthew Schaefer to Blackhawks is a long shot (but one worth watching)

The Chicago Blackhawks could end up with one of the biggest surprises at the 2025 NHL Draft.

In an earlier piece, I looked at how the Chicago Blackhawks are hoping that NHL.com’s 2025 draft rankings play out exactly as shown. The Blackhawks will be looking to scoop up James Hagens with the #3 pick, adding a bona fide second franchise center to the team.

Said rankings list defenseman Matthew Schaefer as the #1 prospect with Michael Misa at #2. That leaves Hagens at #3 for the Blackhawks to take.

Here’s the thing: Anything can happen on draft day. Teams can shock the world by going against the grain and taking a player no one really expected them to.

Could the Chicago Blackhawks be surprised at the 2025 NHL Draft?

That leads me to discuss why the New York Islanders, with the first-overall pick, may not choose Matthew Schaefer. Conventional wisdom suggests the Islanders will take Schaefer. They need a true number-one blue liner, especially if Noah Dobson is not keen on re-signing in Long Island.

But what if the Isles feel their biggest need is a franchise center? Would that mean taking Misa or Hagens with the top pick?

It’s certainly a possibility, especially if the Islanders feel Dobson is their number-one blue liner. So, it would make more sense for the team to draft a top-line center.

Meanwhile, the San Jose Sharks should take Misa with the #2 pick as they will need a forward who can play the wing with Macklin Celebrini and/or Will Smith. But then again, they could take Hagens if Misa is off the board by then.

With Misa and Hagens gone, Schaefer could land on the Blackhawks’ lap at #3. While that would be a great thing on the surface, it might not necessarily be the best thing that could happen.

Looking at the pros and cons of Blackhawks drafting Matthew Schaefer at #3

Getting Matthew Schaefer is not the worst thing in the world that could happen to the Blackhawks. If Schaefer were to land in the Blackhawks’ lap, they would have a chance to add a bona fide number-one defenseman who could continue adding solid blue line depth to a team already loaded with it.

Think about it.

Moving forward, the Blackhawks could have a top four of Korchinski, Levshunov, Schaefer, and Alex Vlasic. On paper, that’s the sort of blue line that coaches could only dream about. In Schaefer, the Blackhawks get a good puck-moving defenseman who’s got the potential to be a premier power play quarterback.

They won’t be getting elite defensive or penalty killing skills, but that’s something that defensemen generally develop as they get older and become more accustomed to the NHL game.

That point brings me to the cons of drafting Schaefer. Given the fact that the Blackhawks already have a number of high-end rearguards, the organization may not feel that Schaefer is the guy they want at #3.

We could speculate about the Blackhawks trading that pick. But the fact is that the biggest knock on Schaefer is that the Blackhawks already have a plethora of top blue liners, but don’t have many top forwards to go around.

Ultimately, if the Blackhawks have the chance to draft Schaefer, it seems unlikely they’ll pass. It all depends on what the New York Islanders do with their top pick.