Mock drafting the first 10 picks in the NHL Draft with the Blackhawks taking a power forward

4. Utah Hockey Club - Caleb Desnoyers, center, Moncton (QMJHL)

After moving up ten spots in the draft order, the Utah Hockey Club made the first surprise pick with Caleb Desnoyers. The 6-foot-2 center rose up the rankings this year with 84 points in 56 games and has been creeping his way into top-five conversations as of late.

Desnoyers could be exactly what Utah is looking for alongside their skilled players such as Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, and Dylan Guenther as a well-rounded player with offensive flare. He is a two-way threat that brings a high hockey IQ and should be a good fit on their second line in the future.

5. Nashville Predators - James Hagens, center, Boston College (NCAA)

James Hagens and the Nashville Predators seems like an almost perfect fit, on paper. Nashville is in need for centerman and Hagens has the upside to be an impact player in a lineup that will have something to prove next season.

As a freshman at Boston College, Hagens posted 37 points in 37 games as a skilled center who is strong on the puck and has a track record of showing up in big moments. The Predators would benefit from a high-skilled center to potentially play alongside Filip Forsberg and Hagens might just be the exact player to fill that role.

6. Philadelphia Flyers - Anton Frondell, center, Djurgårdens IF (Allsvenskan)

In the 2023 draft, the Flyers raced to the podium once they saw that Matvei Michkov had fallen to seventh-overall. The pick instantly gave Philadelphia the future face of their franchise, in similar fashion they take Anton Frondell with the sixth selection.

Frondell had an excellent end to his season overseas after recovering from a knee inury where he finished with 25 points in 29 games against men in the Allsvenskan league. He is a 6-foot center who plays big and is hard to knock off the puck. His trademark attributes are his shot and two-way game as he looks to be an all-situations player at the next level.

7. Boston Bruins - Brady Martin, center, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

The Bruins are an organization that have always had their brand of "big, bad, Bruins hockey", and a player like Brady Martin feels like a perfect fit for the Bruins at seventh-overall. While it may be a reach to take Martin here, he has been climbing up draft boards rapidly for his physical play style.

For the Soo Greyhounds, Martin had 72 points in 57 games and proved himself to be arguably the most dynamic checker in all of the junior leagues. He is a physical force who plays a fast and relentless game as he makes his presence known when he is out there.