The 2024 NHL Draft is the ultimate make or break for Blackhawks general manager

Conventional wisdom in the NFL is that you can’t truly grade a draft until three seasons have passed. For the Chicago Bears, it won’t be until 2027 before we get a firm grasp on whether Caleb Williams was the right pick. But for the NHL, it takes even longer to grade a draft, especially since most players aren’t Connor Bedard and won’t make the team in their draft year. But that doesn’t mean the 2024 NHL Draft isn’t a make-it-or-break-it for Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson.

It might sound strange as Davidson, who became the Blackhawks general manager in 2022 following a stint as the interim, completely tore down the team and knew when the Blackhawks needed to be ‘really bad’ at the right time. That led him to make an easy decision last year to draft Connor Bedard first overall, but this season, it’s not as clear-cut. 

This year, the decision isn’t so easy, with talents like Artyom Levshunov, Ivan Demidov, Berkly Catton, and Cayden Lindstrom, to name a little more than a few, hoping to hear their name called after the San Jose Sharks select Macklin Celebrini. If you ask me, the choice is easy, and I’ve been Levshunov all the way for a while.

Admittedly, whether I’m right or not on whether Levshunov is the way to go is irrelevant. But for Kyle Davidson, whoever he picks at No. 2 and No. 18 overall will have long-term effects for the Blackhawks and for his future as an NHL general manager despite putting together some seemingly strong recent drafts - remember, we still can’t accurately grade them for a while.

Blackhawks general manager must nail the 2024 NHL Draft

Players from this draft class must make their way to the NHL at some point within the next three seasons and evolve into productive players within the next five. Luckily for Kyle Davidson, he has six picks in the first three rounds, so he has more than enough chances to get them right - especially those top two selections.

But this draft class will be the third in as many years to feature at least six selections in the first three rounds, and three of those picks must be in the NHL by the 2027-28 season. This follows the 2022 class, which has already seen Kevin Korchinski become a regular while Frank Nazar got his first taste of NHL action. 

We already knew Connor Bedard was going to be a force early in his career, and Oliver Moore also received high marks this past season at the University of Minnesota. Overall, you can argue Davidson has done well with his top picks over his first two drafts as general manager, at least early on, but if he wants to be the next longtime executive in this league, he’s got no choice but to stay consistent. If not, everyone will be questioning Davidson a few years from now, especially if he opts to not make a big trade or to acquire sound free agents. 

It’s one of those situations when you say, “Yeah, it looks like he’s been outstanding so far, but one big setback can keep an otherwise rebounding organization from maximizing its potential.” If you want my honest prediction, it’s that Davidson will hit another pair of homeruns at Picks No. 2 and No. 18, and he’ll get a good value player somewhere between Rounds 2 and 3. 

That said, I got Davidson identifying and picking the right talent in this year’s draft, and one that, by 2027-28, will see three players from this class in the NHL. And yes, they will become productive players at some point that year, officially transforming Davidson into the NHL’s next great general manager when he also ultimately adds a dynamic piece or two from outside the organization.