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Who are a few names that the Blackhawks could look at with the 18th pick in the NHL Draft?

With over a month before the NHL Draft, Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks made the jump from 20 to 18 in the first round. Who are some options that could be available at that pick?

By Sean Williams |
Chicago Blackhawks Morning Skate
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Even though the NHL Draft is still a month away, Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks made headlines recently when they made a trade with the New York Islanders. In exchange for the 20th overall pick (first round) and picks 54 and 61 (second round), the Blackhawks received picks 18 (first round) and 50 (second round) from the Islanders.

The timing of the trade is interesting, especially with the draft being a little ways away still. Clearly, Davidson and Co. have someone on their radar, however, with the trade occurring well before draft night, it's unclear just how realistic their chances are of reeling in whoever they have in mind.

Before the Blackhawks get to that point, they still have to determine what they will do with the 2nd overall pick. As of now, it seems like the debate is between defenseman Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State or forward Ivan Demidov out of Russia.

Getting the choice between the two of them is a good problem to have, as both seem like the type of players who will make an impact in the organization down the line. What they decide to do with that pick, however, will have an impact on the route they go at 18 as well.

Should Davidson decide to take Levshunov, it seems logical that he would address forwards later in the draft and vice versa if he decides to take Demidov. With that being said, let's take a look at a few names that could be available for the Blackhawks to take with the 18th pick in the upcoming draft.

If the Blackhawks go defense first...

A lot of teams would love the opportunity to take a right-shot defenseman with the skill of Levshunov, so if the Blackhawks decided to do that, there are a handful of forwards that they should have the opportunity to choose from at 18.

Sacha Boisvert could be one of the forward prospects the Hawks look at.

He is a six foot and two inches, 179 lbs. center who is headed to the University of North Dakota next year, and most recently played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL. With the Lumberjacks, Boisvert had 68 points on 36 goals and 32 assists in 61 games.

Scouts like Boisvert's scoring ability and how he can score from anywhere even though he tends to be a shoot-first player before being a playmaker.

They also believe he should focus on filling out his frame before he becomes a professional and that the added strength could help him with faceoffs where can struggle. Heading to a premier hockey program like North Dakota should benefit Boisvert in that department tremendously.

Another name that the Hawks could have an interest in is Michael Hage.

A six foot, 190-lbs. center from the Chicago Steel of the USHL. Hage spent the last two seasons with the Steel and thrived this past year. In 54 games, he totaled 75 points on 33 goals and 42 assists.

Skating and creativity are two things that scouts like a lot in Hage's game, whether he is creating for himself or his teammates. Many believe that the Michigan commit has the ability to be an impact, two-way player at the professional level.

If the Blackhawks go forward first...

Assuming the Blackhawks are looking to add a right-shot defenseman with one of their premium picks, the options are slim for them at 18.

One name, however, that fits that description is Adam Jiricek with HC Plzen in Czechia.

At six foot, two inches and 168 lbs., Jiricek has been dealing with a knee injury that has limited the ability of scouts to properly evaluate his game heading into the draft.

With that being said, scouts see Jiricek as someone who is more of a well-rounded player and he doesn't have one trait or skill that shines significantly more than others. They like his two-way ability and believe he can be a top-four defender who can play in all situations in the NHL.

While these are just a few names that the Blackhawks could look at with the 18th pick, there should be a handful of intriguing options available. It seems like there will be more availability in the forward group than defensemen, so maybe Davidson tipped his hand a little bit and is leaning towards taking Levshunov with the second pick?

Time will tell if that proves to be true. Given that the Blackhawks still have multiple second round picks this year, maybe Davidson is also looking at another potential trade up and made it a little easier on himself with having 18 as a starting point instead of 20?

Regardless, he gave the Blackhawks a better opportunity to get closer to selecting someone who might not be there at 20, which is never a bad thing even though the timing is interesting.

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