How landing one of the top four picks in the NHL Draft Lottery will impact the Chicago Blackhawks' rebuild

The second pick means the Blackhawks have to be 100% certain about the player they are taking.

TSN's Bob McKenzie, Tankathon, and the Athletic's Scott Wheeler (subscription is required to access link) all think forward Ivan Demidov is the second-best prospect in the draft. The Athletic's Corey Pronman thinks Demidov is the eight-best player (a subscription is needed to access the link). What that means is there is no real sure-fire second-best prospect like last year's draft.

However, that does not mean that even if there was a consensus second-best player in the draft the team with the second pick is going to take him.

Last year everyone thought Adam Fantilli would go at two and the Anaheim Ducks went with Leo Carlsson. Carlsson was considered the third or fourth-best prospect so it was not crazy to go with him.

Having the second pick means the Hawks must rely on their conviction in a player much like the Ducks did when they make the choice. Whether it is a right is all about how the team develops a prospect.

If the Blackhawks decide to go with Demidov, they will have to wait at least until the 2025-26 season for him to come over as his KHL contract does not expire until after next season. It means the rebuild will not get immediate help.

However, if the Blackhawks went with a defenseman, they might not want immediate help anyway. The Hawks have shown they will not rush any of their blue liner's development. Artyom Levshunov is considered one of the better defensive prospects. He just completed his first season at Michigan State. It would not be crazy to see the Blackhawks have no problem if he played another season for the Spartans.