Predicting the Pick: Why the Blackhawks won’t take a forward at No. 2 in the 2024 NHL Draft

When you have the No. 2 pick, and you already know who will go to the San Jose Sharks at No. 1, the options are literally endless, or almost endless. For the Blackhawks, I have seen a consensus boiling down to a pair of players all spring and now, into the summer - Artyom Levshunov and Ivan Demidov, something I mentioned in a previous piece when talking about an ideal prospect to freefall to the 18th pick.

Earlier this week, my team-by-team mock draft simulation had the Blackhawks taking Levshunov, and that was also the case over a month-and-a-half ago when I penciled in Levshunov at No. 2 in a mock draft simulation. I have more than explained my position of why he will be the pick and not someone else like Ivan Demidov, even if he’s certainly an option. So, instead of elaborating more on Levshunov, let’s shift gears and talk about why the pick will be used on the defenseman and not one of the forwards. 

While Demidov would warrant a top grade from me at the No. 2 pick, one reason is that it would be smarter for general manager Kyle Davidson to go with a position that should see quite a few players fly off the board by the 18th pick, and FC Hockey’s rankings show us that seven of the top 18 players are blueliners, and most, if not all, seven of these elite talents are likely to be gone by the 18th pick.

So if you’re the Blackhawks and you have a chance to land the most coveted blueliner in a draft that’s top-heavy with elite defensemen, you take it. It would be different if you didn’t have Connor Bedard, but you do, so you take Levshunov over Demidov. 

Why the Blackhawks won’t go with a forward at No. 2 in the NHL Draft

Let’s also discuss the other forwards they could take at No. 2, including Berkly Catton, Cayden Lindstrom, and I’ll even throw Cole Eiserman in there. They’re all great players who hold at least one elite attribute, but each comes with a major risk, starting with Eiserman. 

If Chicago went with Cole Eiserman with the second pick, few fans would complain, and you can expect a contingent of fans to rave about the pick. Few, if anyone, possesses a greater shot, but the rest of his game is raw, and it would be wise to wait a few years before he’s taking the ice full-time. 

Cayden Lindstrom’s build and productivity are worthy of serious consideration at No. 2, but the herniated disk injury is a major cause for concern here. As for Berkly Catton, his productivity was just unreal, and few players are more fun to watch; one reason why I made him the Blackhawks top pick in Mock Draft 3.0, but he also has a slight build, and for the second pick, the Blackhawks need someone with a more NHL-ready physique and could be ready to contribute sooner rather than later. And that is the main driver of why Levshunov was, and still is, even with a week to go before the draft, my pick. 

I would have zero qualms regarding a surprise pick in Catton, Ivan Demidov, or any of the players listed above, so this article isn’t about who Davidson should pick. Instead, it’s a prediction of who he will take, and that will be Levshunov. 

(Statistics powered by Elite Prospects)