For months, the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the NHL draft, now mere days away, have been obvious.
Now, the Blackhawks’ No. 3 overall selection seems to be determined, too. But who it is remains just as much as a public mystery as it’s always been.
General manager Stan Bowman was characteristically cryptic in a media conference call Wednesday evening, but it wasn’t hard to put two and two together.
“We’re not going to be cramming last minute — we’re going to be very comfortable with the guy we pick when we get to Friday night,” he said.
And when asked what will primarily be discussed at the final scouting staff meetings on Thursday and Friday: “It’s more just fine-tuning the list. We have more than just one pick in the draft. We’re looking at players we think will be around in the second round...”
It’s true, the Hawks will have five more picks to make Saturday after their big-money decision Friday night, including the No. 43 overall selection and two picks in the fourth round. Bowman said he’s looking for “one, two or several scouts pounding the table saying, ‘I want this guy,’” when it comes to those later picks.
But those are of far lesser importance than the third overall choice, who could either grow into a Jonathan Toews-caliber franchise cornerstone or crumble into an infamous missed opportunity.
Center Alex Turcotte and defenseman Bowen Byram have been the perceived dual favorites for weeks, and to see another prospect wiggle into a Hawks jersey on the Vancouver stage would be very surprising. The likes of Trevor Zegras and Kirby Dach can’t be entirely forgotten, though.
Bowman spelled out the same refrains on Wednesday that he’s repeated for months — “the best projection to be an impact player” and “we’re not ruled by position” might as well be engraved onto the United Center at this point.
This time, however, he did so seemingly aware of which hopeful future Hawks star he was silently referencing.
Potential defensive targets dwindling
The merits of Olli Maatta notwithstanding, the Hawks’ decision to act early to acquire the former Penguins defenseman has looked wiser by the day since.
An already slim list of available blueliners this summer has shrunk even more as several of the list’s biggest names found homes this week.
Erik Karlsson re-signed with the Sharks, Braydon Coburn re-upped with the Lightning and Alex Edler is reportedly deep into negotiations for a new deal with the Canucks. On the trade front, San Jose escaped from its Karlsson-created cap abyss by sending Justin Braun to the Flyers, and the Rangers landed Jacob Trouba from the Jets.
“It was important for us to be able to do that [trade], knowing that we have something, we have improved our team,” Bowman said. “We’re looking to do more of that.”
Although quality top-four rearguards like Justin Faulk (Hurricanes), Nikita Zaitsev (Maple Leafs) and Colin Miller (Golden Knights) may yet be dealt, the list of pending UFA defensemen is now pitiful: Jake Gardiner, Tyler Myers and Anton Stralman are the headliners, using that term generously.
Such scarcity has also driven up prices. Philadelphia gave up second- and third-round picks to acquire the rather mediocre Braun; Karlsson’s $90-plus million contract will make him the highest-paid defenseman in the league.
Bowman said he’ll get a better gauge of the free agent market next week, when teams are legally allowed to talk with pending UFAs and their agents. For now, he’s focused on trade avenues.
