VANCOUVER, British Columbia _ The shock wasn't nearly as big as it would have been if Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko had fallen out of the top two spots, but when the Blackhawks announced the selection of Canadian forward Kirby Dach with the No. 3 pick on Friday at the NHL draft it still turned some heads.
Most draft experts believed the Hawks were leaning toward center Alex Turcotte or defenseman Bowen Byram. All along, general manager Stan Bowman and vice president of amateur scouting Mark Kelley have said they were focused on taking the player they believe has the best long-term NHL future.
That player turned out to be Dach, a powerful and skilled 6-foot-4, 198-pound center with a right-handed shot who won't turn 19 until next January and should only get stronger.
