The Chicago Blackhawks have a first-round pick in the NHL entry draft for the first time in three years. They’ll get to make that selection Friday night with the first round of the draft at the United Center in Chicago.
Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier, Gabriel Vilardi, and Cale Makar are among the top prospects available in this year’s class. The New Jersey Devils will get their pick of the lot with the No. 1 overall selection, then the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Vancouver Canucks round out the top five.
The Vegas Golden Knights then will be on the clock for their first pick in franchise history at No. 6 overall. Vegas has three picks in the top 15 thanks to side deals made during the expansion draft Wednesday, so the team is armed to add some serious talent to its ranks over the next two days.
The first round of the draft will be held Friday starting at 7 p.m. ET, with rounds 2-7 going down Saturday. All of the picks will be announced at the United Center, where there’s also a festival outside that fans can attend.
Friday has been a wild day for the Blackhawks, who traded Artemi Panarin, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Tyler Motte in a pair of moves that brought back Brandon Saad, Connor Murphy, Anton Forsberg, and Laurent Dauphin. They’re picking No. 26 overall in the first round, although it’s possible more deals could be in the cards for GM Stan Bowman.
The Blackhawks have a total of nine picks over the seven rounds. The first will come tonight.
How to Watch
Round One
Date: Friday, June 23
Start time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
TV channel: NBCSN
Live stream: NBC Sports Live
Rounds Two to Seven
Date: Saturday, June 24
Start time: 10 a.m. ET
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
TV channel: NHL Network
2017 Blackhawks draft picks
| Round | Overall Pick |
|---|---|
| 1 | 26 |
| 2 | 57 |
| 3 | 90 |
| 4 | 119 |
| 5 | 135 |
| 5 | 144 |
| 5 | 150 |
| 6 | 170 |
| 7 | 215 |
For the complete NHL draft order, click here.