The Blackhawks are usually active buyers at the trade deadline, but it may be different this year. GM Stan Bowman says it’s “unlikely” the team will trade any of its high 2017 draft picks because next year’s event is being held in Chicago, per ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun.
“We’re trying to make it a big event, and everyone [here] is excited about hosting it,” Bowman said of the draft. “So from that perspective, we’re probably going to try to hang on to those picks. Now, anything is possible. But it’s unlikely that I would be moving the early picks in the draft.”
The Blackhawks haven’t picked in the first round since 2014 because of midseason trades. The team traded its 2015 first- and second-round picks for Antoine Vermette and Kimmo Timonen, and its 2016 first-round pick for Andrew Ladd. The 2017 draft is shaping up to the much different.
Not only does Chicago have its top picks, but the team owns 10 picks total thanks to trades. That means the Blackhawks will be active on draft day if they don’t plan on dealing any of those selections for midseason reinforcements. And as LeBrun noted, it signals a show of confidence in the team’s current roster, which I also wrote about earlier this afternoon.
The 10 draft picks include three fifth-rounders and two sixth-rounders. The Hawks also have all seven of their own picks. Bowman says that stockpile wasn’t an accident.
“We did that on purpose. We do have a lot. We want to make a splash out of it,” the GM said. “Hopefully it will work out well. I don’t know if it’s a great draft; early returns are mixed on it. But there are always players in the draft.”
While Bowman left the door open for a trade — you can’t say no if the Oilers offer you Connor McDavid for a first-rounder — it seems clear the organization intends to avoid having zero early picks to announce at the United Center. That certainly would take some of the steam of the festivities, and the Blackhawks love their festivities. You can’t blame them for wanting to give fans something to celebrate on draft day.
With all said that, I think you can make the case that this is a reasonable hockey move just as much as a ploy for draft day publicity. The farm system needs help, the price is very high at the deadline, they have no cap space, and the young guys already on the roster are showing signs of fitting in. I’ll have longer thoughts on this soon, but all in all, it’s an understandable route to take.