The Chicago Blackhawks are off to a 1-0 start. The Second City Hockey staff has already provided predictions for the NHL Awards and standings this week, so we’re keeping the puck rolling with picks closer to home for the Blackhawks.
There are eight categories like last year with four for the Hawks and four related to the team’s prospects. Team MVP, most improved, best offseason addition and best rookie are the Hawks-related ones, while IceHogs MVP, best North American and European prospect and most improved prospect fall under the prospect section.
Unlike in years past, there’s no unanimous pick in any category. Patrick Kane (Team MVP), Brandon Saad (most improved), Dominik Kahun (best offseason addition), Henri Jokiharju (best rookie) and Adam Boqvist (best North American prospect) all received three votes in their respective category.
Collin Delia (IceHogs MVP), Tim Söderlund (best European prospect) and Alexis Gravel (most improved prospect) each had two votes.
The picks are detailed below. Let us know what you think in the comments.
SCH’s 2018-19 Blackhawks picks
| Voter | Team MVP | Most Improved | Best offseason addition | Best Rookie | IceHogs MVP | Best N.A. prospect | Best European prospect | Most Improved prospect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Repplinger | Patrick Kane | Brandon Saad | Marcus Kruger | Henri Jokiharju | Collin Delia | Ian Mitchell | Andrei Altybarmakyan | Ian Mitchell |
| Brandon Cain | Patrick Kane | Brandon Saad | Dominik Kahun | Henri Jokiharju | Matthew Highmore | Adam Boqvist | Tim Soderlund | Wouter Peeters |
| Dave Melton | Corey Crawford | Brandon Saad | Dominik Kahun | Henri Jokiharju | Collin Delia | Adam Boqvist | Niklas Nordgren | Alexis Gravel |
| Nick Rogers | Patrick Kane | Brent Seabrook | Dominik Kahun | Dominik Kahun | Victor Ejdsell | Adam Boqvist | Tim Soderlund | Alexis Gravel |