The NHL Draft Lottery on May 5 determined that the Chicago Blackhawks will pick third overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. Considering they finished second-worst in the league, and they couldn’t draft lower than fourth overall, having three straight years of top-three picks is pretty dandy.
But now that the dust has settled, what now? The 2025 draft is interesting compared to the previous few. It wasn’t as pressurized for the Blackhawks to “win” the lottery because they have a solid foundation in their pipeline (Ranked first in the NHL by our Logan Horn), and drafting Connor Bedard and Artyom Levshunov in back-to-back years addressed needs for a top forward and defenseman. They also have a plethora of draft capital. To be exact, 15 picks in the first three rounds of the subsequent three drafts.
Therefore, would it make sense for Chicago to consider trading the pick? Let’s examine their choices.
1. Trade the 3rd Overall Pick
What makes the 2025 draft different from 2023 and 2024 is that it’s not as deep, which made their options the same no matter where they landed in the lottery draft order: trade it or stay put.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic stated, “Matthew Schaefer is a decent No. 1 prospect, but the top of this draft overall isn’t great, leading this to being a below-average draft class.” (from ‘NHL Draft 2025 prospects ranking: Matthew Schaefer leads Pronman’s April list, Michael Misa follows- The Athletic- 04/16/2025)
Even if it’s not considered to be an overly deep draft class, it’s hard not to think of the possibility that Davidson could be willing to part with the pick if something appealing came along. There are plenty of teams that would benefit from acquiring draft capital, such as the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Colorado Avalanche.
It might seem far-fetched because other teams would have to really love someone at three to make that significant of a deal, and the Blackhawks have the 29th pick in the first round (as of now) that could also be in play in any trade, but things can change fast on the draft floor.
With that, here is something to ponder. It appears Michael Misa (Saginaw Spirit) is the best forward in the draft, and someone the Hawks might love to add to pair with Bedard. However, if he is their guy, but it seems unlikely he will fall into their laps at three, and they aren’t “married” to other prospects, do they consider parting with the pick to either trade down, or better yet, use it as a chip to acquire established talent?
Also, Mike Grier, the general manager of the San Jose Sharks, mentioned he is open to trading the 2025 second overall pick. If the Hawks want to be aggressive with a prospect they consider “can’t miss,” they could try to trade up to get second overall.
What’s great about having many draft picks and prospects is that it gives the Blackhawks flexibility to be as bold as they want in potential trade talks.
2. Stay Put At 3rd Overall
This draft class is odd because the consensus of the top of the draft order is all over the place. Like any draft, there is potential for things not to go as expected. I don’t believe many expected Ivan Demidov (Montreal Canadiens) to drop to fifth overall last year, so anything can happen. Furthermore, there is reason to believe Davidson has a name in mind. When Davidson was asked at his exit interview in April about their potential draft targets, he replied jokingly, “No. I didn’t tell you when it was Connor [Bedard]. I’m not telling you this year.”
Even though Pronman mentioned it as a “below-average draft class,” his following statement is important: “It’s a strong forward group, especially at center, with several premium forward prospects. It’s a poor defense group, though.”
The Blackhawks do need forwards and centers. Although they have a lot of potential in their pipeline, even using six of their eight 2024 draft picks on forwards, there is no telling what their ceilings will ultimately become. The top of the draft is where you usually find high-end forwards, like Bedard.
Because the top of the order seems split, it could go the Hawks’ way, where their top target falls to them at three. Moreover, the forward names that are at the top of the draft order after Misa are Porter Martone, James Hagens, Caleb Desnoyers, and Anton Frondell.
Related: Blackhawks Have Some Great Options With 3rd Overall Draft Pick
Misa is the top scorer, with 134 points in 65 games in the OHL. Funny enough, SportsNet revealed it’s “the highest point total for a player in the league since Patrick Kane in 2007.” Desnoyers and Frondell are the bigger, skilled centers, both measuring six feet and over. Martone is the strong, physical wing at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds. Meanwhile, Hagens is the smaller (5-foot-10, 177 pounds), yet great play-making center.
Even if they couldn’t land Misa, I don’t think the Blackhawks would be disappointed to land any of the others, as it doesn’t seem like there is a “wrong” choice. Either or could potentially be an excellent fit for the future.
I believe it’s likely Chicago stays at three, and if they do, like Davidson mentioned, “Third overall, we’re going to get a great player.” But they also have the option of using their stockpiled assets to improve their roster, as they can’t accept finishing bottom-three in the standings for a fourth-straight season. Nothing should be off the table.
The Hawks are in a good spot, no matter what they choose to do.
