The Blackhawks 2019 Draft: Is There A Silver Lining?

The Chicago Blackhawks would select center Kirby Dach third-overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.

He'd arguably be rushed through the team's system far too soon and would fail to develop into a player that justified his draft selection.

Now, he resides in Montreal and hasn't fulfilled expectations there either.

Compare that to Wilmette-born Alex Vlasic, who was drafted 43rd overall in the second round, and has played 152 games in the NHL. He's been a stalwart in the Hawks lineup.

Vlasic is a homegrown product who has risen through the ranks organically through the organization and has found himself in the Blackhawks' top-four, thanks to his hard work.

To give you an idea of how good of a defenseman Vlasic is, only five defensemen from the 2019 NHL draft have appeared in more games than the Wilmette-born player.

Four of those were selected in the first round.

Talk about a silver lining.

Vlasic has found his game in the NHL, with help from veteran Seth Jones as they were attached to the hip last season.

He played 76 games with the Blackhawks last season, scoring 16 points( 2 G, 14 A) and 45 PIMs.

He's continued to flourish as he's earned a spot on the team's 2nd-power play unit, and penalty-kill units.

For someone who is playing his second-full year in the NHL after playing 21 games combined during 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 is significant.

GM Kyle Davidson has locked him down to a six-year, $4.6 million deal, and could grow into one of the best defensemen the team has developed.

It took the organization only one season in Rockford to turn him into an NHL-ready player.

Is this a sign of things to come for prospects getting experience in the AHL? Will they be as successful as Vlasic?