The Chicago Blackhawks Passed Up on WHO?
2014- The Blackhawks enter the NHL's entry draft with one single first round pick. The general manager at the time, was looking for a key piece center man. As the Blackhawks were pretty well-bundled everywhere else, from Crawford playing hot in goal, Keith, Seabrook, Oduya, Timonen and more locking it down on the back end and also Kane, Hossa, Patrick Sharp and more producing on the wings.
Joel Quennville, Chicago's coach at the time really pushed hard for the Blackhawks to pursue Nick Schmaltz if he was still on the board when the Hawks 20th overall pick came up, and that sure happened.
What if Quennville did not push his influence and let the GM/Scouts handle it? Five later picks (25th) David Pastrnak was selected, and he has panned out to be a proven goal scorer in the NHL, some may even say the best for his position.
Goaltending, something Chicago's new era team has experienced difficulty in. Thatcher Demko, Ilya Sorokin, and the 2022 Vezina heavy favourite Igor Shesterkin all slipped down out of the Blackhawks hands in later rounds.
This one may hurt... Brayden Point #79th OVR in the 2014 NHL draft. With Toews being very injury prone at these times, Point is the #1 center in the past Stanley Cup Winning team, the Tampa Bay Lighting.
Note-able mentions that the Blackhawks passed on:
-Adrian Kempe
-Elvis Merzlinkins
-Devon Toews
-Viktor Arvidsson
-Victor Olofsson
