Chicago Blackhawks: 3 players that could be selected at No. 11 overall
There’s three intriguing prospects that the Chicago Blackhawks could use the No. 11 overall pick on.
The Chicago Blackhawks may be in a rebuild but, based on their success in the 2020-21 NHL season, they could look to a potential Playoff run if they approach the offseason the proper way, and it all starts with the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
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At No. 11 overall in the Draft order, the Blackhawks still maintain a strong position to not only land a solid prospect, but an elite one at that spot. With plenty of areas to focus their attention on when it comes to their incredibly young roster (ranked in the top three of youngest starting lineups last year), there’s really no wrong choice here as they could look to a forward or a defenseman, as they’ve shown favoritism towards, or even a goaltender.
With no shortage of choices, the Chicago Blackhawks are inching closer to the Draft in which the team will select the next piece to their roster. As anxiety mixes with excitement, let’s take a look at who could be skating in the Madhouse on Madison Street in Chicago next season.
Our ranking of the top three players that the Chicago Blackhawks should pick at No. 11 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.
No. 3 – G Jesper Wallstedt – Luleå HF (SHL)
The fact that a goaltender is listed this high in the Central Scouting rankings of the NHL shows how much talent the Sweden-native has. Moreover, the CS director of European Scouting stated that Jesper Wallstedt is the best Swedish goaltender prospect he’s seen in the last five years at least.
Talk about some stick taps. they make it out to be that he’s all that and a bag of chips, and that can be reiterated by anyone you ask who watches him between the pipes.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Wallstedt is already physically mature with strong body control and athleticism that makes him a nightmare. As a prototypical hybrid/butterfly goalie, he’s exceptional at all angles in the crease and is equipped with indescribable mental toughness and poise. While he is his own worst critic, he doesn’t let his emotions get the best of him, and remains calm, cool, and collected even after a bad bounce.
What makes the Swedish national so valuable as a prospect is his ability to learn as he constantly wants to improve his game to be the best player he can be. Not only are his reflexes superb and ability to stop pucks with his hands relentless, but they’re not even his best traits. What separates Wallstedt from his peers is his Superman-like vision. He has such an ability to track the puck and see-through traffic. Because of this, his angles and body alignment with the shooter make it incredibly frustrating to face up against.
At just 17 years of age, Wallstedt played 22 games in the SHL, Sweden’s top professional league, and was a natural from the get-go. While he registered a 12-10 record as a starter, he managed to post a 2.23 Goals Against Average and a .908 Save percentage for a lacking Luleå HF squad that couldn’t support the phenom.
With proper coaching and development, Wallstedt will not only become a household name in the NHL, but he’ll be the franchise netminder that the Chicago Blackhawks could only ever dream of up to this point in time. All it takes is using the No. 11 overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft to make it happen.
No. 2 – C Chaz Lucius – U18 (USNTDP)
Coming in as one of the top options for the Chicago Blackhawks to select at No. 11 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft is American-born center Chaz Lucius. The Hawks have been vying for a legitimate top-six center in recent years now that the team is in the rebuild phase, and Lucius looks to be the guy that can solve their problem between the dots.
Lucius has showcased tremendous skill leading up to this year’s Draft and it’s led to numerous scouts comparing him to Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. He earns this regard due to his unconscious ability to create offensive scoring opportunities. Scouts have Lucius ranked as having one of, if not, the hardest shot in the 2021 Draft class and he uses it to bury the biscuit from all over the ice.
Coming in at 6-foot-0 and 170 pounds, there is some room to develop physically, but that will come naturally through the Blackhawks’ training camp. The USNTDP is notorious for churning out high-end prospects who possess boundless skill and top-notch professionalism, with Lucius just another example of such.
What allows Lucius to fit in so well with Chicago’s current composition of players is that he excels in providing scoring chances for teammates and hustles with determination. He always plays with a chip on his shoulder and he’s going to ensure that if there’s a loose puck to be had, he’s going to get it.
Before missing significant time in the 2020-21 season due to a bone lesion in his left knee that sidelined him for four months, Chaz is moving forward in stride and is getting back into never-before-seen shape and he admits he’s never skated better.
The NHL is growing faster and more skilled each day and for a Chicago Blackhawks team looking to muster an edge on their adversaries, Lucius would be a safe pick to acquire a top-six forward who could make the roster straight out of camp. While he’s not the number one option at No. 11 overall, the Hawks certainly can’t miss picking up such a well-rounded threat like him.
No. 1 – RW Matthew Coronato – Chicago Steel (USHL)
Should Matthew Coronato still (somehow) be left on the board at No. 11 overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks must select him.
His size of 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds may leave something to be desired, but it by no means has any negative impact on how much of an offensive threat Coronato is, and leave it to Chicago to not be deterred from a player solely based on size (Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, just to name two).
The right-handed forward is the generational goalscorer every team weeps for, and he could easily fall in Chicago’s lap, making their rebuild that much shorter.
For Chicago Steel in the USHL, Matthew Coronato potted 48 goals and 37 assists for 85 points in just 51 games played in 2020-21. You could say that nearly a goal per game against the top junior teams in the United States is pretty good.
Of those 48 bingos, 19 were scored on the power-play and eight of them were game-winning goals (all of which were the most in the USHL). Talk about someone who loves the spotlight. On top of this, his 85 points were the second-highest in the league and he also led the Playoffs in scoring with nine goals and four assists in eight games played.
As mentioned above, his height may not be too intimidating compared to the other freaks of nature that step on the ice today, but should one underestimate the bang that he brings in the physical game, they would be sadly mistaken and will be left on the ice wondering what day it is.
The USHL Forward of the Year will not only give the Chicago Blackhawks a buzzsaw who can score and create opportunities for others, but he can start as soon as Day 1 of the 2021-22 season for the team.
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For a Blackhawks team that faces some of the top opponents in the NHL each season, adding a prolific goalscorer to the roster will give them the edge. Let the record show, you read it here first that Matthew Coronato will be a 50-goal scorer in the league. He is a generational sniper that we see in players like David Pasternak, Auston Matthews and Co. Already having DeBrincat as the off-winger and trigger man for Kane, Coronato has the ceiling to be a top-line forward and could give Jonathan Toews a trigger man of his own to assemble a potent attack in the offensive zone. Again, if there is a prospect that Blackhawks fans should want the most, it’s Matthew Coronato.