Chicago Blackhawks: 3 players that could be selected at No. 11 overall
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.
Next. Oilers must show urgency this offseason. dark
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.