The Chicago Blackhawks’ First-Round Picks: Where Are They Now?

If you’re a Chicago Blackhawks fan, chances are you were incredibly frustrated with Stan Bowman’s insistency on trading away talent. Many deals have been made over the years that have resulted in outrage. For whatever reason, the Hawks have become notoriously great at drafting fantastic talent and then trading it away for much less, and generally, at least one returning player is involved. This mentality is no more evident than with their first-round picks.

The Blackhawks have no active players that they drafted in the first-round between the draft years of Patrick Kane and Kirby Dach, and only one player drafted in that time remains in the system (Nicolas Beaudin). To make matters worse, many of the first-round picks Chicago traded away turned into essential pieces of many NHL squads. Where did all of these players go? Strap yourselves in, Blackhawks fans, and prepare for a wild, and most likely excruciating, ride.

Kyle Beach

Kyle Beach was the 11th overall selection at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the next two years developing in the WHL and had a season-best point total of 86 in 68 games. He was called up to the NHL for the 2010 playoffs before spending his career in the AHL. Unfortunately, he could never find his stride at an NHL level, even when he was eventually traded to the New York Rangers in 2013 for Brandon Mashinter.

While a variety of variables were in play with Beach’s development, there is no doubt that the events of his encounter with then video coach, Brad Aldrich, caused him to stagnate. Going through a situation as traumatic as he did with limited support from the organization, it is no surprise that Beach’s experience with professional hockey was extremely warped at a young age.

Beach is a very special case compared to the other first-round picks in the aforementioned time period. There were severe outside conditions that contributed to his growth as a prospect. While Beach is no longer a professional hockey player in the NHL, he continues to play for EHC Erfurt in Oberliga (Germany3). More importantly, he has become a beacon of courage and inspiration for individuals all over the globe, especially in the hockey world.

Beach’s best year was the 2010-11 season, where he put up 36 points in 71 games with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL.

Dylan Olsen

Dylan Olsen was selected 28th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He had just come off of a 29 points in 53 games season with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL. While his points totals were nothing to write home about, what undoubtedly drew the Blackhawks’ attention was his massive frame.

Olsen is 6’2″ and 223lbs. In his draft year, he used his size to force opponents to bend the knee. He had 123 penalty minutes which is his career-high, even to this day. His body was his ultimate weapon. Unfortunately, Olsen’s physicality could only take him so far once he reached the big league.

After playing 11 games with the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs in the 2010-11 season, Olsen got his first chance to play professional hockey with the IceHogs. He potted four points in 42 games and ended the season with a -18. The following seasons would end up being relatively the same. He got a chance with the Blackhawks in the 2011-12 season, but he only scored one point in 28 games.

Olsen’s time with the Blackhawks would end on November 14th, 2013. He was packaged alongside Jimmy Hayes and traded to the Florida Panthers for Kris Versteeg and the signing rights to Philippe Lefebvre. Today, Olsen plays for the Wichita Thunder in the ECHL.

Olsen’s best year was the 2013-14 season, where he scored 12 points in 44 games with the Florida Panthers.

Kevin Hayes

Kevin Hayes is a part of a series of first-round pick trades in 2010. On June 23rd, The Blackhawks traded Ben Eager, Brent Sopel, Akim Aliu, and Dustin Byfuglien to the Atlanta Thrashers for the New Jersey Devils’ 2010 first-round pick, the Devils’ 2010 second-round pick, Joey Crabb, Marty Reasoner, and Jeremy Morin. Two days later, the Blackhawks traded their 2010 first-round pick to the New York Islanders for their 2010 second-round pick and the San Jose Sharks’ 2010 second-round pick.

The Blackhawks selected Hayes 24th overall using the first-round pick they acquired from the Thrashers. Hayes had just finished his senior year of high school, where he scored 69 points in 29 games followed by a 2 points in 2 games stint with the U.S. National U18 Team. After being drafted, he took his talents to Boston College and played four full seasons in the NCAA. Following a 65 point season with Boston, Hayes signed his entry-level contract… with the New York Rangers.

Hayes and the Blackhawks could not reach a deal on his rookie-level contract. As a result, Hayes entered the free-agency market, where the Rangers gladly took their shot. As if losing a first-round pick caliber player for nothing is not bad enough, Hayes has established himself as a consistent point producer, which is something the Blackhawks have lacked for many years. While his talent levels have never been mind-blowing, he still provides excellent skill for the Philadelphia Flyers to this day. To make matters worse, the first-round pick the Blackhawks traded away became Brock Nelson, a consistent NHL-level player in the current day.

Hayes’ best year was the 2018-19 season, where he scored 42 points in 51 games with the Rangers and 13 points in 20 games with the Winnipeg Jets.

Mark McNeill

Mark McNeill was selected 18th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He had just finished a season with the Prince Albert Raiders in the QMJHL, where he scored 81 points in 70 games. Clearly, McNeill was looking to be an impact player for the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, his next two years in the QMJHL saw him drop to 71 points and then 67 points. Something was not clicking in his development.

McNeill played just two games in the NHL during his career. In those two games, he scored no points, and only one of them was with the Blackhawks. However, he stayed in the Blackhawks organization for a few years before being shipped to the Dallas Stars. On February 28th, 2017, The Blackhawks traded Mark McNeill and 2018 fourth-round pick to the Stars for the return of Johnny Oduya.

McNeill found no more success with the Stars than with the Blackhawks. He always managed to be a reasonably consistent point producer in the AHL, but his game never translated correctly to the NHL. So in 2019, McNeill took his talents to the Black Wings Linz in the EBEL, and he continues to play overseas to this day.

McNeill’s best year was the 2015-16 season, where he scored 48 points in 64 games with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL.

Phillip Danault

In the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Blackhawks had two first-round picks. While they selected McNeill with their first-round pick, they acquired a second one from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Troy Brouwer. With the 26th overall pick, the Blackhawks selected Phillip Danault from the Victoriaville Tigres.

Danault played 32 games with the Blackhawks, and in those games, he only managed to put up 5 points. The Blackhawks decided that rather than let him develop in the minors for a few more years, they would take a swing while they could and use him as a trading asset. On February 26th, 2016, the Blackhawks traded Danault and a 2018 second-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann.

Danault became an immediate plus to the Habs’ roster in typical Blackhawks fashion. Over the past few years, he has established himself as one of the best two-way players in the game. Danault was a player who would have been incredibly useful on a Blackhawks team struggling to find a consistent defense. While he has yet to win any hardware, there is no doubting that losing Danault was one of the biggest hits to the Blackhawks’ prospect pool under Bowman.

Danault’s best year was the 2018-19 season, where he scored 53 points in 81 games with the Montreal Canadiens.

Teuvo Teräväinen

In 2012, the Blackhawks selected Teuvo Teräväinen 18th overall in the NHL Entry Draft. Teräväinen had just finished an 18 point season for Jokerit in Liiga. After being drafted, he continued his career overseas for another two years. At the end of the 2013-14 Liiga season, Teräväinen joined the Blackhawks for a few games. The 2014-15 season was his first full season in the organization, and it ended with a Stanley Cup championship. Teräväinen was one of the most impactful players, as he finished the playoffs with 10 points in 18 games.

In classic Stan Bowman fashion, an impactful young player was bound to be shipped out. Unfortunately, Teräväinen was no exception. After putting up 35 points in 78 games during the 2015-16 season, the Blackhawks packaged Teräväinen with Bryan Bickell. They sent them to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2016 second-round pick and a 2017 third-round pick. Bickell was eating into cap space that the Blackhawks badly needed to get rid of. Unfortunately, Teräväinen was the price.

Teräväinen has been nothing short of spectacular for the Hurricanes. He truly broke out as a superstar in the league. While the Hurricanes have yet to reach the Stanley Cup finals, he provides a stable top line playing alongside Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. So it’s hard to come to any conclusion other than the Hurricanes pulling off the heist of the century in this trade.

Teräväinen’s best year was the 2018-19 season, where he scored 76 points in 82 games with the Hurricanes.

Ryan Hartman

The Blackhawks drafted Ryan Hartman 30th overall in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Since the Blackhawks had just won their second Stanley Cup in four years, they selected at the very bottom of the first round. Despite this, they managed to snag one of the better picks in the second half of the first round.

Hartman had just finished a season with the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL, where he managed to score 60 points in 56 games. He had previously played for the U.S. National U18 Team for two years, but he was noticed by OHL scouts who wanted to bring his game to a larger audience. Hartman did not disappoint in the two seasons he spent as a Whaler. Following a 53 point season, he signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks.

During Hartman’s time with the Blackhawks, he always managed to be an impact player but never broke out into star territory. He consistently produced points, but he never played above and beyond the expected level. Regardless, being the final pick of the first round, he fit the mold for what can be expected of a player drafted in that position. However, the Blackhawks believed Hartman could be shipped off for higher value, so they found a trade.

On February 26th, 2018, Hartman was packaged with a 2018 fifth-round pick to the Nashville Predators for Victor Ejdsell, a 2018 first-round pick, and a 2018 fourth-round pick. After spending some time with the Predators and the Flyers, Hartman tested free agency in 2019. He landed a five-year, $1.7 million average annual value contract with the Minnesota Wild. He has been showing more offensive upside with the Wild, and it appears he may not be done developing as a player just yet.

Hartman’s best year was the 2016-17 season, where he scored 31 points in 76 games with the Blackhawks.

Nick Schmaltz

Like Hayes, Nick Schmaltz was selected with a first-round pick that did not initially belong to the Blackhawks. On the day of the NHL Entry Draft in 2014, the Blackhawks decided to trade up a few picks and selected Schmaltz. In doing so, they packaged the 27th overall pick with a 2014 sixth-round pick and sent them to the San Jose Sharks for the 20th overall pick and a 2014 third-round pick. With their shiny new 20th overall pick, Schmaltz became a member of the Blackhawks organization.

Schmaltz spent the 2013-14 season as a member of the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL. He scored 63 points in 55 games, which led the team. Following his draft year, he shifted his game to the NCAA level. Schmaltz spent the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons with the University of North Dakota. Both years were incredibly productive for his growth as a player. As a result, the Blackhawks offered Schmaltz his entry-level contract after scoring 46 points in 37 games.

Schmaltz was immediately an impact player for the Blackhawks. He spent two full years thriving under a moderately successful Blackhawks team. Then, unfortunately, the Blackhawks began a rapid decline. Schmaltz was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on November 25th, 2018, for Brendan Perlini and Dylan Strome in a desperate attempt to refresh the team. He became one of the Coyotes’ most productive players in a sea of struggling on the offensive production side of things. While he may have been a valuable middle-six player for the Blackhawks, Strome has taken that role up nicely. If anything, this trade was one of the most balanced ones Bowman made during his time as general manager.

Schmaltz’s best year was the 2019-20 season, where he scored 45 points in 70 games with the Coyotes.

Henri Jokiharju

In the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, the Blackhawks decided to trade down during the first round to acquire more draft picks. As a result, they traded the 26th overall pick to the Dallas Stars for the 29th overall pick and the 70th overall pick. With the 29th overall pick, the Blackhawks selected Finish defenseman Henri Jokiharju.

Jokiharju had put up 48 points in 71 games with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL when he was drafted in 2017. The season following his selection, he scored an even more impressive 71 points in 63 games with the Winterhawks. On top of his fantastic point totals, Jokiharju also ended the season with a plus/minus of 47. He was brought up to the Blackhawks and scored 12 points in 38 games in his first season. Clearly, Jokiharju was on target to be a promising young defenseman.

Jokiharju may have been looking promising, but the Blackhawks as a whole were not. The team was struggling to put pucks in the back of the net. Then, Bowman noticed a struggling Alex Nylander on the Buffalo Sabres and decided to make a one-for-one trade to acquire him. Unfortunately, the price for Nylander was none other than Jokiharju, ending his time with the Blackhawks only one year into his professional career.

The Sabres have been a rollercoaster of emotions. They sold off the majority of their talent to try and rebuild a second time amid their first rebuild. Jokiharju has been one of the only players to survive the onslaught. While he has never reached the numbers he scored in juniors, he is still a player in the NHL, which is something the Blackhawks can not say about Nylander. To make matters worse, the first-round pick the Blackhawks traded away in 2017 became Jake Oettinger, who is panning out to be the starting goaltender for the Dallas Stars. Unlike the first-round pick fiascos of 2015 and 2016, this trade aged horribly.

Jokiharju’s best year was the 2019-20 season, where he scored 15 points in 69 games with the Sabres.

Adam Boqvist

Adam Boqvist was selected 8th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He spent his junior years overseas, and he always managed to be a consistent point producer. Following his selection in the draft, he took his talents to the OHL and joined the London Knights. During the 2018-19 season, Boqvist showed that he was not only living up to expectations, but he was also exceeding them. After scoring 60 points in 54 games, he joined the Blackhawks for the 2019-20 season.

When the Blackhawks entered their rebuild, Boqvist was one of the only pieces that seemed like a guarantee to stick around. There were a lot of aging players on less-than-ideal contracts that were weighing down the team’s salary. Finally, management seemed to have gotten the hint that the glory days were behind them, and they officially announced a plan to rebuild. When this announcement was made, it looked like things were finally starting to look up for the Blackhawks. There was only one issue. A shiny new toy began to tempt Bowman, and he could not resist.

On July 23rd, 2021, the Blackhawks pulled the trigger on one of the most controversial trades made in the team’s history. Adam Boqvist was packaged with the 12th overall pick in 2021, the 44th overall pick in 2021, and a 2022 first-round pick. This massive group of assets was sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 32nd overall pick in 2021, a 2022 sixth-round pick, and Seth Jones. Immediately following the trade, the Blackhawks extended Jones to an 8 year, $9.5 million annual average value contract that kicks in next year.

The wounds of the Boqvist trade are recent. A lot of assets were packaged in return for Jones, and most of them are still question marks. The Blackhawks 2021 first-round pick became Cole Sillinger, and there is still another first-round pick in the Blue Jackets’ possession that could become anything. Jones is eating away at the Blackhawks’ salary until 2030, which seems to go against everything the rebuild had implied.  Boqvist himself is 21, which is nowhere near his peak performance age. This trade is already aging poorly, and there is still potential for it to get much worse.

Boqvist’s best year was the 2020-21 season, where he scored 16 points in 35 games with the Blackhawks.