Photo credit: The Athletic
Chicago Blackhawks set to draft the next Nikita Kucherov
The 2023-2024 regular season is a loss for the Blackhawks, as they aren't in playoff contention. But that bodes well for the Blackhawks and Kyle Davidson as they are projected to draft the next top prospect in the NHL.
They had their luck in 2023, being able to draft Connor Bedard, and now they look to add the next elite winger to the roster.Now the 2nd worst team in the league, above the San Jose Sharks with 47 points in 73 games, the Hawks could be set to draft the next Nikita Kucherov.
Of course, Macklin Celebrini is the #1 prospect in the draft, which any NHL team covets.
But there's a #2 out there, according to TSN's Craig Button who has risen in draft rankings, Ivan Demidov.
Demidov was Matvei Michkov's teammate and could end up being better than him. He plays for the SKA-1946 St. Petersburg in the MHL and has scored 23 goals for 60 points in 30 games for the team.
«[Chicago] lacks a skilled right winger among their top five prospects who could one day skate alongside [Bedard],» Richardson wrote. «They could look to Ivan Demidov from SKA-1946 Saint Petersburg of Russia's Junior League (MHL) to address that need.»
Demidov's skillset has been compared to Nikita Kucherov by Button and according to Bleacher Reports' mock draft he ends up being taken 2nd overall by the Blackhawks in the 2024 NHL Draft.
«[Demidov] is [Nikita] Kucherov to me,» Button commented about the player in his latest update. «He can pass, he can shoot. He's brilliant.
«Like Kucherov, they [both] step out onto the ice and they're immediately dangerous,» Button added. «The puck ends up on their stick and it's like, buckle up, pay attention, you're going for a ride.»
«Like Kucherov, they [both] step out onto the ice and they're immediately dangerous,» Button added. «The puck ends up on their stick and it's like, buckle up, pay attention, you're going for a ride.»
The goal of the Blackhawks is to improve into contenders, and once the younger players grow into the mature, skilled players the team needs, they can leave behind the ugly .322 points percentage of this past season.
The time since the dynasty of the 2010s has long since passed, as that team is no longer. The next goal is to once again make the playoffs, and have longer-lasting power than their brief excursion into the post-season in 2020.
As Seen On: heavy.com
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April 1 | 170 answers Chicago Blackhawks set to draft the next Nikita Kucherov Do you think the Blackhawks will select Ivan Demidov? | ||
| Yes | 111 | 65.3 % |
| No | 59 | 34.7 % |
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| LEADERS | ||||||||
| GP | G | A | PTS | |||||
| 1- NIKITA KUCHEROV | 81 | 44 | 100 | 144 | ||||
| 2- NATHAN MACKINNON | 82 | 51 | 89 | 140 | ||||
| 3- CONNOR MCDAVID | 76 | 32 | 100 | 132 | ||||
| 4- ARTEMI PANARIN | 82 | 49 | 71 | 120 | ||||
| 5- DAVID PASTRNAK | 82 | 47 | 63 | 110 | ||||
| 6- AUSTON MATTHEWS | 81 | 69 | 38 | 107 | ||||
| 7- LEON DRAISAITL | 81 | 41 | 65 | 106 | ||||
| 8- MIKKO RANTANEN | 80 | 42 | 62 | 104 | ||||
| 9- J.T. MILLER | 81 | 37 | 66 | 103 | ||||
| 10- WILLIAM NYLANDER | 82 | 40 | 58 | 98 | ||||
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