NHL reporter reveals who the Chicago Blackhawks will select at No. 2 overall
It appears the Chicago Blackhawks have an idea of who they will be selecting 2nd overall during the NHL Entry Draft. GM Kyle Davidson and team said they had plenty of options to look over.
But it appears, like Matvei Michkov, a former SKA St. Petersburg forward, dropped in the 2023 draft.
It looks like Ivan Demidov, will suffer the same fate as his former teammate, as according to Elite Prospects' own Cam Robinson, Demidov will be a slider candidate.
Michkov went from a top-5 pick in the 2023 draft to bottom 20 after being taken 12th in 2023.
I've spoken to a nearly dozen teams about the Russian winger. To a person, everyone acknowledges he has some of the highest potential in the class.
But no single team indicated they would feel secure in taking him with a top 2, 3 or even top-5 pick.
He's a slider candidate for sure.
There's a multitude of factors why Demidov's stock is tanking, even after he announced he was ready to jump to the NHL as soon as next year.
According to Robinson teams are ok with letting him slide in the draft, as they're still unsure of his abilities and lack of international play.
That could give many GM's including Kyle Davidson a scare, as International play would give the Blackhawks a good indication of how they'd fare professionally in the AHL and NHL.
With recent controversies plaguing the KHL and NHL, after the Ivan Fedotov situation and the MOU, it appears the after-effects continue to ripple and cause problems for KHL players.
As their reputations falter in the draft and Demidov is the latest victim.
| POLL | ||
Should the Blackhawks select Arytom Levshunov instead? | ||
| Yes | 107 | 61.8 % |
| No | 43 | 24.9 % |
| Someone Else | 23 | 13.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
