Chicago Blackhawks: Is Kirby Dach an option?

The Chicago Blackhawks are weighing all of their options when it comes to who they will select third overall in the 2019 NHL Draft.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a few premier options for the third overall pick. There are the names that everyone sort of expects to be in the conversation, but Kirby Dach has an outside chance at being the third overall pick. He is a centerman with a right-handed shot and stands at six feet four inches and is 198 pounds. He has a wide variety of rankings by the big named scouts and insiders. He can be found anywhere from third to eighth on different draft boards.

If the Blackhawks think that this is their guy, they should take him with the third pick. He currently plays for the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. In 2018-19 he had 25 goals and 48 assists for 73 points in 62 games. That is excellent production for the young centerman. He would have the chance to make the Blackhawks’ roster out of camp and if need be he could go back to Saskatoon for another year of development. The Blackhawks are going to give whoever they select a chance to crack the lineup right away and Kirby Dach would be no exception.

He could be a centerman on the third line of a Blackhawks team looking to compete in 2018-19. They plan on being back in the playoff conversation next season, and if all goes right it may be a realistic goal. He would look nice with a winger like Brandon Saad next to him to help get him going. If he were on the third line he would draw lesser competition as well while guys like Jonathan Toews and Dylan Strome see the tougher matchups down the middle.

Dach is the type of player who will not hesitate to shoot the puck, and with that said he would be considered a “pass-first” type player. A good current NHL comparable is Boston Bruins center, David Krejci. Krejci has shown throughout a fantastic career that he is an elite playmaker and a guy who can be relied on for all situations offense.

He has spent most of his career as the second line center behind Patrice Bergeron, but he could easily be a top line guy on any NHL team. If Dach became anywhere close to Krejci, the Blackhawks would absolutely love that. Not to mention that Krejci has led the Stanley Cup Playoffs in scoring twice.

If the Blackhawks pass on Dach he will certainly not wait much longer than that. He will absolutely be taken in the top ten and could go much higher. No matter what, he should turn into a great NHL player.