Chicago Blackhawks Draft: Would they take the one goalie prospect?
The Chicago Blackhawks were handed the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft as a result of staying put in the Draft Lottery. There are a lot of interesting players to consider with the pick. There are a lot of forwards and a few defensemen that will be available with that pick. They might even trade up or down to get someone depending on how things go for their big board which would certainly make things interesting. They could also consider the big-time goalie that is available.
The Chicago Blackhawks could also consider going in a different direction in the draft.
It was a norm for a while to not consider goalies in the first round unless they are magnificent. Well, there is some good to that logic because you always want the players who are most likely to help your franchise move forward. You also can’t win in the NHL without good goaltending so it is nice to see teams get their guy in the draft.
You have seen teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers make big goalie decisions in the first round and it has paid off for them. The Hawks might be a team to consider doing that if Jesper Wallstedt is available to them at pick 11. This is a kid who might get drafted even higher but you never know based on his position.
Wallstedt is a stud goalie who comes from Sweden. He currently plays for Lulea HF of the Swedish Hockey League. Of course, he also played with Team Sweden on the national stage multiple times, including the 2020-21 World Junior Classic. He is learning to become a very good goaltender and some NHL team is going to get very lucky with him.
If he fell to the Hawks and they selected him, it may be seen as a surprise at first but it could pay off in the long term. He is going to take a few years to be fully NHL ready but that pretty much fits what should be Chicago’s time frame perfectly.
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Of course, the Hawks already have Kevin Lankinen. He was great in 2020-21 but there are still questions as to whether or not he is the guy going forward. He certainly is going to get plenty of opportunities to do so but it would be nice to have another goalie there with him. This isn’t to say that they should take Wallstedt if he is there either, it is just something that the Blackhawks should consider for obvious reasons.