The Chicago Blackhawks should consider drafting Jack Hughes

The Chicago Blackhawks are a rebuilding organization now. After having so much success in the early 2010s, they are one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League today. With the 2022 NHL Draft on the horizon, they need to be smart.

Of course, they would love to have New Jersey Devils all-star Jack Hughes on their team. In that 2019 NHL Draft, Chicago had the third pick and took Kirby Dach. That was a mistake but they can still get something out of Dach as long as they keep developing him.

There is another Jack Hughes trying to make his way into the NHL in this draft. He has no relation to New Jersey’s Hughes who has a brother (Quinn Hughes) on the Vancouver Canucks and another (Luke Hughes) in the Devils organization playing for the University of Michigan.

This Hughes plays for the University of Northeastern where he had success. 2021-22 was his first season there after playing for the United States National Development Program. In 39 games played there as a freshman, he scored seven goals and had nine assists for 16 points.

The Chicago Blackhawks should really consider drafting Jack Hughes this year.

You can expect that production, like most second-year college players, to jump way up in 2022-23. It will be a while before he is an NHL-caliber player as he has a lot more developing to do. He should be one of those already drafted NHL players that has a big college breakout year.

Hughes is a natural centerman which is something the Blackhawks would love to have more of in their pipeline. We don’t know the future of a lot of their current stars but getting some talent down the middle could be a big key for them.

A lot of teams are going to want Hughes in the second round. There are going to be a lot of people looking at him and considering him as a selection. The team to watch out for the most with this is the Montreal Canadiens.

That is because his father Kent Hughes is their general manager. Montreal won the lottery and will make the first overall pick on Thursday night. They also have an additional first-round pick but don’t expect them to use it on Hughes.

They also have the first pick of the second round which is a good place for Kent to select his son Jack. If that isn’t the pick there, he should be on the board when the Chicago Blackhawks come up to pick at 38. Snagging him could be something that makes Davidson look smart one day.