The Blackhawks could trade up to select this defenseman

Of course, the Chicago Blackhawks won the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery. They are going the be the franchise that selects Connor Bedard after all of the hype that was there throughout the season.

Bedard is going to shape the future of the franchise for the next decade or more. A lot of teams have elite players like that and aren’t good enough to go all the way though. You have to put a team around these gifted stars in order to get the most out of them.

The Blackhawks have certainly been doing that the right way ever since Kyle Davidson has taken over as the general manager of this team. He has been executing the hard kind of rebuild that leads to teams being very bad but it will end with them having some sustained success.

Even without Bedard, the Chicago Blackhawks have one of the best farm systems in the National Hockey League. They went from one of the worst to one of the best very quickly.

The Chicago Blackhawks can make big moves at the 2023 NHL Draft.

In addition to having that number one overall pick, they also own the 19th overall pick from a deal they made with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Having two first-round picks is always a treat for a rebuilding franchise.

They also have a whopping four second-round picks as well. They might be able to use some of that ammo to trade up for another top talent if a team is willing to trade back.

They have some really good defensemen in the pipeline but you can never have enough depth at that position. They might be willing to trade up and select the best defenseman in the draft if a team is there to make a deal with at the right time.

Axel Sandin Pellikka is likely to be the top defenseman taken in the draft. There is debate as to whether or not he will go in the top ten but he likely will. He comes from Sweden which is usually a great hockey country when it comes to producing defenders.

He can defend but he can also join the play and make some offensive plays. This might be the type of player worth trading up for as suggested before.

One of his best abilities is his ability to enter the offensive zone. That can be an asset to his team at even strength and on the power play. Once he does gain the zone, he also can make a great first pass or even shoot it to create chances for his teammates.

He also has that great stick-handling ability to extend plays when his team is on the attack. His skating also helps him in this instance. It is pretty obvious that these abilities also help him make good zone exits. He can even make a great stretch pass as well which is something the Hawks have been known to utilize over the years when they can.

Obviously, landing the best forward and the best defenseman in the draft would be great for the Chicago Blackhawks. They might be willing to use that 19th pick and a couple of those second-rounders to get this guy if they are aggressive enough. It is up to them.

The main focus is going to be on Bedard but what the Hawks do to surround him with talent could be the key to him getting his name on the Stanley Cup. Drafting a defenseman like Axel Sandin Pellikka would be a good idea if they can.