5 players the Chicago Blackhawks could take with their other first-round pick
By Todd Welter
Samuel Honzek can flat-out skate.
Chicago Sun-Times Blackhawks beat reporter Ben Pope thinks Kyle Davidson will take this left wing/center prospect because of his skating ability.
Samuel Honzek checks Kyle Davidson’s favorite box — skating ability — while also bringing substantial size.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) June 26, 2023
He's my prediction for the Hawks' 19th pick in this full NHL mock draft: https://t.co/Liw7E85728
He can play both ways and has good size. Wheeler has Honzek as the 25th-best prospect in the draft.
Honzek only played in two games in the World Juniors after a leg injury cut short his time. The Slovakian still scored 23 goals and registered 33 assists for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.
You can also not question his toughness as he returned to the ice after missing 20 games with that leg injury to finish his WHL season strong.
There is a lot to like about his game and he could definitely help Bedard thrive in the future.
Gabe Perreault has ties to the Chicago Blackhawks front office.
He is the son of Hawks development coach Yanic Perreault. Pope believes his father passed down his hockey IQ.
NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman thinks the Chicago Blackhawks will take Gabe.
Perreault is Wheeler’s seventh best prospect. He is 5’11” with good speed. He needs to add weight though as he is only 165 pounds.
He is a smart hockey player. Perreault is also an excellent passer.
He scored 53 goals last season for the US National Team Development Program. His 132 points broke Austin Matthews’ record.
He has experience skating with better players as he teamed with Will Smith. Smith is the fifth-best prospect in this draft.
Will Smtih and Gabe Perreault are two of @usahockey's top young players who will hear their names called at the #NHLDraft.
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) June 25, 2023
They met with Sam Cosentino to talk about their chemistry on the ice. pic.twitter.com/uljNcrjcjj