Chicago Blackhawks: 3 players to target with pick 35

The Chicago Blackhawks had a very good first round of the 2023 NHL Draft on Wednesday. It was a night that will help them continue their rebuild and change the fortunes of their franchise.

They got the night started with the first overall pick. They took Regina Pats superstar Connor Bedard with the selection. He is one of the greatest prospects who ever lived and now he is getting ready for the NHL.

A little later, the Blackhawks came back up to select with pick 19. It was given to them by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Brandon Hagel trade. They used it on Oilver Moore who is the fastest player in the draft.

Both Bedard and Moore are great gets for different reasons and fans should be very excited about it. The first round was a success.

The Chicago Blackhawks are making their future so much brighter.

Now, it is time to think about round number two. They have pick number 35 which is the third selection of the round. There are a lot of first-round quality players still available which is what makes this one of the best drafts ever.

These are the three prospects that the Hawks consider with pick 35:

1. Gavin Brindley

The Chicago Blackhawks could really use someone like Gavin Brindley in the future. He is a highly skilled forward whose skills are going to translate well in the NHL.

He was expected by many to be drafted in the first round. Some even thought he may have gone in the late teens.

Now, we will wait to see what part of the second round he goes in. Chicago could use pick 35 on him if they feel he is a good option for them.

Another year at Michigan will do great things for him and he will be ready to become a productive NHL player once this upcoming season is over.

2. Andrew Crystall

The WHL had a very good showing in the first round and a few more players are going to go from that league in the second round.

You can bet that Andrew Crystall is going to be one of them as a member of the Kelowna Rockets. If Chicago wants to take a high-end winger with good offensive upside (95 points in 54 games played), he might be someone worth considering.

3. Riley Heidt

Speaking of the WHL, meet Riley Heidt. He comes from the Prince George Cougars. Riley Heidt probably fell beyond the first round because he is a smaller player. Teams haven’t learned from watching Jack Hughes, Johnny Gaudreau, and Patrick Kane dominate for all these years.

He is also a player that gives maximum effort and never stops skating when he is out there. He took a big offensive jump in his third WHL season which is impressive to see and now he is ready to be drafted.

If the Hawks want a guy with a good motor to eventually try with Bedard, Heidt is someone to give a chance to.

There is a good chance that the Hawks don’t take any of these guys in favor of other players. There are also three other selections that they are scheduled to make this round so it will be interesting to see how it all goes down.