Blackhawks bonanza
Chicago led all teams in the first round with three selections: Levshunov (No. 2), center Sacha Broisvert (No. 18) of Muskegon in the United States Hockey League and left wing Marek Vanacker (No. 27) of Brantford in the Ontario Hockey League.
They added an additional pick (No. 27) in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes for two second-round picks (Nos. 34, 50). The Blackhawks have made eight first-round picks since 2022, the highest total over a three-year span since the Canadiens from 1974-76 (10).
“It never ceases to amaze me,” Chicago director of amateur scouting Mike Doneghey said. “We start the day with [no draft picks] in Montreal, two last year, and only two this year, and [general manager Kyle Davidson] finds a way to get myself and our staff the players that we like, the players that we want. That’s what he did tonight.”
Davidson said the Blackhawks attempted to move back into the first round even before arriving in Las Vegas.
“It’s very cliché to say we targeted all these guys that we wanted, but it’s very much true,” he said. “After year one, I thought, ‘OK, we can get all the guys we wanted.’ And then last year, we got all the guys we wanted. And then this year, I thought, ‘There’s no way it’s going to work out again.’ And it just did.”
