Chicago Blackhawks Could Move Up In First Round
Three reports now have the Chicago Blackhawks considering a move up in the first round, a move that would certainly delight the crowd in attendance. Scott Powers of The Athletic and Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune both have been told that it’s being discussed, with Kuc’s source even going so far as saying it would be because of the hometown crowd. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times has also heard it, and points out that’s how the team acquired Nick Schmaltz in the 2014 draft.
Using a later round asset to move up in the first round just to appease your crowd seems like a mistake, but it’s not like there isn’t value to be had in the middle of round 1. The Blackhawks currently hold the 26th pick but could get a very interesting pick between 15-20 depending on how the first half of the round shakes out. Defensemen like Timothy Liljegren and Erik Brannstrom could fall to those spots, while the center depth will last the entire first round.
Interestingly, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports some chatter that the deal could potentially be between Chicago and Arizona, moving the Blackhawks all the way up to #7. That would certainly be an exciting move for the fans there, but would cost a lot more than a few late round picks.
It’s sure to be a wild night in Chicago, as the draft board is still wide open and as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet writes there are sure to be trade highlights as well. Vegas is holding several bullets in their chamber (or aces up their sleeve, depending on your level of tolerance for that sort of thing) and could still make a big move to draft higher than #6. The first round starts at 6pm CDT.
Injury Updates: Klefbom, Ducks, Blues, Barrie, Rieder, Schmaltz
Edmonton will get back a key player on their blueline tonight as they get set for their Game Seven matchup against Anaheim as Oscar Klefbom has declared himself “100 percent ready to go tonight”, writes Marc Ciampa of the Oilers’ team site. He missed the last game due to an upper body issue.
On the other side, Ciampa notes the Ducks will have center Nate Thompson in their lineup. His status was in question after the team recalled Sam Carrick from AHL San Diego on Tuesday. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa’s situation isn’t as clear though, as head coach Randy Carlyle is listing him as a game-time decision. Bieksa suffered a lower body in the series opener against the Oilers and has been out of the lineup since then.
Other injury notes from around the hockey world:
- Although there was speculation that Blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko needed surgery, that isn’t the case, notes Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While the forward noted that he has been playing through an undisclosed injury, he expects it to heal over the coming weeks with rest. On a similar note, Alex Steen’s broken toe that he played through also won’t require going under the knife.
- Colorado blueliner Tyson Barrie will miss the rest of the World Championships with a lower body, Team Canada announced via Twitter. The exact nature of the injury is unknown but the Avalanche added (Twitter link) that he is expected to fully recover for his offseason workouts. The defenseman was off to a torrid start on the scoresheet, leading all defenders in scoring with seven points through four games. Although the Canadians won’t be able to replace him on the roster, they will certainly benefit from the late addition of Colton Parayko, who was added into a vacant roster slot yesterday.
- Coyotes winger Tobias Rieder also will miss the remainder of the Worlds after sustaining a lower body injury against Russia on Monday. Fortunately for Arizona, the injury isn’t believed to be too serious, reports ArizonaSports’ Craig Morgan. Rieder is expected to undergo further testing in the coming days. It’s the second straight year that a lower body injury has ended his tournament early as back in 2016, he suffered a knee injury against Canada in the preliminary round.
- Still with the Worlds, USA (and Chicago) forward Nick Schmaltz may be ready to return to the lineup on Saturday against Latvia, notes NHL.com’s Brian Hedger (Twitter link). He was also injured on Monday on a hit from Sweden’s Gabriel Landeskog and was held out of their game against Italy today, which they won 3-0.