Entering the Christmas week, things are very different for the Chicago Blackhawks than they were during Thanksgiving. Instead of being near a playoff spot, the Blackhawks are in last place of the entire NHL.
Chicago is in 32nd place with 32 points. The Seattle Kraken also have 32 points, but they have played two fewer games, which has them in 31st place instead.
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A lot of the teams that were below the Blackhawks, like the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues, have started stringing together some wins right when things started to fall apart for Chicago.
At this point, picking in the top three for the fourth year in a row would not be the worst possible thing for Chicago. They already have a surplus of great young players in the NHL, AHL, and developmental leagues around the world. Another superstar prospect would not hurt.
Things are not going to get ay easier for Chicago trying to come out of their current slump. They are missing their top two centers and arguably their two best forwards in Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. While they are out, all they can do is play and hope that they tread water.
Whether it’s Gavin McKenna, Keaton Verhoeff, Ivar Stenberg, or someone else that they project to be a high end NHL player, there are prospects in the upcoming draft who will be difference makers in the National Hockey League.
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The World Junior Championships are coming up in a few short days. This will be a chance to not only watch some of Chicago’s best young prospects, but also some of the ones who will be eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
This season is already a win for Chicago. Connor Bedard has established himself as a superstar and one of the best players in the NHL. Other top young stars are still developing but have all shown signs of greatness. Topping it off with another great draft pick would be far from bad news.
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