CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks are going to make the third overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. This is going the be the third year in a row in which they make a top-three selection.
Connor Bedard went first in 2023, and Artyom Levshunov went 2nd in 2024. Now, they are looking to add another pillar to the franchise.
After the lottery was over, Kyle Davidson gave some of his thoughts on the lottery win in a presser for the media at the United Center.
"It was kind of exciting". GM Kyle Davidson said when initially asked what his reaction was to the lottery. "Third-overall, we're getting a great player. [I'm] excited to head into meetings next week with our amateur group and start the process of nailing down where we want to line up the board and what it looks like. I think we stayed in a good range where we're really excited about what we end up with."
Kyle Davidson knows that he is going to have a decision to make when he comes up to pick third overall. It is going to depend on what the teams in front of him decide. The New York Islanders will pick first overall and the San Jose Sharks will go second.
"We don't necessarily do that this early," Davidson said when asked about the process and how the rank prospects going into the draft. From there, he got into the scouting calendar and how that is closed for the most part. Now, it is about getting into discussions about the direction that they want to go with the scouts he trusts.
When you look at the drafts that Kyle Davidson now has under his belt, there is a lot of good. The selections that have been made with premier picks have been panning out at a high rate in the early stages.
"We're getting better at our process," Davidson said on the topic. "With more players in the system, how they're looking, we're starting to see some of those players come out. We can evaluate what's worked and what hasn't. You can just pick apart your process a little bit."
Coming into the 2024-25 season, the Blackhawks thought they would be better than a team picking in the top three with no lottery help. That didn't pan out, but the silver lining is a draft pick that will add another pillar to the franchise. Kyle Davidson also spoke on that notion.
"We are where we are," Davidson said. "We're going to pick third overall. We're gonna get an opportunity for a very good player." Davidson then went into how this was "a tale of two seasons", describing the second half of the campaign, seeing the team get much younger and more exciting.
No matter who they draft third overall, they will be getting a young player who can play a key role in the success for years to come. Now, it's up to the front office to decide which player to select and then the organization to develop him.
