Much of the Chicago Blackhawks’ front office will have their attention locked in on the draft lottery that will be conducted next Monday, May 5. The team will be getting another top-four pick just like they had a season ago when they finished 31st in the league standings. Last year’s lottery stayed true to form and not a single team moved up or down in the drawing. That doesn’t happen often, as they Blackhawks just missed out on Boston University phenom Macklin Celebrini at this time last year.
Chicago stood pat at the second selection last summer and used it to select Artyom Levshunov out of Michigan State. The big right-shot defenseman earned a call up to the NHL after beginning this past season down in Rockford and looked comfortable in the 18 games he appeared in with the Blackhawks.
When looking at what young names might come up to the surface on the trading front this summer across the league, one of Levshunov’s old teammates at Michigan State could be in conversations. Due to a surplus of blue liners in the Blackhawks’ system, they could become instant contenders to trade for this stellar forward prospect.
The Chicago Blackhawks should target Isaac Howard
Isaac Howard not signing his entry-level deal following his second season at Michigan State and his third at the collegiate level was shocking to most of the hockey world. He was a first-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021 and many people figured he would turn pro after another fantastic campaign with the Spartans.
Howard scored 26 goals and added 26 assists for 52 total points in the 37 games he played at Michigan State this past season. His first season with the Spartan program came after he transferred from Minnesota-Duluth upon the conclusion of his Freshman year.
The 21-year-old has been apart of Team USA and their developmental program since the 2020-21 season and is well known throughout the hockey community as a guy who has all of the tools to be a very good pro. It is made out to believe that Howard wanted to sign and immediately burn the first year of his entry-level deal with Tampa Bay this season, which is something that organization typically doesn’t go for. This could have created a riff in negotiations that led to Howard returning to Michigan State for his final year at the collegiate level.
Isaac Howard would be more depth for the Chicago Blackhawks
If Howard and the Lightning can’t see eye-to-eye, there is reason to believe his rights could be shopped over the summer. The Blackhawks would never turn down more forward depth in their system, especially if it’s for a talent like Howard. The former first-round pick would offer more scoring for young guys like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar while giving the new coaching staff another option to work into the fray down the road.
Chicago has a surplus of young left-shot defensemen that they could use as trade bait with Tampa Bay, along with plenty of draft picks that they could dish out. Howard played his youth hockey in the Shattuck St. Mary’s program, which happens to be the same spot where Blackhawks’ franchise icon Jonathan Toews played his youth hockey.
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