The 2021 NHL Draft has come and gone, and the Chicago Blackhawks were one of the most active teams in the draft, swapping several picks and picking up a group of youngsters who will hope to one day take the ice at the United Center.
The Blackhawks originally owned the number 12 pick in the draft, and they traded that selection to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the blockbuster Seth Jones trade. Instead, they picked 32nd overall, using the selection on defenseman Nolan Allan.
The Blackhawks also traded back into the third round, acquiring a pick from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for their 2022 third rounder.
Here are the players that the Blackhawks selected in this year's draft:
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Round 1 (No. 32 Overall): Defenseman Nolan Allan, Prince Albert Raiders
The 40th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, Allan is a strong stay-at-home defenseman with limited offensive upside. He had one goal and one assist in 16 games for the Raiders this season.
Round 2 (No. 62 Overall): Center Colton Dach, Saskatoon Blades
The younger brother of Blackhawks center and 2019 third overall pick Kirby Dach, Colton was the 19th-ranked skater among North Americans this year. He had 11 goals and dished out nine assists in 20 games for the Blades.
Round 3 (No. 91 Overall): Defenseman Taige Harding, Providence College
The Providence College-commit most recently played for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons in the AJHL, with five goals and eight assists to his credit in 16 games. The Blackhawks traded their 2022 third round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes to obtain this pick, which they used on the 6-foot-7, 236-pound defenseman.
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Round 4 (No. 105 Overall): Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga Steelheads
Another tall defenseman, a 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, Del Mastro uses his physicality often and is a solid one-on-one defender, according to Elite Prospects. He had seven assists for the Steelheads during the 2019-20 season, and has a pair of helpers for Team Canada in the recent Under-18 World Junior Championships.
Round 4 (No. 108 Overall): Center Victor Stjernborg, Vaxjo Lakers
Ranked as the 70th-best prospect in this year’s draft by Dobber Prospects, Stjernborg is lauded for his skating and his backchecking abilities. He had nine goals and eight assists for the Lakers’ under-20 team in 19 games, and in the Swedish Hockey League he had two goals and two assists in 30 regular season games.
Round 6 (No. 172 Overall): Center Ilya Safonov, Irbis Kazan
Ranked as the 54th-best skater among Europeans in this year’s class, Safonov had two goals and two assists for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL this season. He appeared in seven games for Russia during the Under-18 Worlds, with two goals to his credit to go along with 14 penalty minutes.
Round 7 (No. 204 Overall): Defenseman Connor Kelley, University of Minnesota-Duluth
Elite Prospects lauded Kelley as a player who has added more defensive elements to his game after being known primarily as an offensive defenseman before joining the United States National Team Development Program. He had three goals and two assists in 25 games for Minnesota-Duluth during his freshman season.
Round 7 (No. 216 Overall): Center Jalen Luypen, Edmonton Oil Kings
The center has some serious upside offensively, with 16 goals and 13 assists to his credit in just 23 WHL games last season.
