The Chicago Blackhawks have had a long list of successful draft picks throughout the 2010s, helping to build their dynasty. However, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t also have their fare share of misses. Despite building a dynasty throughout the earlier half of the 2010s, the Hawks have had a somewhat mediocre drafting record throughout the 2010s. In fact, most of their top picks that they had for their dynasty came before the decade. So, let’s cover some of the worst draft day misses by the Hawks organization throughout the 2010s.
The Worst Blackhawks Draft Picks Throughout the 2010s
Kirby Dach (2019 NHL Entry Draft, Pick #3)
Kirby Dach was, at one time, seen as a future superstar after being selected third overall by Chicago in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. His playmaking ability, combined with his size, gave hockey fans hope that he could eventually blossom into stardom. However, due to a combination of injuries and inconsistent play, Dach never panned out in Chicago. After just three seasons the Blackhawks traded him to the Montreal Canadiens.
Dach is only 23-years old and still has time to put it together on an up-and-coming Canadiens team. Dach managed to have his best season in 2022-2023 where he recorded 38 points in 70 games. The injury bug hit Dach again in 2023-2024, as he missed almost the entire season due to a knee injury. The Hawks missed big time with this pick, passing up on the likes of Cole Caufield and Trevor Zegras.
Adam Boqvist (2018 NHL Entry Draft, Pick #8)
Adam Boqvist joined the Blackhawks at a weird time. The team was just coming off their first losing season of the decade. Boqvist was almost immediately thrown into the fire. While holding his own for his first two seasons in Chicago, Boqvist still struggled defensively and was undersized. What could have become of Boqvist in Chicago, we will never know as the Hawks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Seth Jones trade.
Unfortunately, Boqvist struggled in Columbus and never was able to develop into the player fans hoped. Boqvist struggled with injuries throughout his time with the Blue Jackets, causing them to buy out his contract this offseason. To make matters even worse, one pick later the Edmonton Oilers drafted Evan Bouchard. Another example is that four picks later, the New York Islanders drafted Noah Dobson. The drafting of two of the league’s better defencemen after Boqvist’s selection makes this pick sting a bit more for Hawks fans.
Nicolas Beaudin (2018 NHL Entry Draft, Pick #27)
This pick didn’t make sense in 2018 and it still doesn’t make sense now. Chicago just drafted the undersized Adam Boqvist earlier in the night, so why add another undersized defenceman in the first round? Beaudin was a projected late second round to early third round pick, but Chicago drafted him 27th. Beaudin played a total of 22 games for the Blackhawks before being traded to Montreal. He never really progressed at the NHL level and always seemed like an AHL calibre player.
He never made an impact at the NHL level and was a major nothing pick for Chicago. The 2018 draft was a notoriously bad draft for Chicago as only four players drafted would go on to actually play in the NHL. Chicago unfortunately missed on two major picks in this draft.
Mark McNeill (2011 NHL Entry Draft, Pick #18)
Mark McNeill is a less talked about Blackhawks bust. McNeill was a gritty player who could dominate on both sides of the ice. Basically, McNeill was the ultimate hustle guy. McNeill dominated in juniors and became one of the best prospects in the 2011 draft. However, McNeill was constantly overlooked for a roster spot in Chicago. McNeill actually spent seven seasons in the Blackhawks organization but only ever played in one NHL game.
While he managed to produce at the AHL level, McNeill never developed his game at the NHL level. McNeill was with the Blackhawks until the 2016-2017 season, when he was traded to the Dallas Stars for Johnny Oduya. Chicago would manage to redeem themselves by selected Phillip Danault with the 26th pick that night. However, he never became a quality forward after he was traded to Montreal.
While the Chicago Blackhawks managed to find some stars in their NHL Draft picks, they also came out with some disappointments like the players listed. Most of these picks are made by former general manager Stan Bowman, who had a less than stellar drafting record. New GM Kyle Davidson still has some time before he is judged for his picks. That being said, for a team that saw so much success throughout the 2010s, the Blackhawks drafting record is less than ideal.
Main photo: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
