Blackhawks Select Dynamic Center With 13th Overall Pick

The Blackhawks continue their first day of the draft by sending former 3rd overall pick Kirby Dach to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the 13th and 66th overall picks in this year’s draft. Rumors of teams inquiring about Dach’s services started earlier today and quickly developed.

Blackhawks trade Kirby Dach to Montreal for pick No. 13 and No. 66. Whoa.

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) July 7, 2022

Dach’s tenure as a Hawk did not pan out like most expected. The lofty expectations weighed heavy on the shoulders of the young centerman.

Many believe that the former regime who drafted Kirby rushed him and did not allow for proper development. He likely should have spent at least one year in Rockford to enhance his game.

Dach, who has played 152 games since 2019 only put up 59 points in a Hawks sweater. 19 of those points were goals and 40 were assists.

I can’t say I expected Dach’s career as a Hawk to end with less than 20 goals, but here we are.

Canadiens GM Kent Hughes told Emily Kaplan of ESPN on the draft floor that talks had started between the Habs and Hawks about two weeks ago. Many calls were made, and they ultimately decided to acquire the 13th overall pick from the New York Islanders.

This pick was then flipped to the Hawks along with a third rounder. Rumors came true, as it was reported Kyle Davidson would only trade Dach for a top 15 pick.

The 13th Overall Pick – Frank Nazar

The Hawks used the 13th overall pick to select 18 year old Center Frank Nazar from the US National Development Team.

#Blackhawks select Frank Nazar 13th overall. I ranked him 10th overall.

Nazar put up two straight strong years in the USHL and USDP. His size makes him a bit more of a risk to make the show, but he brings solid upside to the table Chicago. pic.twitter.com/LKr1HebPi0

— Patrick Bacon (@TopDownHockey) July 8, 2022

The Detroit native is known as an all around player who is great at moving the puck in high danger areas. Nazar was rated higher than 13th in rankings and many believe the Hawks got a steal selecting him where they did.

He is considered an offensive genius and has been a point-per-game player every year he has put on skates.

Last year he posted 35 points in 25 games in the USHL, 70 points in 56 games with the U.S. U-18 team, and 9 points in 6 games at the World Juniors Tournament.

Frank is also known for his speed and edge-work. He constantly finds himself in the right spot of the ice and rarely misses his assignment. These attributes will work wonders when translated to the NHL.

Nazar will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall. It may be a few years until he cracks the Hawks roster, but we have learned the consequences with rushing players. Respecting a players developmental timeline is crucial for future success.

Make sure to keep an eye on Michigan hockey this year as Nazar will be surrounded by exceptional players.