Defense a top priority as Blackhawks round out draft

With all the chaos that took place Friday, the fact that the Blackhawks took Henri Jokiharju with their first-round pick went almost completely unnoticed.

That's the ultimate irony isn't it? Here we have the NHL Draft in Chicago and the hometown team's first pick is relegated to an afterthought.

But that's what happens when GM Stan Bowman pulls off two of the biggest deals in franchise history just hours before one of the league's signature events gets underway.

So who is Henri Jokiharju and what can fans expect from him?

Jokiharju purported himself nicely in front of the media moments after he was taken, wearing an enormous smile and excitedly answering every question posed to him.

One was if Patrick Kane pronounced his last name correctly when Kane unveiled the pick alongside Jonathan Toews.

"I didn't hear," Jokiharju said. "I just heard 'Henri' and I was like 'Oh, yeah!' "

The 18-year-old Jokiharju piled up 48 points (9 goals) in 71 games last season in the Western Hockey League. He also won a gold medal with Finland at the 2016 IIHF World U18 championships.

The right-shot defenseman says he's a good skater, that he plays with confidence and that he's a puck-moving D-man.

"I love playing power play and the PK, too, so I want to be a big part of the team, of course," Jokiharju said.

Said Bowman: "He can defend, but he can also get up the ice and join the rush and make things happen with the puck on the blue line. He can move around, play on the power play. I like that part of his game."

The rest of the draft:

The Hawks made eight selections Saturday, taking four more defensemen. GM Stan Bowman said it was a priority to upgrade the franchise's blue line, and he did so right away by taking Ian Mitchell in the second round (No. 57 overall). The 5-foot-11, 173-pounder is a right-shot defenseman who scored 8 goals in 53 games while playing in the Alberta Junior League last season.

The Hawks also took defensemen at Nos. 119, 150 and 215.

"Defensemen are really a valuable commodity and for us that was really a priority coming in," Bowman said. "And we were able to accomplish it."

The Hawks took two wingers in the third round - Andrei Altybarmakyan from Russia and Evan Barratt from Bristol, Pennsylvania. Barratt, who was in the United Center with his family, broke down a bit when he heard his name called.

"Just hearing your name called anywhere is awesome, but especially (with) such a historic franchise and in Chicago, nothing compares," Barratt said. "It brought tears to my eyes right away. I couldn't believe it."

Said Bowman: "That was great. Some kids try to play it cool, like they had it all planned out. But you could tell he really wanted that. … We had a great interview with him … and I remember walking away from it saying, 'That's a kid you'd like to have on your team.' "

Barratt says he models his game after Ottawa's Derick Brassard.

Extra business:

The Hawks have until Monday to decide if they are going to extend qualifying offers to their restricted free agents, which include Dennis Rasmussen and Tomas Jurco. GM Stan Bowman wouldn't divulge his plans, but did say he's been in discussions with both players' agents.