Five Things: Hawks GM Davidson loading up on draft picks

After Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson acquired up to three first-round draft picks for Brandon Hagel and Marc-Andre Fleury there was an awful lot of whining and gnashing of teeth.

"Those picks will fall in the 26-32 range. They might as well be second rounders!"

Well, yes. Obviously, contenders like the Wild and Lightning don't pick in the top 10, or even the top 20.

The bottom line is Davidson wants as many draft bullets in the chamber as possible as he rebuilds. Remember that when the Hawks were struggling in the early 2000s they selected a slew of difference makers - some of which came deep in the draft.

Some examples: Duncan Keith (54th in 2002), Corey Crawford (52nd in 2003), Dustin Byfuglien (245th in 2003), Dave Bolland (32nd in 2004), Bryan Bickell (41st in 2004), Troy Brouwer (214th in 2004) and Niklas Hjalmarsson (108th in 2005).

Then came Marcus Kruger (149th in 2009), Brandon Saad (43rd in 2011) and Andrew Shaw (139th in 2011).

Obviously Jonathan Toews (third overall), Patrick Kane (first) and Brent Seabrook (14th) were high picks that all turned out beautifully. The Hawks also made fantastic moves like acquiring Patrick Sharp in a trade and signing Marian Hossa to a 12-year deal.

But hitting on all of those picks was the big reason they turned into a mini dynasty.

Time will tell if history can repeat itself in the coming years.

The big prize:

Now, let's lay out what fans should hope for in the coming year.

• First and foremost, you don't want the Hawks to win the draft lottery this summer and end up with the No. 1 or 2 pick. Remember, the Hawks traded their 2022 first-round pick to Columbus in the Seth Jones trade - unless it's No. 1 or 2.

• Assuming the Hawks have their first-round selection in 2023, you then want them to tank next season so they have the best possible chance to draft a generational talent in Connor Bedard.

Like Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Alex Ovechkin before him, Bedard should be a franchise-altering forward.

"He's a dynamic player," said TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button. "The brilliant hockey sense, the hand skills, the ability to break down opponents quickly and effectively. I don't care how high the expectations are on him, he always finds a way to exceed them."

Even if the Hawks don't land Bedard, they'd still be in line for SKA St. Petersburg forward Matvei Michkov, Chicago Steel center Adam Fantilli or a couple of other wildly talented players.

"We need that elite hockey player to step in and really kick-start this thing," said Hawks GM Kyle Davidson.

Straight talk:

Being team captain isn't always easy. So much is expected, whether it's keeping everyone's spirits up during tough times, keeping an individual's spirits up when they are struggling or giving input to the coaching staff on myriad issues. All while trying to play to the best of your ability.

Jonathan Toews has done a remarkable job in this role since being named the youngest Hawks captain in history after his rookie season.

Now he's performing the role for a rebuilding team while also trying to find his game after a year off. Barring a remarkable finish, Toews (9G, 19A) will end up with career lows in goals and points.

"There's no doubt some days you want it easy and you want to just say, '(Forget) it' and focus on your own thing," Toews told reporters in Anaheim on Wednesday. "It's just a lot lighter, a lot less responsibility in some ways. At the same time, I've been given so much from my teammates and the organization and the fans.

"Everyone's given me so much credit over the years for our success just because I have a 'C' on my sweater."

Stunning Strome:

It's been quite a bizarre season for Dylan Strome.

The veteran sat out six of the first eight games as a healthy scratch, and even when he played he wasn't getting much of an chance (1 goal, 2 assists, 13:10 average time on ice in first 14 contests).

Slowly, things began to pick up as Strome scored at the Islanders on December 5, notched 2 assists in the next three games and scored again at Dallas on December 15. Six weeks later, Strome notched a hat trick and an assist in a win at Detroit on January 26.

And he hasn't looked back.

Strome has been one of the Hawks' best players over the last 24 games, scoring 15 goals (on 26.3% shooting), dishing out 12 assists and averaging 19 minutes of ice time.

With 19 goals on the season, he's just one away from a career high.

It just goes to show that even when everything seems stacked against you, it's important to keep a positive attitude and to stick with it.

Strome did exactly that and it's paying off in spades.

The case for Christ:

Shortly before the coronavirus shut down the NHL in March 2020, I had a great talk with forward Ryan Carpenter about his faith. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to ask follow-up questions due to our inability to get in the dressing room. (It's one of those stories where you probably need 2-3 more interviews before you're comfortable writing it).

What I found out was that Carpenter, who was traded to Calgary at the deadline, and a few other Hawks would often get together with a chaplain on game days and before practices. Carpenter, who grew up Lutheran, did the same thing when he played for Vegas from 2018-19.

The 31-year-old father of two admitted that his faith took a back seat in his life when he got serious about hockey. That all changed, though, when he was a freshman at Bowling Green State University.

"I kind of felt bad for the way I was living," Carpenter said. "I was kind of living a double life. I knew how to act like a good church kid - just (because) I was raised that way - but on the inside I just was hurting and was craving people's approval, coaches' approval. A lot of things just controlled the way I lived my life."

A special bond formed between Carpenter and some teammates (one of which was former defenseman Slater Koekkoek), especially as they went through similar trials and tribulations during a season.

"Sometimes that's what we talk about, but not most of the time," Carpenter said. "It's definitely applicable when you're getting scratched and wondering if God has a plan for your life. Kind of shows your character when you're handling adversity."