Blackhawks cap NHL draft Day 2 with eight selections
The Blackhawks made eight selections on Day 2 of the 2022 NHL Draft on Friay at Bell Centre in Montreal.
The Hawks selected forward Paul Ludwinski with the 39th overall pick, obtained from the Ottawa Senators.
Ludwinski played in his first year with the Kingston Frontenacs (Ontario Hockey League) during the 2021-22 season, ranking sixth on the club with 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists). He also made his postseason debut with the club, registering 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) in 11 games.
With the 57th selection, the Blackhawks drafted forward Ryan Greene. Greene completed his third season with the Green Bay Gamblers (United States Hockey League), setting career highs in games played (59), goals (19), assists (32) and points (52).
Forward Gavin Hayes was the Hawks' 66th overall pick, playing in his first OHL season with the Flint Firebirds during the 2021-22 campaign. Hayes ranked fourth on the team in points (49), and sixth in goals (19) and assists (30). In the postseason, Hayes totaled 12 points (5G, 7A) in 19 contests.
Drafted in the third round, 81st overall, forward Samuel Savoie completed his second year with the Gatineau Olympiques (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) last season, setting career highs in games played (64), goals (18), assists (15) and points (33). He recorded one goal in seven playoff contests with the club.
The Hawks picked forward Aidan Thompson in the third round with the 90th overall selection. The 20-year-old was an alternate captain for the Lincoln Stars (USHL) last season, leading the team in assists (58) and points (82) through 57 games. He also registered 4 assists in three postseason contests.
In the sixth round, the Blackhawks drafted forward Dominic James with the 173rd pick and forward Nils Juntorp with the 188th selection. The Hawks received Carolina's sixth-round pick (188th overall) in exchange for Chicago's 2023 sixth-round selection.
James played last season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, notching 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists). Juntorp appeared in 44 regular-season contests with the HV71 J20 club of J20 Nationell last season, finishing second on the club with 24 helpers and 41 points. He added 17 goals during the regular season and added an assist in five postseason contests. Juntorp also appeared in five games with HC Dalen of HockeyEttan during the 2021-22 campaign where he had 2 goals and 4 assists.
With their lone seventh-round selection, the Hawks drafted the 6-foot-5 Riku Tohila with the 199th overall pick. The Kalajoki Finland native posted 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 41 regular-season games with JYP's U20 club in the U20 SM-Sarja.
The Blackhawks acquired forward Liam Gorman from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Chicago's sixth round pick (167th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. Gorman, 22, completed his second season with Princeton University (ECAC) this year after the 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19, recording six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 28 contests.
A native of Boston, Gorman was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth round (177th overall) in the 2018 NHL draft.
The Blackhawks added defenseman Kevin Korchinski (7th overall), forward Frank Nazar (13th overall) and defenseman Sam Rinzel (25th) on Day 1 of the NHL Draft on Thursday. They received the seventh selection from the Senators in a package that sent Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa, and received the 13th and 66th picks from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Kirby Dach.
They also obtained the 25th overall selection and goaltender Petr Mrazek from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for the 38th overall selection.