The 2025 NHL Scouting Combine was this past weekend, with player interviews and fitness testing taking place on Friday and Saturday (June 6 and 7). This is a time for teams across the league to get a closer look at the top prospects before the 2025 NHL Draft at the end of the month (June 27 and 28). For the Chicago Blackhawks, one of their top priorities is determining who they will take with their third overall selection. If you recall, Chicago picked generational talent Connor Bedard first overall in 2023 and defenseman Artyom Levshunov second overall in 2024. This year, they now have the third overall pick.
The hope is the Blackhawks are turning a corner, so they won’t be finishing at the bottom of the standings anymore. Ideally, they won’t have the “opportunity” to select candidates at the top of the draft moving forward. With that in mind, this pick could be an integral component to the overall success and timeline of their rebuild. But no pressure!
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This year’s draft class is such that there’s no real standout pick beyond the first two selections. Depending on how you look at it, even the top two picks aren’t a sure thing. So, what do the Blackhawk’s options look like at No. 3? Let’s take a closer look.
Martone Makes Sense
For the purposes of this discussion, let’s assume the Blackhawks are looking for a forward with this pick. They have one of the deepest defensive prospect pools already, but could definitely use more elite forwards to take that next step towards contention.
One statement I found interesting from Kyle Davidson’s comments last Thursday (June 5) at the combine was that the Blackhawks very much see existing young players Bedard and Frank Nazar as NHL centers, and they’re not currently considering moving either one to the wing.
This, in turn, could impact who they take at the No. 3 spot in this year’s draft. In other words, they’re not necessarily looking for a center. Let’s assume the New York Islanders take defenseman Matthew Schaefer and the San Jose Sharks take forward Michael Misa, who are both highly considered the No. 1 and No. 2 picks. The consensus is the Blackhawks will be targeting one of forwards James Hagens, Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyers or Anton Frondell with their No. 3 pick. Of these four, Martone is the only one that’s not considered a center; he’s instead always played right wing.
Porter Martone, shone here with his junior team, the Mississauga Steelheads. (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)
Does Davidson’s statement mean Martone’s stock may have risen with the Blackhawks? Martone had only good things to say at the combine about his meetings with the Blackhawks, and how he views where they’re at right now.
Porter Martone gushed about the #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/s5Klssb888
— The Prospect Don (@TheProspectDon) June 7, 2025
There’s certainly something to be said for a young man that “would be honored” to join the Blackhawks, and someone that believes in what they’re building. But of all the other options, Martone isn’t seen as the best skater and he’s not known to be very physical.
Desnoyer’s Attributes & Intangibles
I don’t know about you, but I’m not completely sold that Bedard and Nazar are locks at No. 1 and No. 2 center. I get that the Blackhawks want to give them every chance to succeed as centers, but what if they’re eventually more successful on the wing?
Related – 2025 NHL Draft Guide
This is a discussion for another day, and we’ll find out more as the 2025-26 season unfolds. But my point is that it never hurts to have depth down the middle. We also know neither Bedard nor Nazar are very big. Should the Blackhawks be looking for someone with more size? Of the remaining players in question, the largest is Desnoyers, at 6-foot-2, 178 pounds. On top of that, Desnoyers is touted for his 200-foot game and highly competitive play.
Caleb Desnoyers is one of the only top forward prospects that plays right wing instead of at center. (Eric Young/CHL)
Gardiner MacDouglall, head coach of Desnoyer’s current team, the QMJHL Moncton Wildcats, speaks to the leadership qualities and intangibles Desnoyer’s brings to the table.
He’s one guy that makes a difference for your team whenever he walks in the rink. He can come in the rink in the morning and the team changes. He has that special charisma to him, that special personality to him. He connects with people as a leader, but also connects as a teammate with them and then he just proceeds to grow that as he comes on the ice for practice or for games. He’s got such a bright future in front of him and it has been a real privilege to coach him because he just finds ways to get better. He’s an intelligent player about the game but he’s very passionate. And when you’ve got a performance level that he has, with the talent that he has, the smarts that he has, and then the passion that he has, it’s a powerful combination.
(from ‘Why ‘special’ Caleb Desnoyers is one of 2025 NHL Draft’s top prospects’, The Athletic – 6/6/2025)
From what we know, Desnoyers seems to be a very complete package both on and off the ice. He could be a solid pick for the Blackhawks.
Has Hagen’s Stock Fallen?
Many pundits originally had Hagens as No. 3 behind Schaefer and Misa. But after the combine, he seems to have fallen a bit out of favor. Although, I’m not sure if this has as much to do with Hagens as some of his competitors making positive impressions at the combine.
What makes Hagens so appealing is his skating, speed and playmaking abilities. Oh boy; we’ve heard that before, haven’t we?! Those qualities basically comprise the identity the Blackhawks are trying to build for themselves.
James Hagens, shown here with Team USA, has a lot of the qualities the Blackhawk’s might be looking for. (Rena Laverty / USA Hockey’s NTDP)
But the thing I can’t help coming back to is Hagens’ size, officially measured at the combine as 5-foot-10.5, 186 pounds. Sure, smaller skaters can absolutely be successful! Just look at two of our former Blackhawks’ favorites, Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat, or the legendary Johnny Gaudreau. Um, anybody seen what Brad Marchand has been doing in the current playoffs?!
But I must again refer to the top two current and projected superstars on the Blackhawks, Bedard and Nazar. That’s already two smaller players making up a portion of the top-six. And, according to the Blackhawks’ general manager, these are your No. 1 and No. 2 centers.
Related – Would Michael Misa Be a Good Fit for the Chicago Blackhawks?
Taken in that context, does another smaller center make sense? I personally have a hard time justifying it. But I’m also not a general manager and I don’t even play one on TV. So, for all intents and purposes, Hagens could still be an option for the Blackhawks.
Frondell a Solid Option
Would Swedish center Frondell be a positive selection for the Blackhawks at No. 3? For what it’s worth, Frondell scored very high in the fitness testing portion of the combine. He was first in the Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (64.7), third in the Anaerobic Fitness: Peak Power Output and ninth in the Anaerobic Fitness: Mean Power Output (11.8).
Top prospect Anton Frondell with Team Sweden. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Here’s something that stood out to me from Frondell’s interviews with the media.
When I was younger, it was more about scoring, producing points. The older I get, I understand it’s more important to not let in goals. I take my defensive play really seriously.
Somebody that understands and emulates a 200-foot game would obviously be an asset to the Blackhawks. But Frondell has been placed a little lower in most rankings due to his inconsistent play from game to game and level to level. But we know it’s always a crapshoot trying to determine if an 18-year-old will become a strong NHL player. If the Blackhawks, or any other team for that matter, see enough positives, they could take a flyer on selecting Frondell.
Trading up for Misa a Possibility?
Finally, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for the Blackhawks to attempt to trade up in this year’s draft. This would most likely be for a chance at Misa, projected to be selected at second overall. Could the Blackhawks offer enough to either the New York Islanders (who have the No. 1 pick) or the San Jose Sharks (owners of the No. 2 pick) to move up from the third overall pick?
Michael Misa, shown here with the Saginaw Spirit, is projected to be selected at the No. 2 in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)
It’s true that the Islanders could be interested in Hagens, specifically because he’s a hometown kid who grew up on Long Island. Meanwhile, the Sharks arguably need defensemen (i.e. Schaefer) more than they need forwards. While trading up might be rather unlikely, the Blackhawks certainly have enough assets to propose a deal. It’s just a matter of whether they value Misa that much more than some of the other prospects.
Related – Blackhawks’ Bedard & Blashill Coming Together at Just the Right Time
Whatever the Blackhawks decide to do, they’ve got some great options with the No. 3 selection in this year’s draft. It’s just a matter of what they see as most beneficial moving forward, and who could be the most complementary to their existing group. We’ll know more in due time; on June 27 to be exact!
