DRAFT: Best Selections at Chicago's Picks in First Two Rounds

Heading into the 2023 NHL Draft, the Blackhawks hold six picks over the first two rounds.

To understand what kind of talent can found outside of the No. 1 overall pick, take a look at some of the players teams have picked at the numbers Chicago currently owns:

Best at No. 19 Overall

Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL, 2012)

The Russian goaltender became the first goalie off the board during the 2012 NHL Draft after the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him at the No. 19 overall. He made his NHL start in December 2014 but became the full-time backup behind Ben Bishop in March 2015 where he completed his first shutout against the Buffalo Sabres.

Vasilevskiy became the starter where he led the league in his second season with the team and became one of the top goalies in the game. In his nine seasons, he has won two Stanley Cup Championships (2020, 2021), appeared in four Stanley Cup Finals (2015, 2020, 2021, 2022), captured the Conn Smythe Trophy (2021) and named as a Vezina Trophy winner in 2019.

Chris Kreider (NYR, 2009)

In his three seasons at Boston College, Chris Kreider captured the attention of the New York Rangers with his speed and physical approach to the game when they selected him at No. 19 in the 2009 NHL Draft. After helping them win its' second NCAA Championship during his three-year collegiate career, he signed an entry level contract with the Rangers following the victory and made his NHL debut six days later in the first round of the 2012 Stanley Cup against the Ottawa Senators.

After signing a seven-year contract with the Rangers in 2020, the forward became the fourth 50-goal scorer in Rangers history, joining Jaromir Jagr (54 in 2005-06), Adam Graves (52 in 1993-94) and Vic Hadfield (50 in 1971-72), where he scored a career-high 52 goals in 2021-22 season.

Ryan Getzlaf (ANA, 2003)

As the 19th overall pick for Anaheim in 2003, Ryan Getzlaf went on to play 1,157 games for the Ducks, led as the team captain for 12 seasons and helped the team captured its' first Stanley Cup win in 2007. At the end of the 2013-14 season, the Saskatchewan native finished second in the League in scoring with 87 points and was runner-up to Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Sidney Crosby for both the scoring title and the Hart Trophy.

In March of 2015, he past Paul Kariya (670 points) into sole possession of second place on Anaheim's all-time scoring list and became the first Ducks player to record over 1,000 career points before his retirment in 2022.

Best at No. 35 Overall

Sebastian Aho (CAR, 2015)

After being selected 35th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes, Sebastian Aho became a major staple on the team's offense a year later. In his first season in 2016-17, the Finnish forward finished the season with 49 points in 82 games.

Aho produced 60 or more points five times throughout his seven-year career in the NHL. Since being drafted, he has appeared in the All-Star Games twice (2019, 2022) and played in 63 career playoff games.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic (SJS, 2005)

In his 17th season with the San Jose Sharks, Marc-Edouard Vlasic set a new milestone for himself recording over 1,200 games played since being drafted in 2005. The 6-foot-1 defenseman helped the team advance to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016 before losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He played 253 consecutive games from Jan. 2007 through Jan. 2010 and became the fourth defenseman to play 500 games with the Sharks, following Mike Rathje, Marcus Ragnarsson and Scott Hannan in 2013.

Matt Cullen (ANA, 1996)

As Anaheim's 35th selection in the 1996 NHL Draft, Matt Cullen went on to play for eight teams in his 21-year career where he led team's power plays, penalty kills and face-off wins. During that time, he captured three Stanley Cups between the Carolina Hurricanes (2006) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016, 2017).

The Minnesota native set a career-high 49 points twice with the Hurricanes. Cullen retired after the 2018-19 season with 731 points in 1,516 NHL games, as well as 58 points in 132 playoff games.

Best at No. 44 Overall

Paul Stastny (COL, 2005)

In his first season, he set a 20-game point streak for the Colorado Avalanche, a League record for a rookie and was the third-youngest player at 21 in NHL history with a streak that long, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Following his first season, Stastny finished second in voting for the Calder Trophy with his 78 points that ranked second among first-year players.

The 37-year-old forward scored 822 points through 1,145 NHL games between five teams and appeared in 118 playoff games.

Guy Carbonneau (MTL, 1979)

Guy Carbonneau set new strides as one of the league's top defensive forwards after the Montreal Canadiens drafted him in the 1979 NHL Draft. He made his jump into the league in the 1980-81 season and then went on to play 1,318 games between three teams.

In 19 seasons, the Quebec native became a three-time Selke Trophy winner (1988, 1989, 1992) and a three-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Canadiens (1986, 1993) and the Dallas Stars (1999). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November of 2019.

Best at No. 51 Overall

Patrik Elias (NJD, 1994)

After playing 1,240 games for the New Jersey Devils, Patrik Elias set career records for goals, assists and points in the regular-season and Stanley Cup Playoffs, and he's second to Jaromir Jagr in points scored by an NHL player born in the Czech Republic.

He became the Devils' all-time leading scorer in March 2009 and became the first Devils player to reach 1,000 points. With two Stanley Cup Wins (2000, 2003), the Devils retired his No. 26 in Feb. 2018.

Patrick Roy (MTL, 1984)

With the 51st selection in the 1984 NHL Draft, the Montreal Canadiens would select goaltender Patrick Roy, who would become one of the NHL Top 100 Players. He would go on to become a four-time Stanley Cup winner and capture the Conn Smythe Trophy in three of those victories - the only NHL player to do so.

In over 1,000 games between Montreal and Colorado, he would own a 551-315-131 record and produce 45 assists. Before being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, he would also capture the Vezina Trophy three times, Jennings Trophy four times and have his No. 33 retired by both teams.

Butch Goring (LAK, 1969)

Following the 1969 NHL Entry Draft, Butch Goring spent 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Kings before being traded to the New York Islanders in March 1980. From there, he became one of the key players to help the franchise win four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-83 along with one Conn Smythe Trophy (1981).

After finishing his career with the Boston Bruins, the center finished his career with 888 points through 1,107 and also only served 102 penalty minutes - lowest total in NHL history for a player appearing in more than a thousand games. He would have his No. 91 retired by the New York Islanders.

Best at No. 55 Overall

Dmitry Orlov (WSH, 2009)

With the 55th overall selection in the 2009 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals selected Dmitry Orlov, who is noted as an offensive-minded defenseman. One of his biggest contributions for the team came during the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs where he recorded eight points and averaged 24 minutes of ice time to help the team win the Stanley Cup.

At the end of the 2022-23 season, the Russian native has played 709 career NHL games and recorded 273 points.

Antoine Vermette (OTT, 2000)

In 2000, the Ottawa Senators drafted a reliable two-way forward in Antoine Vermette. Although he didn't play his first NHL game until Oct. 2003, the then 21 year old made his rookie debut with four appearances out of seven games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Since he was drafted, Vermette played 1,046 NHL games for five different teams. He recorded 515 points and captured one Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks (2015).