The Blackhawks will be in line to select center Riley Heidt with their second first-round pick in 2023, The Hockey News projects.
With the No. 19 overall pick, the Chicago Blackhawks select: Riley Heidt, Prince George Cougars, WHL
Why pick him? Heidt is a 5-foot-10, 178-pound center who's emerging as a top – and feisty – playmaker. His 72 assists tied with Connor Bedard for first in the Western Hockey League and he ranked fifth in points (97) in 68 games with the Prince George Cougars. He added two goals and six assists in nine playoff contests.
The 18-year-old Heidt took a big step forward in his third major junior season at Prince George, a resource-based community up north in British Columbia's interior. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native said in postseason interviews he expects to return in 2023-24 to the Cougars, a team that's projected to rise in the WHL.
But scouts are divided on Heidt. Some say's he's a slam-dunk first-round pick. Other say the forward is no better than a third-rounder, noting that he doesn't have exceptional speed.
At Prince George next season, Heidt would continue to improve his already solid stick-handling, shooting and on-ice vision to make big plays and run up big numbers. Although he's about the same size as Bedard, Heidt makes himself difficult to play against through good body positioning, physical contact and drive that allow him to cut through defensive pressure and attack. He's a scrappy, in-your-face forward who makes an effort to play the body, sneak in a hit behind the play and jump into scrums.
Heidt is rarely standing still, regardless of whether he has the puck or not. He looks for a way to pull defenders toward him, free up a teammates, or get open with his stick on the ice to collect a pass.
Who are the other options? "Play Musty for Me," as in winger Quentin Musty if he's still available. There's a double hometown connection here: Musty skated for the OHL Sudbury Wolves; Davidson is from Sudbury. Musty is from Hamburg, N.Y., where Patrick Kane has a home. More importantly, at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, Musty would give Chicago some size with skill. Long-term, he might be a nice complement to a smallish center, like Bedard.