The Chicago Blackhawks appeared to be done with the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft once they made the 25th overall pick. They took Vaclav Nestrasil with the pick after taking Anton Frondell third overall earlier in the night. At that point, it felt like a successful night for Kyle Davidson and his staff. 

When the Carolina Hurricanes came up to select with pick 29, however, the Blackhawks decided they weren't through making picks. 

Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) on X Sounds like Chicago is moving up into Carolina’s spot here

The Blackhawks, in exchange for pick 29, gave Carolina pick 34, 62, and a fifth-round pick in 2027. This is the second year in a row that the Blackhawks traded back into the first round late with Carolina. 

With the 29th overall pick, the Blackhawks selected Mason West. This is one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire draft, as he is also a high school quarterback at Edina High School. 

West won a state championship in hockey but failed to do so in football. He is going back for his senior year to try and win in both. That made teams skeptical of selecting him. 

West is fully committed, according to himself, to hockey beyond his senior year football season at Edina. He plays for the Fargo Force of the USHL and is committed to playing at Michigan State. 

The size, skating, and tools are there for him to become an elite hockey player. He is slightly behind the development curve because of his cross-sport training, but he should be able to catch up once he is all in on hockey. 

This is a risky pick for Davidson, which is why it was his third of the first round. He was not confident that West would make it to pick 34, though, so he traded back in to get him. Other teams were willing to take the risk as well due to his massive skill set on the ice. 

The Blackhawks have had success with Michigan State players in the past, and now West has become a part of their long-term plan at forward. 

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