The Chicago Blackhawks struck out twice in the NHL draft lottery Tuesday night, which was no surprise.
That means their first-round pick — No. 6 overall — goes to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of the trade for defenseman Seth Jones last July.
More Top Picks Samsung Galaxy Watch Review
Had the Hawks won the first or second pick, they would’ve transferred their 2023 first-round pick to the Blue Jackets instead.
“Now we know where we stand as we prepare for the upcoming draft,” general manager Kyle Davidson said in a team statement. “We won’t have our own first-round pick, but with eight other picks — including five in the first three rounds — I have faith in our amateur scouting department’s ability to make the most out of our selections this summer.”
The draft will take place July 7-8 at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
The Hawks had just a 7.5% chance of winning the first draw for the No. 1 pick, which went to the Montreal Canadiens. They’re expected to draft center Shane Wright.
Once the Canadiens won the first draw, the Hawks improved to a 9.2% chance of winning the second draw. The New Jersey Devils, who had a 10.4% chance at the No. 2 pick, saw their numbers come up.
The Hawks finished five points better than the Devils and won the season series 1-0-1.
The Hawks’ chances of landing in the sixth, seventh or eighth slots were 34.1%, 41.4% and 9.1%, respectively, based on whether a fellow lottery participant leapfrogged them in the two drawings.
But for the Hawks, the stakes were first, second or nothing — underscoring how costly the Jones trade was.
There’s still a chance the Hawks could make a first-round pick this year. The second-rounder they received from the Minnesota Wild in the Marc-André Fleury trade in March would upgrade to a first-rounder if the Wild reach the Western Conference finals and Fleury is credited with at least four wins in goal in the first two rounds.
The Wild hosted the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night with their first-round series tied 2-2.
The Hawks also own the Vegas Golden Knights’ third-round pick, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ third-rounder and a conditional third-rounder from the Edmonton Oilers. The Blue Jackets sent back a sixth-round pick in the Jones deal, and the Hawks have their own second-, sixth- and seventh-rounders.