Meet the newest Chicago Blackhawks: A rundown of their 11 picks in the 2022 NHL draft

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You would think the Chicago Blackhawks had accidently selected fictional race car driver Ricky Bobby among their Day 2 haul at the NHL draft in Montreal.

Certainly first-rounders Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar and Sam Rinzel have a sense of self-worth, but the boys from the second and third rounds woke up with a sense of their own “excellence,” to borrow from Bobby.

“I probably have the best motor in the draft. I bring it every night,” second-round center Paul Ludwinski said. “I know they won’t be disappointed.

“Defensive-wise, I’m perfect, pretty well. The only thing I need to work on is patience with the puck in the offensive zone. I play with a high motor, so I go 200 mph all the time.”

Third-round wing Gavin Hayes not only welcomes comparisons to the Winnipeg Jets’ Blake Wheeler, he notes he has “more skill than him, but (I) need to play the body more like him.”

“Confident group,” Hawks amateur scouting director Mike Doneghey said with a knowing smirk. “You give them credit — they’re (18), they’re still immature, they see what they see. And they all have players that they aspire to be like. You guys are getting them two minutes after they’re picked.

“Blake Wheeler? Great? We’d take that with the first pick in the third-round all day. You need confidence, right? To get to this level you need confidence in your abilities.”

[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Blackhawks trade Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach, then select 3 first-rounders in the NHL draft ]

[ [Don’t miss] Column: The Chicago Blackhawks may look unrecognizable next season without Alex DeBrincat — but will it be worth it? ]

Doneghey had full confidence in the slew of prospects the Hawks collected in two days of the draft — eight on Day 2 and 11 total — even though the team drew criticism after trading All-Star Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach to accomplish it.

“(The Athletic’s) Scott Wheeler said I did good, he said we vastly improved (the pipeline).” Doneghey joked. “No, I think we did well. … Huge strides.”

The Hawks spent all Day 2 picks on forwards, including five centers, one of their priorities. And they targeted players with speed after making a point to draft “puck friendly” defensemen on Day 1.

“We’ve certainly gotten a lot faster, we got very competitive,” Doneghey said. “But yes, centers and defensemen (were the focus).

“Prior to (associate general manager and former Cubs executive) Jeff Greenberg coming aboard, (we knew) you build down the middle, just like baseball — catcher, pitcher, shortstop, middle outfield. … You can move center fielders out to right field, you can move shortstops to second, whatever it may be.

“Centers, defensemen and eventually (goalies). Hopefully (Drew) Commesso follows through, (Arvid) Söderblom follows through, (or) maybe there’s a high-end goalie over the next few years that we step up for.”

Meanwhile, the Hawks traded a 2022 third-round pick (No. 94), to the Arizona Coyotes for a 2023 third-round pick. The Coyotes took defenseman Jérémy Langlois.

The Hawks also acquired center Liam Gorman from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a sixth-round pick (defenseman Nolan Collins) and swapped a 2023 sixth-rounder for the Carolina Hurricanes’ sixth-rounder in this year’s draft, which the Hawks spent on forward Nils Juntorp.

Here’s a rundown of the Hawks’ 11 picks.

Drafted: First round, No. 7 (part of Alex DeBrincat trade to the Ottawa Senators)

By the numbers: 18 years old, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, left shot; four goals and 61 assists, which ranked second among WHL defensemen.

NHL Central Scouting: “A high-end offensive defenseman who is very skilled.” … His father, Larry Korchinski, played forward for the Saskatoon Blades.

Korchinski says: “I love to join the rush. I love to create offensively, and I do that by using my feet, using my puck skills, my passing ability.… My dad, big Blackhawks fan, so I kind of hopped on the bandwagon as a kid. He was a big Jonathan Toews fan, he loved how he played a complete 200-foot game. And I was a Patrick Kane fan because I liked the flashiness. .. Shea Theodore is someone I compare myself to. … His defensive game improved so much under (Seattle Thunderbirds coach Matt O’Dette)”

Doneghey says: “He’s an unbelievable playmaker with the puck. … Different than a lot of the defensemen we’ve drafted in the last few years. He’s really puck-friendly. He’ll be a first-unit power play guy, he projects to be a first-pairing defenseman, can eat minutes”

Drafted: First round, No. 13 (part of the Kirby Dach trade to the Montreal Canadiens via the New York Islanders)

By the numbers: 18, 5-10 and 175 pounds, right shot; 28 goals and 42 assists in 56 games for U18.

NHL Central Scouting: “A consistent scoring threat who moves well laterally when carrying the puck and is hard to contain. … Makes very good decisions.”

Nazar says: “I like to say I play a little bit like Brayden Point, and obviously I’m not the complete player as him, but that’s why you’ve got to work. … The speed and being able to score and get in those open areas. … The team I wanted to go to was a team that’s kind of rebuilding and wants more younger guys to get in there.”

Doneghey says: “Easy player to like. You’ve heard me say, ‘Speed, speed, speed.’ He can absolutely fly. … He makes quick plays under pressure. He’s not afraid to drive the middle of the ice on the rush, bring people with him and then bounce the puck out left or right. … Character, again, through the roof. Checks a lot of boxes that way. Leadership material.”

Drafted: First round, No. 25 (part of the Petr Mrázek package from the Toronto Maple Leafs)

By the numbers: 18, 6-4 and 177 pounds, right shot; two goals and 8 assists in 21 games for the USHL Waterloo Black Hawks.

Rinzel says: “I couldn’t believe it. I had a little bit of a feeling that I think that was the team that had the most interest in me, but I never knew. … I think I’m a two-way defenseman who can get up and down the ice. I’m tall and lanky but I think I’m a very good skater.”

Doneghey says: “We watched Sam in every venue. …. There was so much to like because of his frame and his skating ability is smooth and high-end. He needs to put on some weight. … He’s more on the longer path. He’ll play in Waterloo this year then he’ll go to (the University of) Minnesota. … There’s just so much to mold with him, but the pieces are there.”

Drafted: Second round, No. 39 (part of the DeBrincat trade)

By the numbers: 18, 5-11 and 176 pounds; 16 goals and 27 assists in 67 games.

Ludwinski says: “My younger self, I would be in tears if this is where he saw me. …I’m probably the most (versatile) in the draft. I’m kind of like Yanni Gourde — I can play third-line center or first-line wing. I’ve shown that throughout the season.”

Doneghey says: “Paul is a two-way centerman, was on Shane Wright’s team, he was the third-line center in that group. They bumped him up to wing quite a bit if they felt they needed to get Shane going a little bit. He’s got some snarl to his game inside. … Very good on the penalty kill. … Oozes character. He’s got that look in his eyes, like, you win with those type of guys.”

Drafted: Second round, No. 57 (pick acquired from the Marc-André Fleury trade to the Minnesota Wild)

By the numbers: 18, 6-1 and 174 pounds, right shot; career highs in games played (59), goals (19), assists (32) in third season.

NHL Central Scouting: “A solid skater with good speed and quickness. … Strong in contact areas and protects the puck well. Solid net-front presence. Plays with a lot of passion. … Plays like Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie.”

Doneghey says: “We talked about centers, speed down the middle. Lot of value with a right-shot center. I don’t want to say he’s playing the long game like Sam Rinzel is, but he’s got to get a little stronger physically, but he’s got the frame to carry it a little bit more. Skating’s really strong. … Competitive character.”

Drafted: Third round, No. 66 (part of the Dach trade)

By the numbers: 18, 6-1 and 177 pounds, right shot; 19 goals and 30 assists in 65 games

Hayes said: “I’m a smart player, 200 foot, good without the puck. Also my shot is key. … I got related to Blake Wheeler. More skill than him but (I) need to play the body more like him.”

Doneghey says: “This year in Flint, (he) didn’t get a lot of opportunity early, had to keep proving himself night after night. … (Coach) Teddy (Dent) made him earn his stripes and it didn’t go great for Gavin, (but) he wasn’t knocking on coaches’ doors, he took it upon himself to figure it out. … He’s got sneaky skill. He can shoot a puck.”

Drafted: Third round, No. 81

By the numbers: 18, 5-9 and 189 pounds, left shot; 18 goals and 15 assists in 64 games.

Savoie says: “I describe my game as a two-way forward that plays good (offensively) but also defensive. Also, I think I play with an edge. I’m a competitor. … I try to model my game after a bit of Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett. I think I get the edge of Brad Marchand, the little hits … But also the way Sam Bennett plays, the way he pursues the puck, he’s relentless.”

Doneghey says: “Just a ball of energy. Thick, big motor. … Like a Yanni Gourde-type player. That’s just speed, speed, relentless. Just gets after it”.

Drafted: Third round, No. 90 (pick acquired in the Nikita Zadorov trade to the Calgary Flames)

By the numbers: 20, 5-11 and 181 pounds, left shot; an alternate captain who led the Stars in assists (58) and points (82) in 57 games.

Doneghey says: “Coaches in the (USHL) think he was the fastest skater as a center. Had a ton of points this year. … We really like that he’s going to (the University of) Denver, we have a good relationship with (coach) David Carle. He’s going to get a lot of opportunity there.”

Drafted: Sixth round, No. 173 (acquired in the Seth Jones trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets)

By the numbers: 20, 5-11 and 165 pounds, left shot; six goals and 12 assists

Doneghey says: “(Associate GM) Norm Maciver saw him a lot. Norm lived in Duluth up until getting this position, so he was able to see Dominic quite a bit. …. Feisty, competitive, north-south winger, has an inside game.”

Drafted: Sixth round, No. 188 (pick acquired by trading 2023 sixth-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes)

By the numbers: 18, 6-1 and 185 pounds, right shot; 17 goals and 24 assists, according to eliteprospects.com

Doneghey says: “(Hawks European scouting staff) Mats Hallin and Nik Blomgren really like this guy. Speed is his whole game. He’s an up-down winger. … Fast on the forecheck.”

Drafted: Seventh round, No. 199

By the numbers: 18, 6-8 and 190 pounds, right shot; seven goals and eight assists in 41 games

Doneghey says: “Never seen him play, but our Finnish scout, Mikko Luoma (has). … He’s a right-shot center who can skate. … Small-town kid, very naive, very behind the curve, but (we like) the value of the skating, obviously the size, and I respect what Mikko’s thoughts are.”