One of the biggest challenges of team building is understanding prospect value in a draft. That means getting players later on the board than they probably should've gone. This isn't just true of the NHL draft; it spans all professional sports. Teams that take advantage of value often have the most success on the ice. The Chicago Blackhawks should understand that as well as any organization. Where would their dynasty of been if they hadn't found Duncan Keith, Corey Crawford, or Brandon Saad in the 2nd round? The 1st round is crucial, sure. However, the later rounds often determine how far a team will go.
Chicago maneuvered to have three 1st round picks this year. GM Kyle Davidson set the tone by taking massive swings on prospects who were raw but had high-end traits. Doing that meant he would have to find value in the later rounds. According to growing sentiments around the NHL media, the Blackhawks may have scored one of the draft's biggest steals. It came when they selected Nathan Behm, the WHL standout, in the 3rd round. If you ask the experts at Elite Prospects, he should've been long gone.
Chicago got him 30 spots later than his projections.
Behm is the 36th ranked prospect by Elite Prospects and is coming of a year in the WHL where he had 66 points in 59 games, second on Kamloops Blazers behind Detroit Red Wings prospect Emmitt Finnie.
The Elite Prospects draft guide described his game as follows:
With reach, handling skill, and a knack for pulling pucks through traffic, Behm slices through opponents in spectacular fashion. He taps pucks through defender’s triangles off his backhand, just outside of their reach, and leans into their space to complete the slot cut. From there, Behm subtly changes the angle inside the release or fakes before passing. A strong first-touch player, he moves pucks to the middle of the rink instantly and launches one-timers past goaltenders.
The Chicago Blackhawks played the board perfectly.
Last season was Behm's breakout campaign. In 59 games, he scored 31 goals and had 35 assists. His stick-handling, aggressiveness, and vision made him a constant pain for opponents to deal with. So why did he fall that far? It appears his inconsistency unsettled many. After a blazing start to last season, his production fizzled down the stretch. There are questions about his habits, work rate, and defensive ability. Considering the kid is only 18 years old, it is fair to believe he can address those issues as he matures. The Chicago Blackhawks can give him all the time he needs to learn and develop. If things progress as hoped, he may become one of the biggest steals in recent memory for this franchise.
