The Hawks’ eight-man 2020 draft class includes three forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender.
After selecting forward Lukas Reichel in the first round Tuesday, the Blackhawks added six more prospects during Day Two of the NHL draft on Wednesday. Both Kelley and Bowman had hinted often over the past few weeks that the Hawks wanted to boost their goalie pipeline, which entered the draft pretty bare. They did just that with Commesso, who was ranked by most scouts as the second- or third-best goalie in this draft class. Although he’s a bit of a late bloomer, he boasts big upside. “I’m a very calm and efficient goalie,” Commesso said. “You won’t really find me scrambling or really making those crazy highlight-reel saves much. I’d rather just make the simple save in my chest.” The 6-foot-2 Massachusetts native went 18-7-1 with a.920 save percentage with the U.S. National Team Development Program last season. He’s a freshman at Boston University now, where he’ll be teammates with fellow Hawks prospects Alex Vlasic and Jake Wise. BU goalie coach Brian Eklund has coached Commesso since age 10, and Commesso said the two are currently working on improving his skating and rebound control. The Hawks reached a bit for Slaggert, who was projected to go several rounds later.
