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Blackhawks’ draft pick stockpile opens up opportunities like Tomas Jurco trade

When you’re regularly a Stanley Cup contender like the Blackhawks have been, it’s important to find other ways to maintain your pipeline of talent throughout the system. One way GM Stan Bowman has done that is by striking gold in the KHL, where he uncovered Artemi Panarin and Michal Kempny in back-to-back years.

But there’s another area where the Blackhawks have targeted an advantage over their peers, and that’s the draft. While the Blackhawks regularly pick near the bottom of the first round, blocking them off from selecting the absolute best prospects available each year, they’ve taken a smart alternative by stockpiling picks in general.