2016 NHL DRAFT: BLACKHAWKS SELECT NINE AT DRAFT

Chicago, Ill. - The Chicago Blackhawks drafted forward Alex DeBrincat (39th overall), defenseman Chad Krys (45th overall), forward Artur Kayumov (50th overall), goaltender Wouter Peeters (83rd overall), defenseman Lucas Carlsson (110th overall), center Nathan Noel (113th overall), forward Mathias From (143rd overall), defenseman Blake Hillman (173rd overall) and defenseman Jake Ryczek (203rd overall) at the 2016 National Hockey League Draft at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y., on Saturday.

A few weeks ago, Chicago headed into the 2016 NHL Draft with only a handful of selections, none coming in the first or second round. The Blackhawks changed their fortune by acquiring a second round pick (50th overall) and a 2017 3rd round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes on June 15th, 2016, in exchange for forwards Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen.

The Blackhawks were not done stockpiling picks as they also acquired two second round selections (39th overall, 45th overall) in exchange for forward Andrew Shaw on June 24th, 2016.

Blackhawks Draft Pick Bios:

Alex DeBrincat, 18, notched 101 points (51g-50a) in 60 regular-season games for the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League. The 5’7” forward tallied 19 points (8g-11a) in 13 postseason contests. The Farmington Hills, Mich., collected 205 points (102g-103a) in 128 career games. DeBrincat also won a bronze medal for Team USA at the 2016 World Junior Championships while scoring one goal in five contests.

Chad Krys, 18, scored 13 points (2g-11a) in 18 United States Hockey League matches with United States National Training Development Team. The Ridgefield, Conn., native registered 29 points (3g-26a) in 53 games with the USNTDP U-18 club. Krys was Alex DeBrincat’s (39th overall) teammate on the bronze winning USA team during the 2016 World Junior Championships, skating in seven games. Krys will play at Boston University in 2016-17.

Artur Kayumov, 18, collected 31 points (12g-19a) in 39 games for Team Russia U-18 in the MHL. Kayumov also posted six points (2g-4a) in five contests for Team Russia at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. The Podgorny, Russia, native won a silver medal while posting six points (1g-5a) in four games at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge.

Wouter Peeters, 17, posted a 3.27 goals-against average with the Czech Republic’s EC Salzburg U20 team in 24 games. The Turnhout, Belgium, native also appeared in two games during the playoffs posting a 0.96 GAA and a .963 save percentage. The 6’4” netminder will be playing in the KHL for the 2016-17 season.

Lucas Carlsson, 18, tallied nine points (4g-5a) in 35 games for Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League. Carlsson also scored 11 points (1g-10a) in 15 games for the Swedish Junior Hockey League club. The Gavle, Sweden, native notched five points (3g-2a) in four matches for the Sweden U19 squad.

Nathan Noel, 19, scored 57 points (21g-36a) in 61 games for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Noel registered 13 points (3g-10a) in 16 postseason contests for Saint John. The St. John’s, Newfoundland, native has amassed 158 total points (61g-97a) in 190 career games for the Sea Dogs. Noel skated for Team Canada at the 2015 U-18 World Championships where he won a gold medal and scored two assists in seven games.

Mathias From, 18, tallied 21 points (6g-15a) in 36 games for Rogle in the Swedish Junior League and added four points (2g-2a) in seven postseason tilts. From skated for Team Demark in the 2016 World Junior Championship where he netted two goals and collected two assists. The Frederikshavn, Denmark, native scored four points (2g-2a) in 16 regular-season contests in the Swedish Hockey League where he will continue to play during the upcoming season.

Blake Hillman, 20, collected 11 points (3g-8a) in 39 games for the University of Denver. Hillman was named Most Outstanding Player of NCAA West Regional after recording four points (2g-2a) and scoring the game-winner against Ferris State on March 27. The Elk River, Minn., native also spent two seasons in the USHL where he collected 31 points (6g-25a) in 112 career games for Dubuque and Waterloo.

Jake Ryczek, 18, spent this past season in the USHL totaling 34 points (7g-27a) in 47 games for both Sioux City and Waterloo. Ryczek tallied four assists in nine postseason games with Waterloo. The Springfield, Mass., native has amassed 52 points (13g-39a) in 102 career USHL games over two seasons and played in 14 playoff games, registering four assists. The 5’10” defenseman will skate for Providence College in 2016-17.